Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03

symrathcti,. designers of tctl"h 'iie
conduct Of judge. i.agarde would ne
easily explained on tue theofN ''''t
a staid magistrate htd l;ttiei' mo
the wav.; uf French farce and dfiit'" Out
into the night Ia CRAFTY certain tdii
ity concerning tie underworld S"pt'-
fcially his couduac would merely SUGGEST
an argument III favor Of tn" fe@aii. nhoeh
certain circumstances. 81 III" JodieI'fN'
But the character portrayed ~ M
JacSav,. has been the subject "f c;reini
treatment in writing well a. IL acting
and H. j. received mot - i'm offender
against society hut n = patient Ihe
nlea nut ~ in his behalf would stasgcr
even an .Iieuist whose duty it is tn call
i'm science, - lessen the moral respons!-
hilitN OF q man accused. out o1 the
nervous wrccka@c Of the juds" hy daE
arises Il prince. 81 tEr slum~ BY night
who uro~ccut,s his daring career with
intrepid skill. Just how the change OF
identity i brought about i not con-
vincinglv explained but the scenes III
which tho two personalities figure are so
vividly shown that the audience L. tempt
ed 10 believe its eyes regardless OF the
absence II rational proof.
49,
of memory which sometimes results from
an accident involving the brain and leads
the victim To ADOPT a new name and a
new course of life. Such cases are ire
auentlv noted in the newspapers, but
cases of alternating identity. with each
nersonaIity con plete within itself and in
dependent Of the other do moi come un-
der the observation Of the exchange ed
itor They must be sought in the works
of th. rneta:hysicaI s. eC:alist. who counts
his labor lost Il he does not produce
Something t. startle the ordinary intelii-
sence.
The playwright has a distinct advan-
tage in being forgiven for audacity in
his assumption of primary fact if he can
make it the inspiration of picturesque
narrative. No reader or auditor really de-
sires to spoil a good story, and the bor-
derland of mystery which surrounds hu-
man life is field in which imagination
Is permitted 10 go forth, hardy explorer.
whose proofs will no; be too severely
challenged. MIR Iackaye's new play IS
brisk with action and retains interest
even though ii reverSes the methods by
which it Is usually sought to maintain
suspense. The mystery story ordinarily
presents the cues, ana from tIem Ie-
velops the facts in the case. but this one
presents the facts first and the clues aft
erward. The dramatic possibilities of the
dramatic situation which makes the
Judge the relentless prosecutor in cases
of misfortune similar to his own are not
elaborated, and the love interest is faint
and, far as Importance III plot goes
a belated episode. The absolute direct
nos n 81 J.: Il
the tale is told with the simple candor Of
the reporter, who undertakes no respon-
sibility beyond the vivid and explicit
statement of interesting things. Others
may draw their own conclusions.
For the time that the play is on the
stage, Mr.. Laokayc IS Judge Lagarde,
the changes of identity do occur and the
scenes to which they lead are thrillingly
impressive. Mr. Lackaye's hypnotic eyes
play 50 highly important part in Great
ing effects that the performance may be
described almost as an optical illusion.
There might have been things YOU
don't like in the F'olies But the show
moves so rapidly that YOU haven't time
to notice them. Like the circus, the en-
tertainment presents a certain sameness
from year to year. but. in the case of
the circus, that sameness constitutes "a
charm. Perhaps Bert Williams needs a
few new songs perhaps the daffoiil is a
rather faded blossom in the bouquet of
current fads: perhaps We are too far
from Milwaukee or Cincinnati to appre-
ciate the turning of English popular
songs into German as they should be APP
preciated. and perhaps a lot of things
Tnore-yet the gleeful rumpus is irresistible
in its appeal and the entire show is like
a peek at some tairyland of fun from the
windows of express train of thought.
Fanny Brice is coming into the rromi-
nence entertainer that was pre-
Gicted for her.
There is one man in the show who de-
serves particular mention, the man who
handles the base drum snare drum, pop
gun, whistle xylophone and variety of
other implements of sound, apparently all
at once. He is yirtuoso in execution
and an athlete in agility. And his share
in keeping the show going at a whiriwind
pace is by no means small
The revival Of The Bohemian Girl by
the Aborn company. in addition 10 it's in
terest for the lovers of the old songs Of
horse. II the automobile does suDersede
him in his old capacities he can go into
grand opera.
The Washington theatrical season.
speaking in "a strictly local sense, will
open early this year. And the field Will
be well occupied, less than four com
panies being in process of organization
or discussion at the time. In addition
to the annual stock season of the CO.
lumbia there are. IL reports hold good to
be stock presentations the Bclasco
the Imperial Theater. and after the close
of polite vaudeville for the summer a,
Chases. IHILANDER JOHNSON
THE CHORUS TALKS IT-Evcrybody
knows the tune of Every Little Move
meut. TIN. number which forms the
musical theme of Madame sherry. II
has amounted to t,ineful epidemic since
Madame Sherry's'' initial production a
lite Colonel Theater. Chicago. That was
barely two years ago; Yet ii seems like
times You have heard the haunting
melody In the same way one gets to
think that famous actresses who COM
nenced their stage careers at an early
age must he at least hundred years
old because one seems TO have heard