The Washington times., 1913-04-08

~ up in bed, propped on pillows,
with an ice cream freezer in her
lap, grinding the crank round
and round while her nurse and the hired
girl pushed her bed across the floor.
trying to make the old woman think she
was joy riding?
That was the excruciatingly funny
scene In THE Regeneration of Aunt
Mary and / don't suppose any one
who saw that play will ever forget the
white haired. sunny dispositioned. lively
old person who refused to stop being
young.
Well, here comes that same dear old
Parsonage in "A Night Out" She is
"outing" at the Columbia Theater this
week. and her play this season is almost
as funny as the other piece. Miss Rob-
son wrote the play herself. with the
assistance of Charles T. Dazey. It's just
exactly the kind Of play one would ex-
poet May Robson to write-a piece
| bubbling over with real. clean fun, and
laughable situations. There isn't a
moral in the whole thing. nor a prob
lem. only laughs and smiles, and giggles
and chuckles for three happy hours,
which serve to keep the audience good
natured until the very end Of the play.
Even the Captain of the Ship Of State
leaned back in his chair last night and
"ha-ha-ed' out loud at many Of the
lively antics Of the sprightly old dame.
and the funny situations brought about
by her desire to remain young. Best of
all it is to see May Robson, fresh and
buoyant, and with her infectious laugh
ter which is so much part of herself
that one cannot think Of one without
the other.
"A Night Out might have been a
musical comedy Of sorts by the addi-
ton Of a waltz song. a spoken lyric.
and one or two ensemble numbers, for
the plot is one that is happy enough to
interest the most tired business man.
There is a dance number in the play
which knocks the spots out of anything
that has been seen in any musical COM
edy this winter, and so unexpected that
the audience scarcely realized that II
was being given until after 1t was all
over.
"A Night Out" gets one out of a
groove, for it is a play of unexpected
situations. When in the first act 1t
developed that Granmum was going
out for a night OF it with the boys,
everyone I'm the audience, I guess, was
looking for second-act restaurant
scene, with cabaret features. and other
surprises, but they were disappointed.
The unexpected happened. and instead
of leaving the development Of the fun
TO others, It was all centered in Miss
Robson, who filled all requirements and
fulfilled all expectations.
Al, nrr,u f,,tf
affairs OF cne Haslem family. There is
the mother who never said anything
more dreadful than ''prunes,'' I'm sure
She was straight-laced and narrow. and
unpleasant to look upon. not homely.
but simply a frozen-faced person who
would sour a pan of milk in five min
utes. There were her two young sons.
and then there was Granmum MSS
Rotson). In her early life Granmum
had had her troubles, first with one
husband, then with a second one, the
last one having been oblisiEg enough to
1ie leaving her considerable money.
Granmuri loved her Srandsons, but the
stern mother Of the two boys. Jack and
Paul Haslcm, had theories regarding
the bringing up of her sons, one of
which was that they should be in bed.
with lights out. ut 10 O'Clock. Now
these boys were inclined to be a bit
curious, as Young men who are sent to
he'd each night at 10 o'clock usually are
and they had sneaked off to the city a
number of times. finding considerable t.
interest them at a certain New York
rcStaurant
While Granmum is in thorough sym
pathy with the boys desire TO Sc. life
she indicates wish to see II this res
taurant is all that il should be. Per-
haps. too. there's the least little bit of
a desire to participate In little fes-
tivi,y herself. So the boys and Gran
mum cook up a scheme 10 slip out OF
the house on the following Saturday
night, go to town and have a night Of
II. Fine!
Saturday night comes. and escape is
made from the hcrmetically sealed
house as per schedule. Granmum and
the boys skip off to gay Broadway and
the restaurant just in time TO be
caught in a police raid. In her excite
ment, Granmum gives the name OF her
daughter to the policeman. instead Cf
her own; loses valuable brooch and
her grav puffs. but finally manages to
Hco.&:onor Nv,,onSekc