Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28

may be SAID 10 washington
credit that in theater patronage
1t dIsCrlmlnateS usually i'll favor OF
the clean-cut, competent endeavor,
whether in the selection Of musical
entertainment, comedy or the clas-
sics Richard Brinsley Sheridan has
been established on a footing of rep
utation which makes him a modern
popular favorite. For a long time
il was customary to regard him as
subject for research. like an an
cicnt tomb. with the desire of renew
ing acquaintance with more or less
archaic splcndors OF wit Now Sher-
idan comes TO town at least once
season. sometimes twice. and is far
more discussed and appreciated than
any OF the current dramatists. One
Of the Sheridan destinations lies in
the contrast OF character types. ex-
ccedIngly striking, yet attained with
out resort to caricature. and affords
scope for fine acting on the part of
each member Of the cast
X x
As this city continues to grow we
may hope i'll few years to see en-
gagements for standard plays fire.
NuCHIIN CAltINCu DCN Ollu lllC IIlIiitd
tions of one week. This has already
been done in a number of instances
for motion pictures and muSlCal
shows. The Student Prince" enters
upon another week and announces
no definite time limit The charming
modcrnization of a story long since
dear to theatergoers calls attention
TO the work OF Dorothy Donnelly
aud Sigmund ROmbcrg in the deli
catc and too often neglected element
Of song construction in connection
of this type OF entertainment
Songs Without Words is a very
striking title for the old instrumental
collection. Musical shows with
neither words nor music worth con-
sdcring have been an abundant
source Of sadAcss on both sides OF
the orchestra. The association of
these names has produced some OF
thc most satisfactory entertainment
offered in recent seasons, and they
have commanded unbounded patron
age and applause. while one speci
men of slapdash melody and hit-or-
miss rhvming after another has tod
died away TO its own limping
rhythms TO find a last refuge in
storehouSc
That highly accomplished writer
for the stage, Rachel CrotherS. not
content with being recognized as the
.Sardou OF Main street or the Dumas
Of the New York boarding house, de-
cideS TO become a producer and ex-
Dloits A comedy entitled Charm, by
lohn Kirkpatrick Mr.. kirkpatrick S
stvle is remarkably Crotherian. He
takes a group OF people ostensibly
from circles OF plain everyday life
and shows them struggling to strike
4 pace for which their customs and
manners leave them entirely unfit
ted. 1t is full of laughs. but the
laughs are obtained by obvious de-
vices. some OF them familiar. some
II them novel, but for the most part
showing a trace Of laboriouS deter
n,nation on the part OF both play
wright and player.
It is perhaps not fair to dwell on
mprobability of plot as a serious
fault. Shakcspearean admirers. hav |
ing accepted plot so improbable as
tldI OF IlN vi < lldill VI NilNN'
have pledged themselves to unlimited |
toIcration Yet the sale OF book |
entitled Charm to a rather dull |
village boy who desires to acquire
the arts OF personal magnetism
seems a rather slight foundation |
uoon which to establish so elaborate |
structure OF boiStcrous farce. 1t |
: difficult to understand why play |
containing so much laughter should |
leave so shallow an impression in
recollection. Its characters command |
hut little human sympathy. The ex
AggerationS arc pressed too far to |
permit the auditor Of average intelli- |
rence to share in his own magma
tion the mental attitudes implied by |
the dialogue and action 1t is a |
paradoNical TACT that for certain
STYLES OF taste a farce may be entire
" too funny.
The duSkv drama that deals with |
the lands near tropic seas has had
q peculiar history. SO far as this city I
Ss concerned. Seized upon as pre-
texts for unlimited audaclty in mat |
tiers OF costume, speech and pose, !
only those plays which could show
some touch Of genuine idea or Sug-
pest human impulse toward some |
higher plane of thought have been
well attended. Reports OF the most
daring departures from the human
habit of wearing clothes have failed |
70 arouse even a ripple OF interest
here. An analysis OF the population !
oi Washington from the viewpoint
~ m thcater reveals high per-
. cottage OF reading and studious ,peo--