The Washington times., 1917-05-01
WHITE MAGIC LURES
THE YELLOW JACKET
Woman CrOOns Over Block Of
Wood That Becomes a Baby.

There is magic on foot in Wash
ington this week-white magic.
Nightly before the eyes OF an
audience, a woman croons over a
block of wood enveIoped in a CLOTH
but no one is able to see anything
in her arms but a child. boy and
girl Of the Flowery Kingdom dispose
Themselves upon a row Of tabourettes,
two men stand behind and pretend to
be poiing them along, while on the
back of the stage, in full view, sits
a man rubbing two sandpapereo
boards together.
Yet, when still another man has
come forward and said a few words,
the audience becomes hypnotized, the
players enchanted. The tabourettes
become a love boat, the men with
poles Chinese sailors with oars, and
the sandpaper rubbed together Is
the faint swishing OF water against
a boat. Al lof this means but one
thing.
"The Yellow Jacket" has come back
TO Washington at the National
Theater.
When this play first appeared on
the stage. about four years ago. at
the old Columbia Theater, Washington
theatergoers, by virtue OF some COM
mendable accident, fell in love
with it.
The play by George c. Hazelton
and Benrimo, written in English, but
designed and produced after the man.
ner of Chinese drama, caught this
city first in the snares Of its charm.
Too Good for New York.
But New York would have none
OF It. A sophistication too deep, a
naterialism too Grass, made it impos-
sible for the white magic to work.
The Property Man, a black clothed
Celestial who moves the stage ac-
cessories about in a bored manner,
was funny to them. And the style
of production was Unique. That was
all.
The story of Wu Hoo Git and his
adventures in attempting TO reclaim
his birthright, simply did not interest
them at al. Il is true that the critics
had a good word for the gorgeous ORR
entail trappings of the production, the
colorful costumes, and the intelligent
work of Mr.. and Mrs. Coburn, the
producers.
But when Chee Moo crooned over
her baby, WI Hoo Git, they saw only
a block of wood-when the farmer
Lee Sin cut off the head of the sec
ond wife, in order that the first wife
of the governor, Chez Moo, might save
her baby, they saw only some mean
ingless pantomime.
That was the first time "The Yellow
Jacket" came to them
The second time, after many people
in lands both near and far, had beer
able to see the love boat, instead OF
the tabourettes, and had openly ex
pressed their love and admiration
for the beauty and charm of the story
of the young boy who seeks his right
full heritage through the world, spur
red on by mother love, and the prom
ise of Plum Blossom for a whether
and then only could New York see the
baby where the block OF wood hac
been before-the love boat where th'
tabourettes had rested.
Schuyler Ladd Here.
In the production in Washington
this week. Schuyler Ladd is DafIodil
the effeminate and lazy half-brotheI
who wrongfully wears the yellow
Jacket of royalty whiC-, belongs tC
WI Hoo Git. Mr.. Ladd played in the
original production here. He gives ar
even more delightfully."- humorous and
clever presentation than his first.
George Gaul is the hero. WI Hoo
Git; Margaret Carol the heroine
Plum Blossom; John G. Hickey tht
property man; Mr.. Coburn. chorus, ant
Mrs Coburn, Chez Moo, the mother Of
the hero.
The cast is excellently chosen
placed, and trained, and. as Chorus
claimed last night, reflects great credit
upon himself, since Mr.. Coburn anc
Mrs. Coburn are the producers. I'm.
fortunately, as Chorus also explained
some credit MUST be given the actors
for their acting.
FLORENCE YODER.