The Washington herald., 1915-09-12

shows and sometimes a farce or farcica
\ comedy manages to hang on for a sum
mer run. The Passing Show of 1915
was put on at the Winter Garden at tn
end of May and, being rather better thai
its predecessors in the girl-and-mlsic lin
for which the house is noted. has had M
difficulty in doing business all through
the heated term. Hands up. also girl
and-music with the dancing feature
emphasized, kept the Forty-forth Stree
Theater open during the summer, ant
Mr.. Louis Mann in The Bubble" KEEP
the Booth Theater from Going dark
"Chin-Chin's" intermission was not 6
long one, so our summer visitors and th'
stay-at-homes have not been entirely
without amusement in town.
David Belasco was among the first t.
yield to the temptation for early opening
The Boomerang which he put on early
in August, is a farcical comedy which
might have been intended only for tax
spayer and to help on overhead charges.
1t proved 10 be such a popular attraction
that il may defer the production of the
serious efforts that more in Mr..
BE Belasco's line.
The Boomerang. which is by MeSsrS.
Winchell Smith and Victor Mapes, has
excellent parts for Martha Hedman. Ar
thur Byron and Wallace Eddinger, the
last named having never appeared to bet
\, ter advantage. The plot deals with a
young doctor just starting in practice,
an ina ginary invalid and an attractive
young woman essayins the work of a
trained nurse. 1t gives ample opportunity
for drives at things with which any of
us who have had TO do with doctors and
nurses are familiar. These evoke con-
tinuous laughter which is the final test
of the quality of farcical comedy. so
The Boomerang is an unmistakable
success.
, The Last Laugh" at the Thirty ninth
= Street. starring Edward Abeles. is also
medical in a way. the one scens being
laId in the laboratory of doctor who
thinks, or pretends to think. that he has
discovered the way to produce human
life from inert matter by purely scientific
methods. In "Frankenstein'' the idea
was developed tragIcally, but here it is
, put to humorous uses. The theme involves
a lot of explanation which makes the
fun seem rather labored and heavy-hand
ed Some of the situations are ludicrous
and please the easily amused. but it
seems as though THE Last Laugh had
achieved its purpose mostly as a tax
payer.
Some Ba by" also farce. also goes into
the realms of the impossible for its fun.
Here il is a scientist who thinks he has
discovered the elixir of youth and is con-
frmed ii. his belief by the recurring
4 changes of young persons for old persons,
' and vice versa. in the ways that are
possible only in farce: in this case not
done with tremendous expertness. Evi-
dence Of the poverty of material may he
cleaned from the fact that the dialogue
has to te helped out with some jokes that
would hardly be tolerated on the cheap
ouriesQue stage The cast is not IN any
way a distinguished one. so Some Baby
may also be relegated to tine taxpayer
class.
Also Farcical.
Rolling Stones" also farcical. directs
itself to the laushable possibilities of
business. its producers evidently not be
ing unmindful of what 1T Pays to Ad
vertise' did in the line of appeal to popu-
lar favor. Its two heroes who give the
piece its title. are ne'erdowells, who
try to grab a neglected candy business
I and inject into it some of their own sky
. larking energy. OF course. they are sue
cessful, and in the final showdown get
recognition Of their efforts from the real
owner and a solution of their financial
and amorous complications. Rolling
Stones" has a cast sufficient to its re-
quirements and enough fun in it to prom
Use that it will prove something more
Hthan mere taxpayer for the Harris The
ater.
See MY LAWYER is farce from the
pen of Max MARGIN. who achieved the
distinction of jumping from obscurity
into the unusual prominence of having
two plays produced on consecutive even
ings. and both of them apparently sue
cesses. The farce has business for its
motive. and the author in a recent inter-
view admits that he had to cut out one
episode because. although ii was written |
before 1T PAYS to Advertise was pro- |
duced. there was similarity which might |
hav damned him as a pla giarist. The |
main fun of the niece is supplied by the |
stretended insanity of A young promoter, |
who adops that means to save himself |
from the consequences OF having been too |
energetic in the sale of stock based on 1
fake process of manufacturing artificial !
rubber The leading role is intrusted 10 /!
T. Roy Barnes. who achieved success in
similar character in vaudeville His
performance indicates that the methods
Of the variety stage are not educa tional
for fine achievement In the legitimate. al
though he does not rob the part of all its
fun. even if he does not achieve its high
est possibilities. The company, although
not noteworthy, is sufficient to the mate
rial. and See Ny LAWYER is in its en-
tirety fair sort of cheer-up.
May Irwin has also chosen farcical ma
terial for her entry into the legitimatel
unaided by song. The piece is called mo.
IS washington Square" and presents the
star as the niddle-aged. humorous and
devoted maid of a lady OF that aristoc-
racy in New York which once made the
locality of the plays title an exclusive
residence neighborhood. May Irwin. on
account Of her personality and her pro-
fessional experience can do much with
little but in this piece she has really a
very good part. and is actually drawing
to the Park Theater audiences which
promise to take that house temporarily
at least. OFF the hoodoo list. |,
Two of the farces among the early OPEN
ings proved TO be not even taxpayers
These were Mr.. Myd's Mystery" at the
Comedy. in which Taylor Holmes briefyi
enjoyed the distinction Of being a star
and Search Me-" at the Gaiety writtenI
BY the author of "oficer ss6" Neither Of !,
these pieces lasted out the two weeks on =,
Broadway which is said to Justify a 4
plays later transfer to the movies. Ii
In More Serious Vein.
The first and only war play vet seen .
his season Is Under Fire" at the Hud- |
en. II Is q mixture Of society drama {
nd stirring scenes in the European con- I
nict Mr.. Megrue. the author. has achiev-
ed position in the play writing world | I
which enabled him to command a better I
than usual cast II includes Violet Hem l
Ing, Norman Tharp. Frank Craven and 4
william Courtenay an in conSenfal roles |