Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-01

thing to listen to, as We'll TO
see and something to talk about
afterward. The most remarkable revela-
ton of the season was Doris keane In
Romance"
The play itself promised little From
the pen of an author of dramas whose
obvious purpose is to shock supposedly
dormant sensibilities into u realization
of sociological horrors, something OF
blunt harshness was to be looked for in
Romance" The harshness was not abb
sent, but 1t was so separate from the
delicacy OF absolute art that gave the
performance all its real distinction that
the auditor was able to pass the episode,
evidently intended to be a 'big scene,
merely as an unfortunate episode
One of the most forceful appeals of
the theater is made by the character
play. However elaborate the plot de-
vices may be. the life history of hui
man being, frankly revealed constitutes
the element of power. The burden of
structure and mechanism hinders more
frequently than II assists the study OF
a mind and a conscience. In comedy
David Harum was an example of how
successfully a very slight play structure
personality. IN Romance Nine. Caval-
lini breathes vitality into a presentation
whose intrinsic interest is slight. II is
the study Of soul awakening so often
attempted and so seldom pursued with
conscientious intelligence. There is no
trace of sentimentality in the one tower
ing role in the piece. Sympathy is not
solicited. II is compelled. Much is due
10 the masterful stagecraft shown in the
production. Little touches of detail are
worked out with a sharpness that makes
them seem overbold in challenging at
tention, but for every adverse sugges-
ton that may be made, a champion
arises to support the judgment of the
players and producers. The caviler, to
whose thankless activities the theater
owes much of its interest. IS finally re-
duced TO a mild query as to whether
the raspins cadences of the piano wagon
heard outside Nine Cavalhni's window
had in those days OF crinolines super
seeded the wheezy toot1e Of the hand
organ.
The piece in which Donald Brian APP
peared. The Marriage Market is an
example of the modern musical play
which follows out the maxim appar-
emily endearinS itself TO producers,
Build me more stately mansions. oh
my soul,'' The fact that manager has
been accustomed to presenting CONVEX
sationa1 plays does not prevent him
from having a soul for music, and in
giving it habitation he proceeds to
the construction of scenery. regardless
of expense The mansion is a wonder
full thing. but the soul is frequently
Brian is essentially a. dancing star. In
The Marriage Market the display of
ingenuity which makes the heros abil-
ity to dance the foundation of d climax
in the story is rendered valueless by
the fact that the stage is so much oc-
cupied by a highly ornamental steam
boat that dancing can be done only in
restricted manner. And when Brian's
important dancing number comes in
the third act, it is closely anticipated
by very similar display The song
numbers in which Brian figures make
it plain that he has been studying
faithfully in the hope of realizing that
very exceptional combination. the ex-
pert dancer and the artistic vocalist
\ positive delugc of musical comedy
HdS NtSt uiStitu lflluNlntSr COnOltlOn5.
"Sari, after its Washington engage
rnent settled down as a metropolitan
favorite, the means of bringing the lit
tie Hungarian singer, Mizzi Hajos, into
her own after some narrowing expe-
Fences. The Lady Of the Slipper" which,
though strictly speaking spectacle.
comes under the current classification
of musical shows" arrived late in its
even though it followed the sedately me-
lodious "Swecthearts'' and the bit of
Dresden China set to music, "The
Queen of the Movies" The Queen of
the Movies" met some adverse criti-
cism. hut reports prosperity. And
Ground Hog day will be celebrated with
still more music
PHILANDER JOHNSON
DORIS KEANE.-Last Monday morn
ing the name of Doris Keane had no
significance to multitude of Washing
tonians. Immediately on all sides we
heard, WHO is she?" where did Doris
Keane come from" What has she
done?''
Though she appeared 10 rise To fame
in a single night. as the SAYING goes
Doris keane's struggles and labor have
been hard and cruel. She has probably
suffered more disappointmcnts and rolled
the stone OF Sisyphus more often up the
hiu of Endeavor only To have ii roll down
again than any cotenporaneous actress
of her time. Eight years ago she played
her first part. that of ingenUe In
Henry Arthur Jones comedy drama. THE
Iiypocrites.' The same question was
asked IN New York then is being ask
I'd in Washington now, Where did she
come FROM She went to London in the
Jones play and attracted as much at
tention there. Clyde Fitch saw her and
wrote play for her. She succeeded but
the play failed. Then he promised to
write a cycle OF three plays for her. but
he died before he had sketched out the
first one Once again she went to Lon
don in Decorating Clementina' The
eccentric dance she had to do took Lon
don by storm. but IL could not save the
engagements to remain in London and
piay there. but she preferred b return
10 her own country and take her chances
one of her dominating characteristics
according TO one who is In position to
judge, is magnificent faith in her des-
tiny. She was in the all-star cast of the
revival of THE Lights o. London that
William Brady made TWO or three years
ago. Last year she created d part in
.Anatol" and then. one gloomy day early
in December, stage manager placed the
part of Cayallini in her hands and In