The Washington times., 1915-04-28
SOCIETY IS CHARMED
BY THE OPIUM Pipe"
Brilliant Success Attends Pro-
duction of Original Play by
Mrs. Christian Hemmick.
BY GARDNER MACK.

right, and through an ambitious effort
to picture two world evils In the sort
but effective tones of poetic drama m
terpreted by q large company OF so
ciety folk. under the direction OF Mrs
Christian Hemmick, made benefciaries
alike Of the ultra-fashionable throng
which packed the Belasco Theater. as
of those wards of the city charities to
whom the proceeds of the affair Will
eventually find their way.
The production Of THE Opium Pipe.
an original Persian play by Mrs. Hem
mick. with an argument against the
drug habit, and a series OF unique
tableaux. with a chorus in blank verse
in the interest of the peace propaganda:
formed the vehicle for the talents OF
the actors and actresses. The recital or
dolen Logan, which provided an inter.
lude that separated the two, maintained
the atmosphere of poetry or color ana
the Greek form of drama which the ex-
we'll as prepared the audience for the
mysticism Of the oriental allegory that
formed the last part of the program.
An Artistic Success.
The entire entertainment bore the
imprint of artists who had worked
increasingly for the creation of
of the pictures and the Interpretation
of the idea they expressed. however
fanciful that might be. The success
attending the effort was attested by
the applause which greeted the first
of the tableaux at the beginning OF the
evening and the answering hand.
clapping of ready understanding that
followed the development of each
phase of the two big themes.
The production had the merit OF
professional smoothness combined
with an elaborate series OF settings
and costumes that were beyond even
the most spectacular of the theaters
regular offerings. The settings for
The Opium Pipe" were beyond any
thing that has been seen here this
rcalism of detail. The costuming was
such as only a set of ambitious men
anG women can produce when the
least essential is cost and the most
els upon which they were based.
Tells Story of Persian Hing.
The Opium Pipe" tells the story of
young Persian king just come of age
after having been under the care of
regent who Is jealous of the power he
must resign to his master, and who
seeks to put aside this resignation by
making the young king a drug fiend.
The time of the drama is 400 B. G. and
the four acts of the drama are sent in
an opium den. the audience chamber of
the palace and the apartments of the
princess who was to be the kings bride.
The king accompanies his minister to
the opium den in the first act and while
under the influence of the drug, sees
in a dream the treachery of the minis
ter, the second and third acts being the
shows the opium den again and the
punishment meted out by the king.
During the course of each act inter-
pretative dances were introduced of an
entirely original character, executed
with n finish and a grace of motion
that would have done credit to a Paw
Iowa or Ruth St. Denis The work OF
all the characters In the play. from the
leading man and women to the numer-
GUS women Of the harcm. the habitues
of the opium den, and the attendants OF
the palace. was entirely in keeping with
the smoothness of the production itself,
The Characters.
These included Christian HemmIck as
the king: DR.. A. F. Hopkins as the re-
gent. A. Robert Elmore as the keeper
or the harem, Stanley Olmstead as the
Sultan of Deacan. Mrs. Maud Howell
Smith as Princess Zobia. Mrs. Randolph
X. Forrest as Margiana. Mrs, George
Bartlett as Rubra, Mrs. John w.
tt ompson as Lila. Milton B. Bryan as
the blind dancer. and Miss Helen Buch-
aran, Mrs. Gertrude Lothrop, the Misses
Stewart Anderson, Candace Howard
Grant-Stevens. Mildred Ives, Matilda
Auerbach. Elizabeth Harding, Meta
Evans, Grace Murphy. Judith Ives.
Frances Carpenter. Margaret Britton.
and Catherine Robinson, and Mrs
Ward Brown. Mrs. Edgar l.. Woods.
Messrs. Morven Thompson. Eugene
Reed. Meredith O'Neil, Wilbur Under
" ood John Donahue. George o. Totten,
John w. Thompson, Mortimer Clark.
Robert Odys. and Louis B Thompson.
Tells Story of War.
1.-The Awakening" as the tableaux
were called. was prepared and the
chorus written by Mrs. Hemmick and
Miss Hazel Mckaye. 1t told, in ten
pictures with living figures. most
carefully and elaborately costumed,
the story of war as 1t really is and
the solution, through woman. of the
problem of peace. 1t was a bit of
Greek drama with the interpretive
chorus by Miss Gwendolen Logan.
Those who participated in the various
pictures included: Mrs. Howell Smith,
Miss Burch. Master and Miss Jester.
Miss Catherine Hitchcock, Miss Can
dace Howard. Mrs. Robert Baker. Mrs.
Robert Elmore. Mrs. Henry Kerr. Miss
Davidson, Miss Anne Hopkins, Miss
Barrett, Miss Helen Buchanan. Miss
Britton. Mr.. Donohue, Milton Bryan.
DR.. Alfred Hopkins. Mortimer Clark,
Mr. Howard, Morvin Thompson. Chris
tian Hemmick, Mr.. ONeil, and Mr..
Oldys.
The plays were staged under the di-
reCtion of Edward A. Mitchell and
William c. Marrow. the incidental mu-
sic was provided by Mrs. MCGee's or
chestra and the scenic effects were