The Washington herald., 1913-09-21
Ry JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

Hy JULIA CHANDLER MANI
The reveilIe OF the new dramatic year
will be sounded tomorrow night with
auspicious attractions at the leading To-
al theaters.
Fine Feathers" with a remarkable
cast. will open the season of the New
National The piece, which is a melo-
drama of domestic life from the pen of
Eugene Walters. has had somewhat
checkered career. 1t was given try
out in Baltimore at the Auditorium
Theater in February of 1911 under the
title Of ''Homeward Bound" with Char
.otte Walker and William Courtney in
the leading roles, at which time there
appeared so much of fault in the drama
that it was temporarily shelved. When
I was later produced in Milwaukee, ac-
xnowledgement was made to Walter
aackett for the theme. At this presenta-
ion of the piece. Arnold DAILY, Grace
Maxwell Marion Ballou. and Frederick
Burton were seen in the prominent roles
The Milwaukee opening was so great a
failure that the play was rewritten.
complete new act being substituted for
one of the old ones. in which form 1t then
olayed many weeks in Chicago, with the
most enthusiastic comment of both
,ritics and laity, having long run IN
The Windy City. with most satisfactory
financial results for Mr.. II. H. Frazee
who was so sure of the merits OF the
irama in the beginning that he was will
mg TO take hold of it. despite both its
Baltimore and Milwaukee failures.
When Fine Feathers" was produced
n the Astor Theater, New York. after
Is long Chicago success, the metropolis
could not fail to exhibit intense interest
considering the fact that Wilton Lack
I'VE. Rose Coghlan. Max Figman. Robert
Edeson, Lolita Robertson, and Lydia
Dickson held the stage.
The same brilliant cast will present
the Walter drama TO Washington thea
ter-goers this week. assuring an artistic
production of a play which has as its
.heme woman's inOrdinate love OF
fress which makes a CRATER of her hus-
rand. with tragic results. While Fine
Feathers" is technically termed a prob
EN- play. it is more Of study of the
characters of a middle class couple. who
are confronted with temptation which
.csts their utmost endurance.
The Relasco Theater season opens with
the practical premiere of AT Bay"
detective story from the pen of George
Scarborough. well-known Washington
nan. and member of the secret service.
Mr.. Scarborough has been recently
much in the limelight through his au
thorship Of The Lure the much
Ibused. vilified. and misrepresented white
slave nelOdrama which the Shuberts
lave been forced to withdraw from the
Maxine Elliott Theater, New York.
When The Lure was first produced.
It's frank presentation Of the vicious
horrors Of the white slave traffic were
81 revealing thatN the piece received the
Endorsement of such representative men
IF the metropolis as District Attorney
Whitman. Judge Foster. Gen. Bingham.
Commissioner Finch. and the famous
"Committee of Fourteen" which has
lone so much to stamp out social evils
II New York City.
VARYING motives carried thousands to
see the Scarborough sermon preached
rom the stage. and so great was the
.onmendation of ministers and laity
hat even the third company was in or
canization for the presentation of The
Lure in other cities. when The Fight.
Rayard Veillers new play. was staged
with an interpolated scene to which the
oolice objected. Discussion waXed warm.
The New York press friendly to the
Shuberts and believing in the sincerely
II their motive in the production OF THE
Lure" became bitter in their denuncia-
ion Of The Fight" with its obvious
sensatiOnalsm. while others took up
.udgeIs for the WELLER piece. with the
Ultimate result that the Objectional scene
las been eliminated from The Fight"
and it continues to run, while The
Lure has been forced from the stage.
All Of which has brought much no
-uriety to The Lure, and its author.
hnrnr1gH r,rODoinpntlN- hpfO-p the
public.
All the paving around for infOrma ton
.onrerning At Bay which | have done
1UrinG the past week brings forth but
4 few fraEmentary facts. The new melo-
irama by the noted WashingtOnian had
4 try-out last February in Buffalo, y. Y.
since when nothing has been hea I'd of
until the announcement came by wire
he latter part of last week that 1t will
,pnant the Belasco Theater in this city
he first three days of this week. The
irama is said to be a gripping story
# Washington official life. The scenes
are laid in this city. The production is
being made by the Shuberts. who are
7eaturing Crystal Herne and Guy Stand
nE in the principal roles.
II we will listen to the voices of three
Dress agents crying in unison we may
expect enough novelties in the queer
combination of Gertrude Hoffman. Nine
Polaire. and Lady Constance Stewart
Richardson at the Belasco the latter half
of this week to satisfy our love of SEN
sationalism for the entire season.
"DiscUUnting the talk of advance men,
t is still safe to expect from the tenn
oermenIal aggregation of stars an exotic
entertainment.
Washington needs 10 be told little Of
Gertrude Hoffman, who is the protagon-
st Of the Aegintean. or angular. school
If dancing. despite the claim of Nijinsky,
he Russian dancer to the contrary.
The dance in which every movement
VAS made on an angular basis. ending
n an angular pose. had its origin with
he primitive Greeks. and is found re-
ieCted in the sculptures of their an
-ient temple ruins. Miss Hoffman re-
.eived the suggestion of reviving the
ancient Greek posturing from a careful
personal study Of the old sculptures
and freizes in the Metropolitan Museum