Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-25
49, HERE is fear and trembling


,roc,es Word comes that the young
uonen who adorn the headquart-
.rs of the suffragists have been
ordered to write plays. The gage is to be
thrown down TO man in his own game
and man Is fearful When he recalls re-
cent masculine effort in the dramatic
6eld he scents an omen in the air. What
:, thew should succeed, What If IN the
silent watches of the night an inspira-
ton sbouls come TO these young women
and the real American play be evolved
from, their inner consciousness that VIII
bring the public to their feet with ad-
Mining nlaudits. nil their Golfers with
golden coin and at one fell swoop estao-
Iish beyond cavil that women, after all
are the better men! What indeed
Tuesday afternoon washington had ex-
.nnles of suffrage dramatization In the
nresentation AT the National Theater Oh
brace of plays. one farce portraylns
conditions .Some Years Hence. by MIS-.
f,bristtau Hemmick and Mr.. Pezet, ana
Tho other a broadly conceived and SUI
narbIv mounted morality entitled WON
on. in which Mrs. Hemmich, whose
,,aywrighting has heretofore not turned
noon so serious a theme. scored dis
t,nct success Although her interpreters
wara in the main amateurs. they gave TO
her lines an impressive reading. and a
large aud ence showed marked apprecia-
ton of the production.
The art of weaving a pretty story with
q noint into dramatic form has won a
distinguished recruit in Mrs Albert Sid
nev Burleson, wife of the Postmaster
General. Already this prominent social
leader has asked critical Judgment upon
some of her work that has long been ad-
rnired and extolled by her friends. And
word comes that she is to permit the
presentation of. more. There are more
delightful ways of spending ones time
IL would seem. than in endeayor1ng to re-
form an unwilling community. And the
less ascetic element of Washington's lit
tie world will be truly grateful II Mrs.
Rurlesop has discovered one of them.
The Aborn song birds have come with
their spring Offering of grand opera, and,
as is the custom, Washington music low
ers are turning out in goodly numbers 10
welcome them There are many VINO ike
TO hear the music of the masters sung IN
a tongue they can understand, even
though conditions may make it necessary
10 share the English honors with the
Italian. Both La Boheme" and La
Tosca" were given creditable presenta-
ton at the National Theater last week.
II the performances did not reach the
heights of the ideal they at least served
TO show that the Aborns have done gal
liant service in the long protracted hight
TO eventually place English beside the
French and German. at least, In the
realm Of grand opera
The Columbia Players. in 1.-THE Road TO
Yesterday" charmingiy duplicated THEFT
efforts of the previous week in presenting
an enjoyable romance. with rich and
beautiful setting, free from alloy and so
alluring that large and representative
audiences saw and applauded every per-
Torrance. Those who prefer the farc-cal
side of life with it's merry laughter found
sThe Million" in the hands of the Poll
Players, a sure antidote Tor piue
moods and cherries moments. Thus
have these competent organizations per-
formed a genuine service for the com-
munity. and, while they do. is 1t to be
wondered at that capacity audiences greet
them In spite OF warmth or weather?
lust a word for the moving picture. The
story Of the Scott expedition to the south
pole wonderfully told, at the Belasco
Theater for two weeks past, and the
stories to be told this week Of the Max
ing Of the Panama Canar' and of the
Balkan war furnish unanswerable argu-
ment for the announcement OF the en-
terpr BE. Now Ia to come the story OF
the Christ, reverently told, II Is assured,
and warmly lauded by religious critics.
Truly the possibilities of motion pnotog-
raphy in the educational uplift or the
world are difficult to adequately conceive
GRAND OPERA In ENGLlSH--Man-
ager Love of the Aborn company be-
lieves that the recent arrangement In
New York whereby the Century Theater
is to become the American nome of grand
opera In English is one OF the most I'M
portant happenings in years looking 10
the establishment of English grand opera
on the same plane as French, German
and even Italian grand opera.
For probably century" he says, III
has been possible for Americans to 90
anything they set out To do. with one
exception That exception Is TO snow
beyond doubt that ii Is just as easy 10
sing grand opera in EnSlisa as II Is 10
sing II In any other language, ana tnal
when sung In English 1t rs just as salts
factory Just as beautiful as when sung
in German. French or even ltahan.
1T is, OF course he says, to the In
ferest OF foreign singers and even or our
home singers who have received tram
ing in foreign Conservatives, that use
only Italian. French or German, TO IN
sist that English is impossible in grand
opera And so the most powerful OPPOSE
tion TO IL has come from the most Iotent
factors in the musical world Itself Inc
contention has prevailed indeed, 1t mas
almost been admitted, in spite or the
splendid productions Of the past that
stamped IT as error, until the present
time.
Now the wealth and influence of upper
social circles in the metropolis has come
To our aid. Soon those of England and
other Anglo Saxon nations speaking the
English tongue will follow. And with all
forces combined We shall soon force the
admission that no language spoken or
man Is better fitted for song than our
own mother tongue
1T is gratifying TO US of the Aborn
forces 10 know that our leaders, Milton
and Sargent Ahorn, have been chosen as
managing directors of the new enterprise.
1t was surely fitting tribute to their
great work in making English grand
opera popular in this country. They
fought the big battle to a inish, and
the full fruits OF final capitulation from
the foreign and quasi-foreign forces can,
In my judgment, best be done by them.
Once remove the chief obstacle-the
harbarous iibretto-and replace it with
the work OF our Englsh-sr poets