The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
By JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

BY
In little talk which had with H. B.
Warner just before the last act OF The
Ghost Breaker last Monday evening he
was very emphatic in deploring the use
Of the stage for sermonizing, being strong
in the faith that the mission of the thea
ter and the actor is to entertain and
amuse the public rather than to present
to theatergoers during their hours OF
presumable recreation the very problems
with which they have to grapple in every
day life-problems which they go to the
theater TO forget rather than have them
flung back into the faces.
To this we say a fervent amen!
Equally as sure is Mr.. Warner that we
have a surfeit of crook plays. For him
self he declares that he will never accept
another crook part. despite the fact that
he asserts it as one of the happiest eX-
pcriences of his life 20 take Jimmy VAL
sntine'' in the raw-Jimmy the East Side
thief-and mould him into an honest man
Here he had an opportunity of real char
aCter-building, creative work of the high
est order, something which cannot be said
OF his stellar role in The Ghost Break
er," despite the fact that his perform
-ance in il is the backbone of the piece.
The character OF the Kentucky feudist as
ready-made when Mr.. Warner assumes IL
NO enlargement of IT is required. In this
Nact lies the Englishman's preference for
Jimmy Valentine" which is quite under
standable.
In his belief that the American public
has had quite enough of the crook play
we are also inclined to agree, despite the
fact that The Master Mind" held large
audiences rapt throughout last week, due
largely, however. TO the fine performance
of Edmund Breese in the title role, and
the Turing charm of the delicious bit of
femininitv who served his leading lady
lovely. lisping, little Francine Lara
more.
The current week will quite satisfy folk
who agree with the star of The Ghost
Breaker in both of his contentious for
the bookings offer no theme Of the under
world or suggestion of mental tax, giving
us 4 near-premieTe in the form of a musi-
cal comedy at the Columbia, and a
comedy of manners at the New National,
presenting a pleasant prospect which ex-
tends even TO the offering of the Poll
stock organization and vaudeville, but
stops short at the Academy where
problem play The Divorce Question" of
the most serious nature will return to the
popular priced playhouse.
The BeIasco Theater. which had booked
the Shubert's latest venture. French
farce with the singular title of oh,
SAY" for the current week. has had the
attraction withdrawn for the present. At |
a=cr OF the BelascO, is still in dark as
I" what will be substituted for the musi- |
cal play.
\ musical play will tenant the Columbia |
this week The Red Canary" featuring |
Lima AbarbanelI. the Viennese prima dom |
ma who came to America about ten years |
ago to join the Irving Place Theater Com |
rany. of New York. then under the direc- |
ton of Henreich COnreid, who was also |
director of the Metropolitan Grand Opera |
COMPANY This little lady from across !
the deep made so pronounced a hit that |
Mr.. Conreid transferred her at once to |
tine Metropolitan Company, in which she |
made her first appearance as Hansel in |
"Hansel and Gretel." Following her tour |
in this opera Miss Abarbanell was en- |
gagged by Henry W. Savage for his pro- |
duction of The Student King" and later. |
Ia PLAY the role Of Natalie in his original |
Merry Widow company. 1t was the |
''.cnncsC singer who did much to /
a"hieve success for Madame Sherry by |
her rendition of the Every Little Move
mcnt song.
Like all tcmperamental women. Miss /
AbaTbanell is sensitive plant, being
peculiarly Influenced by color. She is
7-Tedited with having been eager to secure
her present role in The Red Canary be-
cause the motif Of the story is based on |
the influence which cOloTs have on the
tlnOtlQIS. = decided novelty IN an OpeEdIlc
story having modiCum of truth in scien-
tiir fact.
\ few years ago Mrs James Browne
I"tter introduced entertainment IN
England in which she read from the poets
and illustrated the various emotions with
'oOrs. and il is not SO long ago that
-'lEa NethcrSOle. in a revival of Camille.
wOIr different colOred gowns during the
play which she claimed Corresponded to
tn. emotional appeal of different scenes
Judging from the success attained by
Miss Nbdrbanell. | am of the opinion that
she saw something more tangible than
the motif of the story of The Red !
Canary upon which TO rest her reputa-
tiOn-H chance at least to confirm her
CORNER operatic triUmphs u
The Red Canary had its premiere in
Baltimore two weeks ago. and divided last
week between Norfolk and Richmond be
fore coming here for its present weeks
engagement at the Columbia.
ON Tuesday evening. November 49, 1872
= comedy in three acts tagged with the
authorship of Frederick HaIIon. dramatic
critic OF the Chicago Evening Post and
his wife, Fannie Locke Hatton. wasgiven
its premiere production at Powers Thea
ter, Chicago, by David BClasco The play
hOre the title of Years of Discretion"
and was the dramatic event of the Chi
CagO season, representing one of the first
plays of Il dramatic critic produced by
the greatest master of stage craft in
America, and calling public attention to
the supreme artistry of the acting of
Fife Shannon.
A few months prior to the production
of the Hatton comedy Miss shannon who
had not been seen to any great advantage
for several years. attracted Mr.. Belasco's
attention while she was Playing in The
Maternal Instinct with the Drama Play
- Of ('hirauO af which ir1na Sba /
a tremendous triumph; one wonderful
scene winning her fame overnight With j
his usual divination and wisdom the pro- !
duCer realized that Miss Shannon would |
make the Brookline Widow-the central
figure of Years of observation-disclosures
and distinctive.
The public, when once the play had had
its presentation, quite coincided with Mr.. I
Belasco's opinion as far as Chicago was
concerned, and when the comedy was q
later produced in New York, at the Belas- :