The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-05

LOCAL THEATERS BEGIN
NEW YEAR AUSPICIOUSLY
Two Plays Make Their Initial Bow to
Washington This Week.
by JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

us on the crest of the dramatic season
looking back on the incessant and oftel
reckless activities of theatrical producer
who have given us so many half baket
plays, inconsequential musical comedies
and farcical skits that one feels entirel.
justified in pronouncing the fall seasoi
one of famine for good drama and turn
gratefully to the announcements which
come from many producers that theil
activities will be now turned In the di
rection of revivals of the good things Of
other years and in giving the publ,
outside of New York and Chicago {
chance to see the plays of this season
which are worth our serious considera.
ton.
Both classes will be represented In
Washington playhouses this week, tn,
poetic morality play, "Everywoman." re-
turning to the Belasco for a weeks en-.
gsgement, Rose Stahl. in Maggie Pep
per-" coming to the New National, Mile
stones" to the Columbia. and Thomas z
Shea, in repertoire. to the Academy
while Chase's will present the latest Jesse
L. Lasky tabloid musical comedy, THE
Earl and the Girls" and also will intro
duce Daniel Frohman to Washington
playgoers as a vaudeville producer. Add
to these alluring offerings exceptional at
fractions at the other theaters in this
ington managers are beginning the new
year with promise.
.'Milestones." the Arnold Bennett-Ed-
ward Knoblauch piece, which scored the
most complete success OF many years
in London, comes to the Columbia this
week stamped with the unanimous
praise of American critics as we'll as
bearing the highest Endorsement of the
lTDT ono hn lot lRa Nrfr GarnN
bulletins broadcast recommending that
all lovers of the theater see this un-
usual story, told in three episodes. stat
ing that lit is one of the plays which
sustain belief in the vitality and high
artistic merit of the modern drama at
its best
'Milestones' is a survey of half a CEN
tury Of British sentimental progress, pre-
senting a succession of pictures of the
traditions. irregularities loves. stubborn
ness. and mistakes of three generations.
separated by three milestones. each Of
which is twenty-five years from the
othe.
In the preface to the printed copy OF
the play there is this thoroughly Ben
nettesque acknowledgment:
TO Frank Vernon. who. having
brought the authors together, instructed
them to elaborate i'm a play. and who,
when they had obeyed him, put the play
on the stage with an art which evoked
their liveliest gratitude"
This tribute explains how the play
came into being. Mr.. Vernon is the most
noted Of the English stage directors
having been repeatedly termed the Eng
lish Belasco." The novelty and charm
OF the piece captivated London last
winter. and still runs on there. Klaw
IL Erlanger, who spend most of their
vacations abroad gobbling up every Opu-
lent comedy in sight. did a splendid
thing when they secured the American
rights to "Milestones," producing it in
New York and Chicago at about the
same time this season with well poised
English companies.
Rose Stahl played Patricia O'Brien.
The Chorus Lady" $50 times, 1,100
times in vaudeville, 103 times in London, |
and 1,447 times in America, and il is said |
that she never missed a performance. |
She has such confidence in Charles /
Klein's play. Maggie Pepper" which |
comes TO the New National Theater this |
week. that she declares it her expecta-
ton to exceed her record of The Chorus |
Lady"
Since the success achieved by Miss
Stahl in the title role of Maggie Pep
per-" one must admit that Charles Klein
mas adhered firmly to the policy of mo-
nentary interest in writing his plays,
which he announced as his intention
months ago. for Maggie Pepper is
purely a play of the moment
Blank verse. or the discussion of par
or problems in plays. do not answer with
/ like magnetic force in attracting the
attention of the public to-day is the be-
ief which is responsible for Mr. Klein's
that he would write ten
ucceeding plays with a cOntemporaneous
interest. The justification of his opinion
nay be best judged by a retrospective
lance toward some of his successes, and
heir bearings on the doings of the world
f to-day.
Shortly after his Lion and the Mouse
vas produced, the press of the country
vas hlled with comment on the Mccall
lvestisation, and certain crusades
gainst corporations and insurance COM
any graft The manifest gain to the /
ublic through these investigations will
e long remembered. :
While NJ. KIein's THE Third Degree
as playing in New York City. a great
pheaval in police circles was expert
need as a result of the third degree
ractice in the George Duffy and Elsie =
legel cases. The horrible possibilities :
the third degree as employed by the
Olice were made clearly known through
&c tnelne OF tnlS mighty melodramatic ,
zee. t
While Maggie Pepper unfoIds no =
reat evil existing in our department v
ores, it embodies the attitude of John il
'anamaker toward certain methods now c
factor in the management of our most fl
'etentious department establishments. I
Id has not failed 20 stamp its influence ! G
the conduct of some department store b
every city in which it has been a
aged. $
During Miss Stahls first appearance in
Maggie Pepper" in Chicago, it was an il
'upced that a store of international h
putation-Marshali Field's-was to be i
INDICTED on the cooperative basis. e
nee which time some part of the pIay h
Is been applied to some condition in v
lie store or another in real life all along a
c line of Maggie Peppers" appear a,
zee with her straisht-from-the-s shoulder 6;
TX.
Those who were fortunate enough last \,
ason to see Henry W. Savare's spec- ~
cular production of "Everywoman'' in y
e Belasco Theater need not be told y,
at 1t was one of the most poetic and Iy
ustic productions of the year. II filled a,
Belasco to its capacity night after n