The Washington herald., 1914-03-29
Rr JAMES $. MErcALFE.

The Longacre Theater, which is little
path, has had rather hard luck since ii
scored success with adele" The pub
lie hasn't seemed to care much for its
subsequent offerings, so when a farce
with the Indefinite title of "A Pair Of
Skies" was announced, the general an
ticipation was that the Longaere was to
have another "fiivver."
The frst-night disappointment was an
agreeable one. and after the audience be-
gan to laugh 1t never stopped until the
final curtain. "a Pair of Skies has, to
begin with, an excellent cast. Mr.. Hale
Hamilton. who made "Get-Rich-ou'ck
wantngford" plausible and credible in
dlvidual. not only for long run here,
but IN London as well, is the central ng-
ure. He rows with is business partner
and agrees to place their relations for an
entire year on the decision OF a cold hand
at poker He is beaten by pair OF skies,
and finds that he Is under cast-iror
obligation to serve as butler in the mousse
hold of his former business associate.
The latter Is not inclined to make IL Al
many. ard his evaporation is great A
young woman friend of the house, pleas
antiy impcrsonsted by Ann Murdockr IS
IN love with the quondam butter, ana
her quick wits suggest the way out OF the
difficulties largely based on making the
employer believe that his former outier
is gaining place in the affections OF ms
mistress. Fritz Williams, as the attorney
for every one interested, is always on
hand TO provide a way for getting into
or out of the complications on which the
irresistible fun of the piece is based
Accidental business.
One Of the real hits OF "A Pair or
Skies is made by hitherto obscure
actress named Maude Eburne, an Eng
lish general help or ''slavey," who has
been engaged in the household on account
of her absolute unattractiveness Miss
Eburne is sufficiently an artist to live
I'D to the ugliness of the part, ana IS
laugh-provoking even to look at. one
Of her best effects was the result OF an
accident that occurred at the dress re-
hea-sai the night before the play opened
at the Longacre.
In the plot she is supposed to fall des-
pc-ately in love with the gentleman who
is compelled to seem to be a fellow
exalted position of butler. He repels her
at every one of her affectionate en-
slaughts. Finally he tells her that SO
far rs he is concerned she might as wIll
make UP her mind to die a maiden This
~as the final blow to her spinster aztec
tiong. and. as originally done, she was
supposed to turn quickly and dart for
the KITCHEN. weeping. At the last re-
hearsal. as she turned for this purpose.
hnr han in r-rro cha 40
a fun-length fall that sent the seven or
eight persons who comprised the audi
ence into gales of laughter. 1t was de-
cided to retain the fall in the business,
and Miss Eburne spent all the next day
trying it over and over again, until she
was black and blue over a large part of
her exterior anatomy.
The result justified the judgment of the
stage director and compensated her con-
scientions efforts, for when at the first
public performance the thought of dying
a maiden made her drop like a bag of
salt. the whole audience exploded in a
roar Of laughter. This is only one of
many laughs in "A Pair of Sixes," and
the LongaCre seems likely to have
profitable tenant not only through the
dull summer months, but well into next
season The farce is by Mr.. Edward
PepIe, who will be remembered the
InconseUuentinI Comedy.
The brilliant playlets at the Princess
which have gone on tour have been sue
ceeded by A society satire, in comedy
form, entitled Marrying for Money In
the advertising campaign being carried
on to keep the piece going. the principal
argument in its favor is the statement
that at the trial engagement in Wash
for Money" and laughed at it more than
at any play he has seen this season.
Perhaps President Wilson has deeper
sense of the ludicrous than the hackers
Of the play give him credit for, ana MS
laughter may have been provoked not
by the actual humor of the play, but at
its absurdity as a depletion OF anything
like the real life it attempts TO satirize
1t is a futile piece of work not at all
well acted Like many plays OF It's
kind. it fails of effectiveness mostly be
cause its authors apparently haven't the
fafntest knowledge Of the ways ana
methods of life and thought Of the peo-
pie they are trying to depict ana rlui-
cule. Following the example Of Col VIII
iam A Brday in forcing apparent failures
to success by liberal advertising and
stick-to-itiveness. the hackers Of Marry
ing for Money are trying to convince
The difference is that in Col. Bradys
case he had something with merits that
the public had overlooked.
Next Years Popular Opera.
Evidently the interests that took over
the former New Theater and turned 1t
into the present Century Opera Hause
are satisfied that there is a public in
New York for the standard and modern
operas sung in English at popular prices.
At all events. these gentlemen, most OF
whom are also prominent in the back
ing Of the more elaborate enterprise at
the Metropolitan. are out with a definite
announcement Of what is to be done at
the Century next season
The season will be shortened to twenty
weeks, beginning in the middle Of Sep
tenber. Instead of changing the bill
every week and alternating the casts, the
operas will run alternate nights for two
weeks, and always with the same cast.
This will save a lot in rehearsing, and
enable the patrons to know in advance
exactly who is to sing. The repertory
will be chosen from the favorites of this
season. with ar occasional novelty.