The Washington herald., 1916-02-01

Washington was recaptured last night.
Julian Eltinge was in command OF the
invading forces, which used Fort Nation
al Theater as their center. Their weapon,
one of the very latest manufactured, the
output of American munition factories
solely. they afTectionately call Cousin
Lucy" Cousin Lucy vollied and thunder
ed so insistently for two and a half
hours that the defenders surrendered
completely. Gen. Eltinge will remain in
complete possession of the Nations Cap
ital for a solid week. The tribute ex-
acted last night was never-ceasing rounds
of applause, so much so, in fact, that
Gen. Eltinge was forced to appear before
the vanquished at the conclusion of the
second battle and deliver them a speech.
Speaking theatrically, and not bat
tlically," Cousin Lucy Is by far the best
of the several shows in which Julian
Eltinge has been starring for some few
years. 1t has more pep" more plot, bet
ter music, Is more sumptuously mounted
and is better produced, and that is 60
ing some" That brings us to Julian
Eltinge himself. If he had not gained
| the title before. his Cousin Lucy would
stamp him as the grea test female i'm
kpers9nater the stage has known. He
startles and dazzles with his artistic
realizm. His resorts to nothing but his
own ability and an uncanny attention to
the minutest details of the dress of the
gorgeously gowned woman. No modern
actress has shown such gowns as he wore
last night. You kept tab on them for
while. until you got tired trying to
remember the "one before the last" In
Cidentally, the entire female contingent
of the company wears clothes that mere
man cannot describe. They have to be
seen.
The first act opens in the apartment of
Jerry Jackson, who is supposed to have
! been killed in a railroad accident out
West You learn that his Cousin Lucy
! is about to arrive. She is the sole bene-
/ ficiary OF course. you know that Cousin
Lucy is Jerry in disguise, but the people
/ in the show have not the slightest idea
that that is the case. Queeny, who just
touches the high places, has had an ''ac-
quaintance" with Jerry before his
| demise" and she sees a grand oppor-
| tunity to come in for his estate by claim
| ing he and she were married Just prior
| to his departure for the West. The whole
thing revolves around Queeny's attempt
TO put across her little scheme Cousin
Lucys falling in love with the daughter
Of Baldwin. who in turn has fallen in
love with her and an attempt of a
shyster lawyer to shake down everybody Y
| concerned for all he can get The result
! is lots OF fun.
Harriet Burt, as Queeny, Is a scream
4 She is a decided hit. She has been seen
here many, many times. but never to bet
| ter advantage. Stage buffers have
"buttled" for years and years, but never
| has one gotten more hurnor out OF
"buttling" than does Dallas Wexford as
\ Blister" Mark Smith and Mable Acker
as Mr.. and Mrs. Bronson, are great aides
| in the carrying along Of the action. Ed
ward Davis makes an excellent shyster
lawyer, and Austin Webb does exceed
Ingly we'll as a real one-a lawyer, not a
shyster. Ruth Garland is pretty and
effective as Miss Baldwin, while the part
of her father is well taken by Ned Bur-
ton. A neat little dance Is done by Misses
| West, Barr and Powell. The rest OF the
| company and chorus Is in keeping with
the high standard set by the above.