The Washington herald., 1913-11-09
HARRISON GREY FISKE
PRODUCES. NEW COMEDY
Columbia Scene of Practical Premiere Comedy
of Character at the NationaEFairy Tale
Play Tenants the Belasco.
nv JULIA cnANDLER MANz.

BY LULA CHANDLER MANz.
This is a week of first appearances in
the leading local theaters.
Harrison Grey Fiske is already in the
city for the purpose OF personally direct
ing the presentation of THE Honey
Bee" which has its practical premiere
at the Columbia Theater tomorrow even
ing, after a dress rehearsal or two IN
Atlantic City the latter part Of last week.
1t is stated by prominent member Of
Mr.. Fiske's staff that he has selected
the Capital for the first week Of his new
comedy, remembering how well he was
treated when he gave ''Kismet" its pre-
miere production here.
But who wouldn't be more than passing
kind to SO magnificent a pageant as
"Kismet'' with the most consumate
artist in America interpreting the lead
ing role?
Nor have we to look only to his art in
staging the arabian Nights Tale for an
example of Mr.. Fiske's productive genius,
for his artistic stamp has been upon
the dramas in which his wife, Mrs Min
ME Maddern Fiske, has appeared, as well
as many others, SO that we find ourselves
expecting a treat in The Honey Bee. 7"
Hutcheson Boyd. co-author with Rudolph
Bunner, of the new comedy, also wrote
years ago. Mr.. Bunner, who is we'll
known illustrator, is 4 brother of the
late H. C. Bunner, the famous littera-
teur.
The theme of the Boyd-Bunner comedy
pivots on a fresh angle of the feminist
movement which should yield more than
ordinary comedy richness
We shall see!
While 'Disraeli," Louis n. PaTker's
four-act comedy, has won a distinctive
metropolitan success, il comes to WASH
ington this week for the first time, un-
der the management of the Liebler Com
pany, at the New National Theater
This comedy of character had its initial
performance in Pittsburgh during De-
cember of 1910, since which time il has
achieved remarkable success in Chicago,
Boston. Philadelphia, and New York,
George Arliss having won uniform praise
in his clever reincarnation of the title
character, to which may be added a men,
ton of the brilliant and picturesque Vic
torian setting with which the piece is
furnished.
It was a somewhat daring undertaking
for a dramatist to offer as the central
figure of drama a famous statesman in
a day that is still marked by that states
mans contemporaries. More presump-
tuous still was the task of endeavorfng
to win sympathetic regard for such
character at a time when the original 3
most vividly remembered through the de-
nunciation and merciless ridicule of him
that occupied the journalists and carica-
turists of the entire world throughout the
period Of Disraelis public life.
BENJAMIN Disraeli-Lord Beaconsield-
has been dead but thirty years. The
achievements of the man who made Eng
land his gaming table arouse pride IN
every loyal British heart These fruits
were Empire. But the man, the selfmade
statesman. the upstart Jew, is still hated
by the aristocrat and Knocked by the
plebian.
Louis n. Parker, author of Rose
mary" -"Pomander Walk" Joseph and
His Brethren" and numerous other
notable plays, would most likely never
have written "Disraeli" had not the
only actor whose art, technique, and per-
sonality could faithfully interpret the
character of the one-tine premiere OF
England been available. 1t was the per-
sonality of Mr.. Arliss which also deter
mined the period of Disraelis life with
which the drama should deal. In writing
the piece for Mr.. Arliss the dramatist
presents the Disraeli OF later Efe-the
bland, quizzicaI Machiavelli of the Con-
servative party-Disraen at the zenith Of
his power in the '70s.
Quite a different note is sounded in the
dramatic symphony of the present week
by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,"
the fairy-tale play which also comes to
Washington for the first time this week,
This adaptation from the Grimm fairy
tale which was made by Jessie Braham
White was one of the productions under
the direction Of Winthrop Ames, which
has stamped the Little Theater, of New
York City, as the home of the most
charmingly artistic productions of worthy
drama in the country. Mr.. Ames gave
the first stage version of the delightful
fairy tale on the stage of the Little. The
ater in November of 1919, winning the
enthusiastic praise of hypercritical New
York. and since delighting both the lit
tie folk and the grown-ups in Philadel-
phia. Pittsburgh. Toronto, and other
cities.
The Washington Center Of the Drama
League of America last week sent out
bulletins urging attendance Of 'Disraeli"
and Of Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs," in the latter case basing the
Endorsement on a report of the Mac
Dowell Club of New York City, whose
committee on drama has since been alb
sorbed by the New York Center Of the
Drama League.
OF the fairy-tale play which we are
TO see this week at the Belasco the
OraInd. League Duuetln says.
This charming version of a famous
fairy tale makes an irresistible appeal not
only to children, but to ell grown people
who can enjoy with a child's enjoyment.
It has been developed with infinite care
to preserve the child's directness and
simplicity OF thought as well as its free
dom of fancy, and is thus the child's
own play, with the dwarfs and the witch,
the wicked queen and the beautiful prin-
cess of the child's familiar world of fairy
land faithfully and alluringly reproduced.
, It keeps close to the spirit of the orig
Inal, and the modern comedy touches
serve only to heighten the charm and IL
lusion.
THE stage setting is unusually beauti-
ful and harmonious throughout, and the
acting is more convincing than that in
many plays for grown-ups."
Juliette, Day. who will be seen this
week as Snow White" will be remem-
bered for her dainty, naive, and alto
gether delightful performance in The
Yellow Jacket" in which she was seen
as plum Blossom" at the Columbia
Theater last season.