The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-05

lean Bar Association and Mrs.
Cordenio A. Severance Of st. Paul
gave a dinner in compliment to the
Chief Justice of the United States
Supreme Court and Mrs. William
Howard Taft. Then the Sever
ances were honor guests at a big
luncheon given that afternoon by
Col. and Mrs William Eric Fowler.
There were several smaller par
ties Ike the musical which Mr..
and Mrs. Eugene Pomeroy gave.
Also one or two parties planned for
Sunday were postponed because of
illness or death. Sickness seems to
be upsetting many dinner lists late
ly: so many people have bad colds
or grip In one form or another.
SEVERAL ENTERTAINMENT
GIVEN ON SAME DAY.
Monday there were three or four
entertainments any one of which
would have made the day an i'm
portant one in the social annals.
There was the opera, for instance,
Samson and Delilah, played by the
Washington Opera Company with
great success and attended by a
brilliant audience. Truly any one of
any social standing Whatsoever
was there: the boxes were filled
with numbers OF the diplomatic
corps, officiaIs and the leaders Of
resident society, while other smart
people crowded the chairs and there
was much visiting back and forth
and the house was quite as inter-
esting as the opera Then when 1t
was over most of the audience hur-
rIed down to the New willard
Hotel to attend the ball given for
the bensft of the Episcopal Home
for Children. A very popular and
worthy charity.
WASHINGTON NEEDS
REAL OPERA HOUSE.
A book could be written about the
many and varied difficulties that
had to be overcome to give that
opera performance, for one thing
after another occurred that made
IL leol<s as though the thing just
could not be done and yet one by
one every difficulty was overcome.
In the first place when anything
even a private party, has to be
postponed II is never quite the
success 1t would have been IL given
ON the original date You know
that: II is always so. Then the
Central High School auditorium
though very attractive, didn't tend
TO the brilliancy Of a regular
theater with its boxes where the
audience could view the fine ladies'
in their gowns and Jewels. Also
1 think the acoustics, particularly
for music, are bad at the Central
High. There Is so much steel and
concrete. Also the scenery rehear-
sails and all plans had all been
made for a smaller theater which
tended to take some of the polished
edges of of the final performance,
a fact which wasn't true Of the
Baltimore performance where they
did not meet with the same diff
culties. How badly Washington
does need a real opera house!
The last straw was the announce
ment by the fire marshal on the
very afternoon of the opera that
because there was no asbestos cur
tain the show could not go on that
night Think of 1t, after over
coming one obstacle after another,
To be told that at the last min
ute. Finally the man was brought
around to reason, but restricted
them So about the use of lights and
flowers, FIRE effects and such things
that were part of the spectacular
part of the opera and which had
all been arranged with such careful
consideration and detail. Even the
ballet were not allowed to throw
petals of flowers about in their
dance.
TCHERNIKOFF,s DANCING
HIGH SPOT IN OPERA.
One of the really professional
spots i'm the opera was the dane
ing of Paul Tchernikoff who d.
rected the ballet and was the
premier danseur. His work was
just splendid; he is surely an art
list. He came on from New York
to direct the ballet and has decided
TO stay on here at the Capital and
has opened a studio in the William
A. Slater house at 1871 ! street
where he already, though estab-
lished only a few weeks, has a
great many pupils. His studio
comprises one of the huge Slater
drawing rooms and their ballroom
which Is even larger and very good
looking. They are Joined by large
archways. There he is going %
give a tea on Monday afternoon,
March Is when he and some of his
pupils will do several dances. II
promises to be a very delightful
afternoon and many social leaders
have signified to me their in
tention of attending. Though a
stranger in town, Mr.. TcheTnikoff
has already a wide acquaintance
and has aroused a deep interest.
You see he is only partly Russian
and Is very well born, q fact which
you know the minute you look at
him His whole name-isn't 1t
awful to wish such q name on =
poor helpless Infants Joseph
Francis Paul DeGrasse Doucet
Gardner Tchernikoff. He belongs
to the fine old Gardner family of
Boston where he was born and Is a
direct descendant of Comte De-
Grasse, of France. who came over
In Revolutionary days with Lafay-
ette to help the colonies In their
struggle for freedom.
PLANS TO STAGE
MATINEE SERIES.
This young man-for he Is
young and single and very hand
some with all the courtly man.
ners OF the continent-has travelled
all over the world and speaks four
languages fiuently. He Is a grad
uate Of our own Massachusetts, In
stitute. of Technology too. Boston
Tech In short He is planning
next year when once well estab-
lished here to put on series of
matinees OF dancing He has not
yet decided. Of course. the details.