Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-03
ADJUSTMENTS
BELASCO-"The Checkerboard. !"

In 1.-THE Checkerboard." their new
comedy. presented at the Snuoer.
Belasco Theater last night Tor the
first time, Frederick and Fanny Hat
ton have put into fresh and delight
| fuI combinations a number Of ideas
which have come down from the days
Of Molliere and even earlier play
wrights. The charming citizen OF tne
liberties with a number of young peo-
Die and shoves them about the
checkerboard of life in accordance
with his own ideas of right and
plays. So have T. Edward Taylor. the
ash-can king, and his wife--the one
reekinS with wealth and socially am
bilious, and both in abyssmal ignor-
ance of the ways and manners OF the
world Of cultured society.
But the Hattons have nevertheless
created a play out of these materials
that holds the attention and brings
both smiles and tears. The lines are
clever, sparkling at times, ana a;. the
beautiful in itself to evoke enthusi-
astic applause, as it did several times.
Most fortunate have the producers
Of THE Checkerboard" been in the
Who plays Feodor Masimoff. son of a
Russian prince and ballet dancer,
has the. personality and the mag
netism commensurate with perfect
portrayal Of the part He is admirable
in the romantic love scenes and in
his Remuneration. The part, perhaps.
does not give him the wide scope
which Ruben had when he played in
Arnold Benefits Sacred and Pro-
fame Love-" but it does give him an
opportunity to characterize a vaga-
bond as lovable as Francois Villon.
Nor does the remainder Of this cast
fall below the high standard set by the
principal. Miriam Sears, who is cast as
NM Toy 80
can king, the little witch" who. wins
the heart Of Feodor, is altogether
charming in the part. Jack Rafael. as
the ash-can king himself. and Kate
Mayhem. as Mrs. Taylor. made re-
markabie success of their character
parts. 1t goes against the grain, per-
haps. to SEQ a successful American por-
trayed as such an ass as J. Edward Tay-
lor appears during the play, but it must
be admitted that the result is amusing.
Washington theatergoers, as Borks.
Russian dancer, friend and camp fol-
lower OF Feodor. gives clever portrayal.
And SO do Dorothy Smoller, as Tanya,
another Russian dancer, and lola Tai
ma, as Olga. Miss Smoller also reveals
pleasing talent as an actress.
The plot revoives around the efforts
Of the ash-can king to force his way
into society. An INSCRIPTIONS secre
tary brings in Feodor and his friends
ana presents thom as members or the
Russian nobility. No one suspects the
plot. FeOdor falls in love with Susanna
and she is drawn Immediately to the
fascinating Russian. But love has
wrought q change. at least temporarily
in the man who so long has lived by
wits alone. He gives up his love,
breaks her brother of his gambling hab-
its and put her old lover on the road
to living a temperate life
The story is told at the close of the
fourth scene-the second scene of the
second act Feodor has made his re-
nunciation. He has done It with a fin
ality that needs no further chapter of
explanation. And yet there is a third
act. 1t adds not jot to the story.
But it does give opportunity for col
York. with number of charming dances
by an entirely adequate and beautiful
group Of danoe4a