The Washington herald., 1915-12-12

Mrs. Charles Hopkins are a young couple
with wonderful enthusiasm for the
stage. This lie not remarkable COM
oination. but in the present case II hap
pens that they are backed up with
fortune, which makes them Independent
OF making their living by the engage
nents which chance or their acting
abilities might bring to them through the
liking or necessities Of commercial mana
gers More than this. they have the
money that enabled them to build the
little and artistic, but not ambitious. the
ster, which they dubbed the Punch and
Judy. They were also In a position 10
engage the people they wanted. and stage
only plays that appealed to their liking
Bar the fact that they had their own
money back Of them, they went about
their undertaking in an entirely profess
sional way. and last season put on two
plays to stand or fall by the verdict OF
the public That verdict was not en-
tirely favorable. The public did not care
'or Mr.. Hopkins as an actor, although II
.ook kindly to Mrs. Hopkins. She Is
dainty and spirituelle little person when In
female attire. and has good deal OF
the comedy instinct
The Punch and Judy Theater itself is
iiminutive, and its arrangement in sort
Of cross between EliZabethan and meet
Ing house architecture with rather SOM
ber coloring did not appeal to popular
fancy. The plays, although done by an
sxcellently chosen company of competent
actors, did not make any very decided
impression, although 1t was recognized
that they were conscientiously done. and
the result was that the first season OF
the Punch and Judy closed with very
negative record.
Then it was announced that this season
was to open with DECENTRALIZATION OF
Robert Louis Stevenson's famous Treas
ure Island" The announcement did not
create much enthusiasm. largely because
those who knew the book could not see
how a story of adventure, and adventure
only. wholly devoid Of heart interest,"
could be made into play Such
proposition made to any New YORK man
ager with his knowledge OF theatricai
values and what the public really wants
would have been laughed to scorn. Be
sides, there are not many managers IN
New York who ever heard OF Rooert
Louis Stevenson and Treasure lsiano-
Mr. HOPKINS had his own ideas, and
went ahead in his own way After the
piece had been announced for opening IN
New York he tried it out. and found that
IL did not meet with his expectations.
Far from abandoning ii. he announced
the play for a later date. and went TO
work to correct its imperfecuons. IN
cidentalIy. il is said that, contrary to the
usual custom. he recognized that the
members of the company had been re-
hearsed for an unusually long time and
compensated them for their loss OF reg
uar salary This in itself Is SO unusual
that it marks Mr.. Hopkins as. perhaps. |
pioneer in more ways than one in a new |
school of managers.
The Quest for Gold.
In the first audience that saw Treasure
Is!and' at the Punch and Judy. there
was not big percentage OF those to .
whom the book &as classic dear IN
recollection. Some had read 1t SO long
ago that it was hazy in their minds. more
had never read II. and there were a few
who had il vivid and dear in memory. To
all of these the performance appealed.
first. as an admirable piece Of stage ac-
complishment. The Punch and Judy Is so
dIminitive that there is small chance for
perspective on or of the stage. but the
scenic artists had done their work weli
and the fidelity of the settings to their
pcriod the beauty of their colorinE and
composition, and in one or two cases
I il,.ir- imDressiveness was remarkable con-
sidcring the limitations.
The play itself written by Jules Eckert
Goldman. was a strictly close adherence
In the plot and speeches of Stevenson,
y hich was an unusual instance OF ois-
--ntion. the usual dramaeizer Of a book
1raIt Of his task to substitute. under the
, .cuse of stage necessity. his own ideas
:. >. those of the author he is transferring.
both author and artists also seemed to
have. aspect for the clearness Of Steven
.a.'s :haracter drawing They were diff
fcr"n:iatrd exactly as they were in the
Iuok both in drawing and acting.
ARC part of this was doubtless due to
~, diligence in casting and rehearsing. III
" llIch Mr.. Hopkins was assisted by that
yI.. rirnc cd and competent actor. Edward
I .":'iN.
-!..,. total absence of female characters
: lum rhe story proper was. in way,
Irrigated by the casting of Mrs. Hopkins
tr the part or Jim Hawkins. the boy
h..ro She is of sufficient, height and
Sl..nderncss TO make An excellent boy In
;r"ks and at the same time has the
o. ,mtrment for the heroic work entrusted
t., him in outwitting and fghtng the
pirates. She also has the artistic intel
Ii..nce to make the best of every dra-
matte point entrusted to her. very
clever piece of character work was con-
trihu:ed by Tim Murphy. not for some
time prominent on the stage. in the role
IF the retired pirate. Bill Bones. with his
famous ditty: i;
Fifteen men on the Dead Mans Chest
Io-ho-ho and bottle of rum! 4
Drink and the devil has done for the rest l
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum."
Edward Emery was an Ideal Long John
silver At first thought 1t seemed as &
though he was too decent and insinuat- I
ing and well-bred in tone and speech to {
I've in character, but barking back to I
Stevenson II was recalled that these q
were the very qualifications of this
of fortune" that made him
far more dangerous than the typical, ,
ruffianly cut-throats that composed the 8
rest of the crew. The rest Of the I
characters in the stage version Of Treas {
ure Island" although of less importance {
arc equally well cast. even to the employ
ment Of so noted an actor as W. ]. Fer
:uson in the diminutive part Of George &
Merry.
This production of Treasure Island" Y
might make a seasons success for one I
# the larger and more important Broad a
c-ay theaters but under present con- d
,itiCns of management its producers T
would have been laughed at had they 5
suggested bringing such q womanless Z
;,,cctacIe to a Broadway stage. With the y
'ut,re evidently In store for the piece. &
,ny one of the wise gentlemen Of the
hcatricaI business would now be very
.lad to welcome it as q tenant on gener- '
,,.s terms. So more than in Its success b
l. theatrical production, Treasure n
sIand' has a special value Of Its own Il
Is an object lesson.
Rosy Dreams.