Evening Star Newspaper, January 13, 1924, Page 47

FERGUSON Carricke Last of the CTORS the Jefferson family has but one lone survivor now smppearing on the stage, and Washington will in the title role of “Lightnin"." Thomas Jefferson, son of Joseph Jefrerson, was picked by John Golden, producer of the play, for the role created by the late Frank Bacon, be- ause of his close emblance to Mr. t older playgoers have de- his portrayal of the shuf- ond of the Nevada of the deft touch father's ‘BRip Va the immortals of the since 7 in old 1any his { flourished as they e him this week | e GRACE LARUE - Keiths Jetfersons. | were known to an earlier gen |of the stage, hud splendid tra {under thelr father. Charles B. his husiness manager and later Joseph Klaw and A. L langer in founding the booking d producing firm of Jefferso Klaw & Erlanger. One of Erlanger's first positions in the theatrical busi- | ress was as advance agent for Joseph Jefferson |"'The three other ir: Willilam _and Thoma tors | Charles B. and Joseph, ir, are dead. Willlam 1s appearing in pictures, and ‘Thnmnp alone is carryving on in the realm of spoken drama The Jeffersons are descendants an old English theatrical family that in the days of Dav H rick and his cotemporari Acting and Feeling‘. ] ALWAYS hesitate to give any opinion on the art of acting” Yorites George Arliss to the Illustrated London News. “On the judgment of other arts I am more courageous. 1 feel sure that I could offer valuable suggestions to | the house painter as I watch him at his work, or to the man who comes | put in the new stove. but I have | not the same confidence in my ability | to offer any eally usefu hints U\; actors. “I think that the technique of the, actors art is more or less on hard | and fast lines that can be laid down with soma certainty, but, beyond that | the art of acting is so dependent upon | the temperament and the method of | the Individual, the art of concealing art 1s so subtle and variable that it | seems futile to offer one's own Iim- pressions. But Mr. Grein has done me the honor to_invite my opinion on! ‘Acting and Feeling,' so I offer it, | merely as it applies to myself, with- out suggesting that it will be of value to another member of my own profession. Mr. Greln has cited sev- aral cases designed apparenily to Show that it is not necessary for the | actor to feel his part in order to move s aulience. “There can be little doubt that in certain telling situations, supplied by rhe author, an actor who is master of his art can move an audience without ‘V himself being moved, and 1 have known many Instances where the play 1a =0 appeaiing that even a bed actor, incapable of great feeling, has suc- coeded in creating a deep impression upon his audience. “But If it is suggested that it is an actual advantage for the actor to ab- stain from feeling the emotions that he is intended to arouse, then I am | bound to say that this is entirely con- trary to my own conviction. ever great an impression an actor| may create by this method, 1 can| never be convinced that he would not | have made a still deeper impression | if o had felt the emotion himself. | urely the best and truest acting must_come from within and not be merely external. 1 am not in favor of an actor who is so emotional that | he gives a different performance every night; as a rule he is a tem- peramental performer, but not a good actor. “In my opinion the best actor is likely to be the man who forms an absolutely fixed opinion of his char- acter during the period of rehearsal nd maintains his creation during the te How- | |ing hi entire run of the play. Rut ti not to say he may not improve it i detall, and I fail to see how he is to enrich his performance If he does not feel it. He cannot be guided by laughs or applause from the front. To gauge | (The success by these audible punctuation | marks is most dangerous and is lable | to lead to destruction. “Then how are we to get these sud- den flashes that enrich a perform- ance, #nd that only appear when an actor comes in contact with an audi enc how are we to get them if we do n feel? “Coquelin had a great personality. and could act while thinking of other things with less detriment to his rep- | utatfon than the majority of actors. | I find that if 1 think of other things my audience follows my example, and I am recalled by hearing cough, cough. cough from différent quar- ters of the house. If I then pull my self together and think of what 1 am doing, I can generally succeed fn bringing the audience back again. And I can't help wondering what happened to Coquelin’s eves when he as thinking of other things. “An_actor who has ever plaved in the “movies” will have discovered that the camera registers thought through the eves, the most fleeting | emotion recorded and the camera | has no mercy on the actor who is thinking of other things or is In- capable of imagination, and what the camera sees, the audience sees—in a lesser degree perhaps. but sufficiently plainly. My opinion is that the eyes are the actor's most valuable as- sistants if legitimately .used, and that they cannot truly register an emotion that is not behind them. “Acting is an art. not merely an exhibition of emotions. An actor doesn’t lose himself on the stage, If he did there would be nothing to prevent his walking off the stage in his transports of emotion and fin s Dbig scene in Piccadilly ecir- cus. But his emotion need be no less | sincere because it is harnessed; it maybe just as true. i “In real life we have to exercise control. When we are in the grgatest distress we are generally conscious that we must not make an exhibition of ourselves, but we do not feel our grief any the less poignantly. And 55 in feeling on the stage, the fact that we are consclous of our audi-| thee and of the mechanical limita- $ions of the theater should not pre- vent the trained actor from deep te"’]}l‘;g-oplnmn is that the practiced t his best when he feels the is af ::3{10; that he is attempting to convey to his audienc ! | “The Goose Hangs High.” HE GOOSE HANGS HIGH.” a new comedy by Lewis Beach, will open at the Shubert-Garrick Theater, | January 28, under the banner of the Dramatists' Theater, Inc, an or- ganization of six practical drama- {ists who have banded themselves to- gether to produce plays. “The Goose Hangs High” s their first venture and they have selected a company headed by Mrs. Thomas Whiffen, Norman Trevor and Katherine Grey, and including Miriam Doyle, John Marston, Shirley Warde, Raymond Hackett, Willlam Seymour, Lorna Elliott and Harry Cowley. These players were chosen With an eye to the fact that they are to represent a typical American family, suddenly confronted with a crisls which threatens to break the ties of 4 lifetime, and to disrupt the love affair around which the play is written. The author is said to have enlivened his play with a fine sense of humor and dramatic effectiveness; -to have treated his characters with that sym- moving love stories of the world have been enveloped. The Dramatists’ Theater, Inc, 1s] headed by Edward Childs Carpenter and an advisory board comsisting of Owen Davis, James Forbes, Cosmo Hamilton, Willlam Anthony McGuire and Artbur Richman. They intend to present begulling plays of American life, belleving that theatregoers'are most interested and entertained with stories of the life and people of thelr own country when written with dramatic force and faithfulness. chrne Wardrobe . SIXTY large cases, each one larger than the largest wardrobe trunk, were required to carry to this country the costumes that Mistinguett, the French music hall star, will wear in her American debut in “Innocent Eyes,” the new musical play which the Shuberts will present at Poli's Theater. The cases came direct from Paris and contained all the costumes | ber pathy and understanding which makes them real; and to have told his story with that sense of humor and romance in which the most and headdresses which were designed abroad for Mistinguett's American WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY B oy MISTINGUETT Polis Elsie Ferguson. FERGUSON became uch a Little Queen. star Then was Dolly By her in Haddon Chambers® ‘The Outcast,” she climbed higher 45 a star and was rec- ognized as an artist of first rank success of tnis play fore- thadowed, perhaps, the Jeanne Eagles’ success in “Rain’” and Estelle Win- wood's In_“Spring Cleaning.”) Miss Ferguson then ‘aste”—Marle Temp star in this play—anc Tree she played with Sir Her- Portia to his Margaret Schiller was her appearance for sev, devoted her time to the ing under the manage- ment of the Famous Players, in great many successful pictures Lest remembered of which are “Bar- Sheep.” “The Rise of Jenny Cushing,” “A Soci Exile,” “Witness of the Defen " “The Avalanche,” “Footlights,’ Peter Ibbetson™ (in which Wallace Reid was Peter Ibbet- aon), and then in her own stage suc- cess, “Outcast.” She returned to the stage rold Bennett's play ‘Sacred and Pro- fane Love.” “The Varying Shore,* by Zoe Akins (uthor of her present Dplay. “The Moonflower”) followed, and then “The Wheel of Life” Oddly enough, when Miss Akins wrote “The Varying Shore” it was with the idea that Sidney Blackmer should play the young lover, but his success in “The Mountain Man” interfered. Mr, Black- mer is now playing the young lover.in “The Moonflower,"” the romantic comedy in which Miss Ferguson comes to the Shubert-Garrick. ears, as sh cinema, app Hampden‘s "Cyrana. WALTER HAMPDEN'S repertoire plans at the National Theater, New York, have been interrupted by his sensational success in “Cyrano_de Bergerac.” The demand for MM Hampden in Edmond Rostand famous heroic comedy, It is said, has exceeded all expectations. It is easily the dramatic hit of the year in the metropolis and there is not the slight- est_doubt that it will draw capaeity audiences until well into the spring. Mr. Hampden had expected that be- fore mnow he would be playing Shakespearian roles, including Oth- ello, in which part he’ has not yet been seen in New York, but with receipts for “Cyranc” hovering around the $20,000 mark each week it has been a business impossibility to make the change. But, as he has promised New York a perlod of genuine repertoire this season, he {s planning to make spring revivals of all the classics in which he has won transcontinental renown ‘Othello,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth," ‘Romeo and Jullet,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” and “A New Way to Pay Old Debts. “The Passing Show™ of 1923 The New York Winter Garden elev- enth annual revue, “The Passing Show.” 1923 edition, with its whirl, of girls, music and color, will come | to Poli's Theater the week commenc- ! ing Sunday evening, February 3. While it adheres to the policy of its predecessors in that popular plays of the past and current seasons are travestied, there are numerous novel- ties, in ballet and spectacle. The present plece, which is more pretentlous, more spectacular, and on | a more lavish scale than its predeces- ¢ sors, is divided into two acts and|{ twenty-eight scenes, with twenty-six musical numbers. It was staged by J. C. Huffman. The dialogue and iyrics are by Harold Atteridge, and the music by Sigmund Romberg and Jean Schwartz. Allan Foster is re- sponsible for the dancing. Prominent in the cast are Ted Lewls, the “high-hatted tragedian of song” with his famous musical clowns; George Hassell, George Jes- sel, Frank Gaby, Flannigan and Mor- rison, Edgar Atchinson-Ely, Loulse Dose, Vera Ross, Lew Cooper, Vestoff, Libby and Sparrow, Parry Askam, Hattie Darling, Ann_Lowenworth, Trado twins, Jack Rice, Willlam Pringle, James Hamilton and th American beauty chorus, not forget- ting *“The Living ChandeMer” and ‘Curtals debut by the star's personal desigaer, “The Living imay have fewer performances, it will MORNING, JEFFERSON National JOSEPHINE. HUTCHINSON Ramshead Players - CurrentAttractlons At the Theaters This Week. GARRICK—Elsie Ferguson, in “Moon F Opens Wednesday evening. NATIONAL—“Lightnin’,” ning. BELASCO—"The Bat,” mystery play T—"Lombardi, Ltd.,” comedy. Opens tomorrow evening. KEITH'S—Grace La Rue, vaudeville. PRESIDEN afternoon. COSMOS— afternoon. comedy. POLI'S—Mistinguett, in “Innocent Eye: Sweethearts,” vaudeville. ower,” romantic comedy. Opens tomorrow evening. revue. Opens this eve- Opens this evening. New show opens tomorrow New show opens tomorrow GAYETY—“Happy Go Lucky,” burlesque. Opens this afternoon. Garrick—Elsie Fergusen in *Moon Flower." Klsie Ferguson, the delightful| sctress whom Washington knows too well to require an introduction, will come, to the Shubert-Garrick this week in the title role of Zoe Akins' new romantic comedy, “Moon Flower,” which will have its premiere Wed- nesday evening. - Miss Ferguson's chiet support will be Sidney Black- mer, who will be seen in the role of oung lover, with a competent cast in the other roles The produc- tion will be staged by David Burton. The delay in presenting this charm- Ing new play is due, it is announced, to the necessity for full dress re- hearsals, which the company was unable to get In New York because of the lack of facilitios. Indeed, some of the difficulties are outlined in the story which appears elsewhere in these columns today. It was there- fore deemed wisest and best to bring the production to Washington and to have the final rehearsals upon the stage where the premlere is to be presented. Thus, though Washington be assured of full preparation when the first performance or the public is given Wednesday evening. The tory of the play is withheld until that time. L . . R National— nghtnm . “Lightnin’,” the play that has elec- trified the theatrical world with its runs of three years in New York and nearly two years in Chicago, will be presented at the National Theater this week, beginning tomorrow night with a special cast, headed by Thom- as_Jefferson, son of the late Joseph Jefferson, in_the role of Lightnin' Bill Jones. The production has been staged by Winchell Smith, and, like the other John Golden comedy suc- cesses with which Mr. Smith's name has been associated, “Lightnin'" is play of laughs and heart throbs, introducing honest-hearted, - red- blooded folks Who exist in everyday 1ife. Rilkg wife and adopted dagghtesn run a hetel on tween California and Nevada. The line runs through the lobby. The Nevada portion is filled with woman gucsts Who are estallishing a legal residence for the purpose of obtain- ing Reno divorces. Bill runs errands about the place and tells yarns which give him the reputation of being the glibbest liar in the country. He drinks when he has the opportunity, but even in his cups remembers that e has never broken a promise. Biil's adopted daughter has been working in a lawyers office in San Francisco, and her employer, under the guise of generosity, has persuaded X:ér';;ori';rll:u to sell the hotel to a n, accepting stock as pa; ment. The old man is about to afix his signature. when he 's warned of fraud by a young neighbor and friend, John Marvin. In a burst of temper Mrs. Jones ordered Bill to eave. Six months later she is dis- closed In court suing for divorce. The courtroom scene is rich humor and pathos. the state line be- in Poli's—Mistinguett in *Inno- cent Eyes.” Mistinguett, the famous music hall performer, will make her American debut in Washington at Poll's tonight, when she will be pre- sented by the Shubert's in a new musical play, entitled “Innocent Eyes,” which was written especially for the French aoctress by Harold Atteridge. The music is by Sigmund Romberg and Jean Schwartz. “Innocent Eyes” is andounced as the most elaborate musical reviue plan- ned by the Messrs. Shubert. There are a score of scenses and nearly as many musical numbers, while the scenic effects and settings are declared more magnificent than any the Schu- berts have before devised. “There are girls and more girls, music and more music,” while interspersed are songs and comedy skits. And through all this veritable whiriwind of color and music, Mistinguett, the queen of the French music halls, reigns su- preme. Her dancing is an art new to _the American stage. Tha pook and lyrics are by Harld French JANUARY 13, 1924. Atteridge, with additional lyrics by Tot Seymour. The production is staged b: Frank Smithson. The unusual cast includes: John Cumberland, ythe Baker, Earl les- ette Rugel, Lew Hearn, Wi and Vanr Frank Dobso Tarjorie I. T Don Marth. Mason, C Howard, Gaile Bev. Charles Mack, Mildred Manlc la_ Brothers. ~Mabel K K Byron Mabel Carruthers, Harry A, White, Maude Allan, James E. Phillips a Arthur Chamion. “Innocent goes directly to the Ambass er, New York, following Washington ment. Belasco—v-"}he Bat.” “The Bat ten by Mary i the mystery play writ- Roberts Rinehart, and presented by Wagenhals & Kemper, & big event for two vears now, and likely to be for several seasons mors, will be presented at the Shubert- Belasco Theater this week, commenc- ing tonight. Wagenhals & Kemper are said to be planning the presenta- tion of this very company that plays here in New York immediately after this engagement, and possibly again in_Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. That “The Bat” has a universal appeal would seem to be evidenced best in_that it has broken records in mora than 3.000 spots in the United States and Canada; with a Year's run in London it set a new high record for an American play in England; it has been accorded equally great returns in eleven other countries on four continents, and has piled- up In view of the forthcoming metro- a brand-new litan _engagements, = provided. The production has _been Cast includes: Julia Stuart, Rodney Ranous, Zita Riath, Ursula Ellsworth, Charles Gotthold,” Robert Steven Arthur J. O'Keefe, Albert Lawrenc Harold Heaton and Ben H. Roberts. Five members of this cast were with the special “big cities” company that played previous engagements here. President—"Lombardi, Ltd. Washington society girls will play prominent roles in “Lombardi, Ltd.” the Leon Carillo New York success, which will be presented by the Wash- ington Theater Guild, Inc.. at the President Theater this week, begin- ning tomorrow night. Wilfred Lytell, whose brother, Bert Lytell, made one of his most successful films from the same play, will have the leading role. “Lombardl, Ltd., is described as a {show of beautiful women, wraps, gowns and lingerie, and Manager feonard Wood, jr. promises that no one of these details will be lacking. The play deals with the adventures of an artist who decides to open a real ladles’ shop and teach the wom- en what to wear. With a profusion of beautiful clothes, wonderful mod- els on which the clothes are dis- played and a shop with a decidedly unique setting, the venture proves a success from the start. Peggy Coudray, leading woman of local shop will have to “go some” to eclipse some of her own gowns which she is bringing on for the occasiog. Tomorrow night's show will bs a benefit for Costello Post, American Legion, which has charge of the seat sale. ‘The proceeds will g0 to the i Costello Post E."mn_kslum fund. Keitt:’s—Gracc La Rue. Grace La Rue, one of vaudeville's best liked stars, fills the top place on the bill at B. F. Keith’s this week. Miss La Rue, who has been starring in the “Music Box Revue,” and really an international favorite, has the ¥pice oL @ prima doopa and the hisw engage- | gross recelpts of more than $6,000,000. | | musical number that has a semblance | the Theater Guild, promises that the R trionic ability of a dramatic star. After presenting her single act she will appear with her husband, Hal [ | Hamiiton, as the added attraction in a new, dramatic plavlet, * writte: which Hangerous Vincent Law- in are supported many ireek dancers and exponents of the Athenian terpsichore, but never before, it Is declared, has the etage offered to compare with Mme. Calliope Chariss!, with her ten children. This remarkable family 1s making its first American appearance. Others will include two clever girls, Ethel Sinclair and Marie Gasper, in “The Long, Long Trail” by Paul Ge- rard Smith; Arthur and Morton Havel with Helen Lockhart, Dot Harrison and Beth Chaplin, in “Lovers Lane,’ Claudius and Scarlet, late features of the New York Hippodrome and Z! | feld ftes, in “Melody," “as |and was,” with fine voices and a p gram well selected; King and Beatty. in an unusual collection of songs with a wealth of clean, wholesome fu | which they call ' “Artistlc Apple | and Marguerite and Alvarez, ult feats and sensational Cosmos—"Sweethearts. "Sweethearts,” one of those delight- ful little musical concoctions that mystifies while it amuses, written by ‘Will M. Hough, with lyrics and music by Wil J. Harris, and presented by a merry little company of five, three pretty girls and two men, will head- line the Cosmos Theater bill this week. and costumes, and although it makes no pretention toward the spectacular, it 1s promised to furnished entertain- ment that :s thoroughly enjoyvable throughout. Another feature of the bill which is regarded as quite out of the or- dinary will be Jean Granese, who has been called “the unusual songstress, and who will come with her brother Charles and Tito de Fiore in a musical offering of real merit. Joe Carson and Kitty Kane, in Attention,” will bring a scenic novel- ty with melodious moments, inter- polated with rare daneln Leon Varara, in “The Evolution of a Planist,” will present an artist of the instrument who sees also its comedy eide; Ed M. Gordon and 1da Da will amuse with *Mirthful Nonsense, an _act built for laughing purposes and punctuated with clever dancing. and Burke and Betty will play up thelr personalities and voices in a | ot a plot. | _ Pola Negri in Herbert Brenon's fine production for Paramount. “The Span- | ish Dancer,” will be the photoplay for the week. It presents the Polish |star as a gvpsy dancing girl, and is said to bring back the fire which characterized her acting in her firsi famous picture, “Passion.” A ne: Universal comedy, ‘The Rich Pup with the Urban Movie Chats and Cartoon Comics, will complete a bill that should be highly entertaining. Strand—Bil_m:n'e Society Orchestra. The Biltmore Society Orchestra, one ganizations, will headline the vaude- ville and picture program an- nounced for the Strand Theater this week, beginning today. It is a jazz orchestra, which is said have scored tremendous success; and its playing of popular numbers is sald fto be a treat for all lovers of this Itype of harmony. The orchestra ap- ipears under the direction of Charles Pinto, concert planist. Nina Brundon, former member of the Ziegfeld Fol- lies, and the Lyons Sisters will be as- sisting terpsichorean artists Others on the five-act bill include Jean and Jacques, in “Spectacular Novelty Doings"; Marjorie Burton, in “Original Impressions,” songs and tmitations; B. J. Moore, in his orig- inal ldea, “Tears of Buddah,” and Ben and_Anna Mae-Belle, in “The Love Teacher.” Universal's special production, “The Darling of New York.,” which has as Ita festured etar of starlet Baby Peggy, the clever child actress, will be the feature photoplay. The story concerns a_four-year-old lvaby girl of ltalian and American | parantage, who, with her rag doll, in Which, incidentally, is hidden a for- tune in diamonds, becomes the center of & whirlwind drama. Gladys Brock- Well, Sheldon Lewls, Pat Hartigan, {Jack Quinn, Carl Stockdale, William H, Turner, Betty Francisco and Max Davidson will be seen in support of tho little star. Sbort Alm featyres will be shown, to companies of | It will have beautiful scenery | of New York's famous musical or-| i =) Cosmos Gayety—"Happy Go Lucky “Happy Go Lucky” this week's att. is the title of the Gayet thrilling stage.” Delmar's an exhibition nee in a steel cag s said to b H of the and courage tion at clous beas | “Heading tlie big cast of “Happy Go | Lucky" are the Keleo Brothers Chester “Rube” Nelson. The femint members are Florence Darley, Arlone Johnson and Estelle Dudiey. The |show is In two acts, with fourteen specially written T al hits and dance numbers scattered throu | nineteen presenting an er tertain h laughter and frivoli n Delmar'e fig! Newman— Argenxma Today E. ). Newman’s “Argentina’ | be shown at the New National Thea this afternoon and evening. In motion picture and color view Argentina will be found one of thr most_ progressive countries in the world. As a nation it is rapidl ning its way into the front Buenos Aires, the largest South erica. is skyscrapers, and below rows through its alluvial soil gentina seashore resorts rival of any country, where fashion prom enades and casinos like that of Mont Carlo satisfy the desire of those wh want to cultivate dame fortune. In this new and up-to-date picturs of Argentina, you will journey fro the vinevards of Mendoza to the e tremes of Patagonia. Georgette Leblanc Tomor- TOowW. Georgetts Leblanc, distinguishec French singer and actress, who w appear at King-Smith &tudios tomor- row afterncon. at 4:30 o'clock, ar nounces her form of entertainment a follows: “A moving or charming scene from a play, « song that holds all of lifc in 1ts few words, a boem which the eternal miracle of the human dram: is these things I offe The 11 of an artist I« his art, and art tha roots deep In life is the oni: art that is never boring.” Absolutely unique is the career of this great artist and in her recitals | Mme. Leblanc will present all phases of this versatility.. She will interpret the modern French poet and the mo ern French musician — particula those of the famous “Groupe de Si She will sing arias from her famo operatic roles and read scenes fron | the dramatic roles she has created Arcade. The regular nightly dancing pre gram will continus at the Arcad the special added feature for t week being biiled for Friday, w that sprightly young dancer, J Ripp, will execute his whirly “eccentric dance” at 9 o’clock. Ram's Head Players. ¥ Ann,” a new American coii edy by Bertram Bloch, will have iis first presentation on any stage at ti Ram's Head Playhouse Wednesda: evening at §:30 o'clock. Robert Bell and Walter Beck, producing director, nounce that the play will be produced under the personal direction of the au- thor, Mr. Bloch, with settings by James Reynolds and costumes by Mme. Ash. The scenes ars laid in the White mountains, In the home of Colby Mar shall, & novelist, played by Walter W Beck. Josephine Hutchinson will pias the title role, of Cecily Ann, and Ranal Savery, the new member of the con pany, just from New York city, ,wil play ‘the part of Roland Ames, Colby nephew. Leona Roberts, Betty Far- rington, Marion Law, Paul Messink and Robert Bell will complete the cast. Ten performances will be given, i cluding Wednesday, Thursday, Frida and Saturday night 'and Saturday mati- nee, during this week and next. The directors announce epecial rates for {students and for groups of players and government employes,