The Washington times., 1914-07-21
COLUMBIA

The veterans of the Philippines and
others who would serve subtle susges-
tion in song or storied comment on ma
tional affairs should take leaf firm
the book of the Home Club and instead
of giving dinner parties arrange 10 at
tend theatrical performance such as
Mice and Men" as was produced last
night by the Columbia Players before
the heads of the nation as the club
guests. OF course. it may be only CO.
Incidence. 1t may be that Secretary
Lane and his cohorts of the Interior
department who have made themselves
nationally famous during the rast few
months through the doings of their very
efficient club accidently hit upon Mice
and Men as the medium of the club
benefit. However. that may be the club
engaged all the best seats at the Column
bia Theater last night, and invited to be
its guests most of the people who get
their names in the paper in connection
with the operation of Governmental ma =
Chinery. The guests who accepted the
invitations included President Wilson. a
brace of Cabinet officers, and a fan rep
entation of both. the majority and
say nothing of hosts OF administrative
officers.
In view, therefore, of recent happen
ings with regard 10 what political writ
ers call the Administration program. "
with its nominations for high places,
its legislative hopes, and its foreign
policies, and also in view OF the dire
consequences of the more direct meth
DDS of calling attention to- things in
songs and stories, there might be
chance to write something real critical
about the action of club of Govern
ment officers in bringing such import
ant peTsonages together to witness a
play which is written around the sug-
gestion that the best laid plans u6
mice and men oft gang agley,' But
space to the commendation OF the Home
Club In the possession of such very
good Judgment in the selection of plays
II would not be fair to the players
or the selector of the excellent plays
the Columbia company has produced
this season to say that Mice and Men"
is the best thing they have yet done
And so We won't say II But the re-
straint causes effort. The story of the
Madeleine Lucette Ryley play Is too
well-known here to need recitation. The
fact that IT is part Of the Forbes Rob
ertson list of successes is sufficient guar
antee of its quality. The manner in
which Stage Director Ritchie has pro-
duced and cast IL at the Columbia this
week is a matter of very general sat
isfaction. As Little Britain" the
founding. that the philosopher trains
to become his wife. Dorothy Bernard
displayed more of the ability that has
gained her increasing regard ever since
her return % Washington Winsome.
naive. with he alienation of wisdom
and childish inexperience. she was del
icately forceful throughout the four
acts. ~ e..
A H. Van Buren,. as Marx Embury.
presented a careful study of the philos-
opher who is raised to the highest point
OF self-satisfaction only to see his plans
gang agley" in the most disastrous
way Jessie Glendenning made a be-
witching part of Joanna Goodlake, the
frivolous Young woman who messes
things up so delightfully."-, while Everett
Ruttertield vas a thoroughly convin-
cling young army captain who causes
the downfall of his philosopher
plans by being simply his attractive
self George Barber. Julia Blanc. and
the others n the company were equally
we'll cast GARDNER MACK.