The Washington herald., 1913-12-21
By JULIA CHANDLER MANz.


The theatrical calendar for Christmas
week in Washington is in such complete
antithesis to the spirit Of the season as
to be remarkable. 1t is q peculiar and
regrettable coincident that this is one
week of all the year most fraught with
the spirit OF love and peace, and good
will should flood our local theaters with
attractions, which are, in the main, domi-
mated by themes Of vice and degrada-
hon.
We turn thoughts tinged with graft
tude toward Charles Frohman for the
most welcome exception to this rule fur
nished US this week by his annual pre-
sentation of John Drew. at the New Ma
tional Theater, in double bill which
gives promise Of both generosity and in
terest. I refer to Mr.. Drews revival of
C. Haddon Chambers domestic comedy
of manners, The Tyranny of Tears"
which provides the actor with one Of his
best opportunities for high comedy act
ing in his entire repertoire OF parts.
While the Chambers comedy is packed
with delightful witticisms delicately
turned, the chief interest in Mr.. Drew's
advent this season is centered in Sir
James NJ. Barrie's new play, THE VIII.
in which Mr.. Drew first appeared, in
conjunction with ''The Tyranny Of
Tears at the Empire Theater, New
York, September q, of this year. the very
same night when Mr.. Barrie's other new
play of the present season Half an
Hour" was shown for the first time In
London.
In THE WHIP the quaint author Of
What Every Woman Knows" Quality
Street" Peter Pan," and other noted
plays, it is said to present a document
of life touched with the thoughts, aspira-
tons and emotions Of three periods OF
a mans life, taking an average British
family as typical of the British people;
the first showing a fond young man and
his wife of simple tastes. in a solicitors
office for the purpose OF making a will.
The two subsequent scenes picture their
return at intervals OF twenty years Tor
the same purpose, depicting the detertor-
ating effect upon their characters wrought
by pride, success, and bitter disappoint-
ment
Mr. Drew has this season two leading
women. Mary Boland, who was seen in
his support last season in THE Per
picked Husband" in the first scene OF
THE WILL is a trusting, innocent, love
sick wife, deteriorating in the second
scene, after a lapse of years and the ac-
QUESTION of wealth, to a hardened woman
Of the world. dominated by material
prosperity and social ambitions.
Laura Hope Crews, whose exceptional
ability has already been demonstrated
more than once to local theater-goers,
portrays the capricious wife OF literary |
man in The Tyranny of Tears" Miss
Crews who was last seen here as CO. |
star with H. B. Warner in the Inflated |
''Blackbirds" makes her first Washing |
ton appearance with John Drew tomor- |
row night, although her support OF the |
comedian in the Chambers comedy repre- |
sents her second appearance with Mr.. |
Drew this season, the first having been
in September when Mr.. Drew appeared in |
an unsuccessful revival of Much Ado |
About Nothing" his first (and likely |
lasO venture into the classics.
The parsonage and the rectory are said !
to be the birthplace of half the popular |
actresses of the present day. Be this as |
it may, Miss Crews comes of clerical |
stock. claiming descent from long line |
of English ecclesiastics. Her grandfather
was an archbishop of Devonshire, Eng |
land.
Her characterizations always pulsate
with life. spontaneity. and magnetic |
charm; her methods being free from the
neurotic, morbid. or introspective, which
leads US to anticipate the keenest possible
pleasure in her association with Mr..
Drew.
Good old melodramatic thrills are
promised the Columbia Theater audi
ences who this week go down to the F
street playhouse to see John Emerson in
The Conspiracy" the crook play which
he helped to write, and in which he Is
being featured"
The fact that Charles Frohman has
promoted Mr.. Emerson to a rank only
slightly beneath that of a star in max
ing him the featured player in The
Conspiracy is not a surprise to those
who follow the affairs of the theater,
and who are familiar with the achieve
ments of this gifted actor. Mr.. Emer-
sons success in the role Of Clavering,
the irascible and pepperly old newspaper
writer. in The Conspiracy during the
last seasons run of the piece in New
York. was but climax to a succession
of artistic characterizations which were
sooner or later to bring him the recog-
milton he has at last obtained.
Mr.. Emerson, who is still in the early
thirties, was born in Sandusky, Ohio. the
city (curious enough which is the birth
place of his manager, Charles Frohman.
Mr.. Emerson made his first professional
appearance Immediately after leaving col
lege in Tit for Tat" under the manage
ment of William Harris, with whom he
was associated. Then followed Mill !
tary Mad" and Are You a Ma I
SOM" after which came his engagement :
as stage manager for Mrs. Fiske in
Leah Kleschna," Becky Sharpe"
''Hedda Gabler," "a Bit of Old Chelsea" {
Little Italy, THE Eyes of the Heart" (
and "a Light from st. Agnes"
Then came an artistic term as producer
of the cycle of Clyde Fitch plays. and {
this might be said to be the beginning OF {
his path toward stardom. For Fitch he
produced The Truth" and in that de- {
lightful play assumed the role of the
father in the cast that was headed by the
late Clara B1oodgood and Zelda Sears.
After the death of Mr.. Fitch Mr.. Emer- {
son produced that authors last play,
''The City,
He next appeared in support Of Nine. !
Nazimova in "Hedda Gabler," as Tes- 6
man; in "A Dolls House." as Krog-
stadt, and in Countess Coquette." 1t !
was then that the actor entered upon his I