Evening star., 1919-05-04


presented for the entertain
ment cf Washington during
~ the week just closed.
Laughter was it's keynote.
although walker Whiteside intro
duced some tones of earnest gravity.
His latest play, Tho Little Brother
draws u picture of l...rtlship and sor
row WITH Russia as Il background.
Arriving at some tense situations. it
develops no thought that is especially
new regarding Il social condition
whose study has become somber
task. although universal obligation.
That fanaticism is to be deplored cam
not be questioned. Its terrific ef-
fects may perhaps be observed more
Intimately and accurately in study
of Rasputin on the open page of cur
rent history than from anything that
the pen of fiction, however gifted, |
might evolve. Mr.. Whiteside is an
artist whose merits have not found
full expression since he gave ub the
Shakespearean drama, which enlisted
his youthful interest. He weathered a
storm of criticism. most of it cyni- |
cally adverse rather than construc- i,
lively thoughtful II Mr.. Whiteside's |
Hamlet We're shown today he would
probably be hailed as figure of great
interest; one upon whom high expec- I
tations were to be centered by those |
who believe that the era of intense |
thought on which the world has en- !
tered will hold a mood of respectful |
consideration toward efforts at seri- |
Gus artistic expression. Mr.. White |
sides work, as at all times, declared |
him student. His Hamlet was a |
scholarly Interpretation which seemed !
to be animated by the desire to leave |
no. point in the play needlessly OBJ
scure. He brought to it all that ira
dition could supply and added inter- |
pretive devices of his own.
This same spirit of research and |
intellectually has animated all his |
plays. Some of them were far from !
possessing the intrinsic material |
which would reward so much atten- |
tive scholarship. His perfection of !
Characterization gives his new play |
an interest beyond that which has |
popularity attached to many of his |
previous creations. The role is one |
OF deep sympathetic appeal on lines J
for which his methods and tempera-
ment especially qualify this genuinely |
excellent artist. Should the revival |
of interest in Shakespeare become as
general as some of the admirers of |
classic tragedy predict, Mr. White
sides earliest ambitions may yet be
realized on terms of extra aordinary
distinction.
The pendulum of popular enter
tainment which moved toward the
Legitimate at the 'Shubert-Garrick swing
to the opposite extreme at the New
National, where La, La, Lucille" re-
a sprightly series of Incidents The mu-
sic is better than the melodrama which
is rather too vigorous at times to be dis
guised as fun. Dark Horses" also
leans to the side of laughter. 1t bases
its story on an assumption that calls /
for lively imagination; the determi-
nation of a young woman to discard /
any suitor who is not impecunious.
Having, by the arts which the skillfu1
dramatist knows how to employ,
compelled the auditor to accept his
fundamental idea, the play proceeds
TO genial conclusion through
series of incidents which need no vim
dication beyond the mirth which they
4bundantly create. Leave 1t to
Jane" has been here before. 1t is
one of the reliables. In it's original
form. as George Ade farce, which.
by the way, had it's first production
in this city. it was a gold mine of
naked fun. Its new title is a bid for
confidence which the public has ex-
tended freely. There is a general in
clination amongst those desirous of
an evenings laughter to Leave It
to Jane"
PHILANDER JOHNSON.