The Washington herald., 1913-11-10
by JAMES $. MErCALFE.

New York, Nov. 9.-Quite unusual were
the circumstances attending the second
coming Of Cyril Maude, the English
actor, to New York His friend and
fellow artist, Mr.. ]. E. Dodson. had pre-
pared a very elaborate greeting in the
way of a banquet at the Lotos Club. To
this had repaired some threescore no
tables, including Prime Minister Borden
Of the Dominion of Canada. The pres
ence Of this dignitary was quite appro-
pirate. as Mr.. Maude had closed his
Canadian engagement with a Saturday
night performance in ottawa, the Ca
madam capital from which he was to
hasten to the Sunday evening dinner In
New York
The guests Of the occasion had gathered
at the Lotos at 7:3O. as per invitation,
only TO be informed that Mr.. Maude,
hurrying by automobile from Ottawa to
Prescott. had been ditched and missed
the train to which he was TO have been
ferried across. the St Lawrence at
Ogdensburg. They were also informed
that a special train had been ordered
and that he was then somewhere be-
tween Albany and New York. The cock
tail period was prolonged and the dinner
served in leisurely fashion so that when
being passed and he was just in time for
the speechifying The cause of the delay
and the presence OF the Canadian Pre-
mier gave openings for reflections on the
condition OF the Canadian roads for
automobiling and other sallies, including
Mr. Dodson's statement of the reason
for his not getting in some cabaret fea-
lures to while away the time OF waiting.
This was to the effect that most OF those
aN..W 1Wanw n
the cabaret show was that it took the
rest out of restaurant and put the din
into dinner.
MIR. Cyril Maude's Opening.
Cyril Maudes first appearance in Amer
lea since he has become famous in Eng
land suffered from several handicaps
We have become so accustomed to the
more modern and more intimately
planned theaters that Wallack's. besides
being now pretty far downtown. seems
barnlike and unsuited for the finer kind
Of acting that calls for a closer touch
between the stage and the audience.
Nor is the evening before election an
auspicious time for a debut. In addition
his play, Capt Marshalls The Second
in Command" was not a new one, hav-
ing served as a seasons vehicle for Mr.
John Drew twelve years ago
In spite of these drawbacks, Mr.. Maude
was greeted by a distinctly fashionable
audience, and not only won its favor,
but made patent the charm which has
given him his place in the affection OF
English theatergoers. Charm is the word,
for not even his warmest admirers
would claim for him greatness in the
sense that we bestcw the term on inter-
prefers of the classic roles. Judging by
this one performance there is no question
v@@aG Nava-
ish, magnetism. and ability to convey
humor which go to give pleasure to an
audience in the portrayal of contem-
porary character.
The part of Mai Kit Bingham in
The Second in Command. is by no
means a heroic one, but 1T calls for the
bearing of a gentleman. the ability OF
the comedian, and the power Of pathos.
The first is sufficiently rare on our stage
to make grateful an encounter with 1t
in the degree that Mt. Maude possesses
it. his humor is quite sufficiently infec-
tious and his pathos is the more moving
through his tasteful restraint. He brings
his own company. which is thoroughly
English, sometimes SO much so as to
I've almost incomprehensible i'll its use Of
the LONDON dialect. His young daughter,
Miss Margery Maude. has the leading
wornan's role in the present piece. but il
is not an exacting one and enables her
20 show the unaffected, girllsh attractive
ness which is all it requires.
GirI-and-Music Show.
The Shuberts have put on at the
Casino a girl-and-music show of the
usual type called "Oh. / Say 1t was
done in London with some success as an
out-and-out French farce. but for use in
this country it has been metamorphosed
into what it is by the introduction Of a
lot of subordinate characters, the addi-
ton of a numerous female chorus and
the supply of a musical score by Mr..
Jerome D. Kern. All of this makes a
total which is a diverting but not par
ticularlv original or brilliant example Of
the kind OF entertainment usually to be
found IT the Casino.
There is one feature. however. which
may be developed to the point Of max
ing "Oh, l Say" something out of the
usual. In the last act the usual young
hero and heroine having passed through
the usual difficulties are at last happily
married. Instead of indulging in the
usual finale with the whole company
lined up before the footlights to bring
the curtain down with z burst of song.
the bridal couple disappear into the
villa and are seen at the second-story
window in shadow pantomine preparing
to retire. At the first performance this |
was limited to the grooms removing his |
coat and starting to help his bride with |
the difficulties that attend a bodice which |
unbuttons in the back. OF course, the |
pantomine may be carried very much |
further than this If the final chorus is |
prolonged and the drop of the curtain |
delayed. Far be II from any one to |
suggest that a New York theater would |
resort to such device to attract /
patronage, but the character of some Of |
the plays seen this season would go to |
indicate that an opportunity like this |
may possibly not be overlooked, par /
ticuIarly If "Oh, Say" did not attract |
the public by its other merits.
"Aftsr Five" Goes on.
Whatever was I begun for, to be so |
Quickly done for or something like that |
sings Solomon Graundy in the nursery /,
rhyme. and it applies to After Five" |
which has just ended its brief career /;
at the Fulton. The De Mile boys, Will |
lam and Cecil, whom it seems natural to /
call bows because of their distinguished |
father, are both dramatists by inheritance |
and successful experience. How they |
could think that After Five" which 1
they called a comedy, but was, in fact, I
thin and complicated farce, could hold |
the liking of the public, is another ex-
ample of that mystery which the lay pub /
lie can never understand-namely, that |
authors and managers cannot tell in ad- 1
vance that a play is no good. To one ]
" no STANDS in the middle ground between
rublic and producer there is an explana-
ls.I,