Evening Star Newspaper, December 12, 1926, Page 77

o e —— I Theaters h Part 3—10 Pages The Sundiy Star WASHINGT( C., SUNDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 12, 1926, Drama Discloses A Shifting Sympathy v CHAMPIONSHIP of the un- der dog in any society is the usual mission of the the- . ater. The valet and lady's maid are permitted to throw the flood light of ridicule on the eccen- tricities of thoce they serve. «The grisette who used to die in an at- mosphere of sweet sentimentality has led up to the modern type of street unfortunate who reforms, marries and lives happy ever after. In this respect, as in others, Shakespeare stands pre-eminently apart, holds the populace at arm’s fength, and in many passages. as in “Juliue Caesar” and in “Midsummer Night's Dream,” applies merciless scorn to humble folk described as addicted to sweaty nightcaps, hali- tosis and abeurdly illiterate efforts to imitate fineries of thought and manner. In the domestic drama the woman has long heen the object of pity, reaping sympathetic applause when she turns, in sudden courage after long suffering. with an avalanche of invective against the brutal and tyrannical male. * k% % By this time the brute male, as reflected on the stage, should be retty well tamed, until, like an en- eebled lion, he crouches in a corner of the cage. growls a little and per- haps shows his teeth; but when the trainer appears jumps through and rolls over just the same. * X % x It was evidently the opinion of Mr. Kelly that the stage husband had been punished quite enough and needed a change. Reference in the advertising to Mr. Kelly's author- ship of that raw and raucous popu- lar success, “The Show Off.” was no great encouragement to play patrons who appreciate so subtle analysis of character for which “Craig’s Wife” offers scope. * ok ok % Mr. Kelly is still a domestic dram- atist, dealing with the dinner dishes and mantelpiece ornaments, with a2 battle of pots and pans in the distance; but there can be none to dispute that the pots and pans are better material for our reforma- tory progress in drama than Broad- way bathtubs. * ok ok X Chrystal Herne is one of the ‘women, born to the stage, who act securely with an instinctive knowl- edge of technique, enabling them to apply it spontaneously and without evidence of self-study. James A. Herne was a respected figure, bold in his day in faithful delineation of simple, rant-disdaining humanity, and in employing with masterly skill the intense significance that may sometimes be drawn from a moment of well calculated quietude. His dauglter conveys with far more tensity something of the same finesse. The conclusion of her play, as she walks quietly about the stage crumpling rose leaves with strange contentment of’ soul in being mis- tress of all she surveys, is like a faint echo of her father’s play, in which the old man, having set his house at last to rights, extinguishes the lamps slowly. one by one, and allows the curtain to descend on the firelight glow of a serene night. * ok ok ¥ ‘The acting of Miss Herne is more than a portraiture, more than inter- pretation. It is an incarnation. The player is effaced. The character, though utilizing a rather trivial trait the foundation for a story of do- mestic disaster, is developed on lines of such consistency that the over- neatness of a housewife is made to appeal to the imagination as a monstrous vice. The type is not agreeable. The motives that animate the role are not those of normal conditions. Like so many stage heroines, Craig’s wife is an example of neurotic exfression which neither reason nor self-interest can contra- dict. To play the part so well re- BY PHILANDER JOHNSON. The delineation of the woman un- lovable has not been so uncom- promisingly undertaken since the presentation of “Unleavened Bread,” in which a different cast of charac- ters appeared in each act, represent- ing the new associations to which a “climber” successively arrived by a cold-blooded system of husband sacifice. It was related that when “Unleavened Bread” was first pro- duced in Scranton, Pa., once a rival of this city as a theatrical experi- ment station, a man found a friend in an ice cream parlor sitting dis- consolately with the confection un- tasted before him. “What is the trouble?” asked the friend. “I have got the blues.” was the answe.. “I went to the theater, trying to cheer up, but do you know there is a woman in that show that is just the same kind of a cold- blooded Simon Legree that my wife is!” The same mental effect is very likely to be produced, in many in- stances, by Chrystal Herne's ex- traordinary and admirable perform- ance. * K K K There were moments when a wi asserted itself that “Craig's Wif could remain over till next week and have a few special rounds ar- ranged for her with Col. Bridau. * ok K X | Another instance of the selection ! of a long-abused personage as en- titled at last to sympathetic and | admiring regard is the father who has long been, resented either as too stern a disciplinarian or else as too frivolous in his protracted en- thusiasm for the joy of living. * ok ko The attitude toward mothers has been that of affection and poetic delicacy, but the most conspicuous incidents of song as addressed to | the head of the family were such ditties as “Father, Dear Father, ome Home With Me Now,” imply- ing great reluctance on the part of the old gentleman to curtail his stay of “Ten Nights in a Barroom." Later on the censure was modified and the family songsters contented themselves with interrupting an ef- fort to attain well earned repose by singing “Everybody Works But | Father.” Within recent weeks the stage has shown Magda as a melancholy sacrifice to the stubborn folly of her sire, and “The Master Builder” presented a picture of an old man obstinately refusing to re- linquish the: triumphs of a life of labor in order to make way perhaps for the ambitious experiments of self-dazzled vouth. * ok kX Under the auspices of Mr. Belasco, Mr. E. H. Sothern is enabled to give | the new and sympathetic side of | good old Pater's story. Mr. Soth- | ern, himself a veteran of blank verse, allows a hint to drop that, after all, his sincerest inclination, long suppressed, was toward those delightful roles of his early career that depicted the graces, the senti- ments and the whimsical impulses of a youthful spirit.” Sothern, by the way, is another of our heredi- tary actors. He once paid a t: to his father's memory by reviving for a season the role of Lord Dun- dreary and glaying it with remark- ably good effect. * ok x X In the supporting cast, notwith- standing the presence of artists in the truest sense of the term, with working material well worthy of them, the most notable and charm- ing figure is Haidee Wright. With QENEE ROBERT Keiths WiLLIAM WILSON - many years of stage service to her credit, she reveals a polish which time has heightened to a beautiful brilliancy; a brilliancy the more de- lightful ~because it possesses the serene glow that distinguishes gen- uine quality from flashy tinsel. Ingenues and emotional stars we have many. Miss Wright is the one quires intellectual attainments, as well as rarest talent. In the Local BY FIRST Y BOLEY, one of the come- diennes of “Miss Happiness,” is another Washington girl who has reg- istered a_ success with the big com- panies. With Ina Claire Miss Boley proved a prize pupil under Prof. Coruana at his dancing school on F street near Tenth, where many Wash- ington children attended, and from there she made her start in the chorus. Miss Boley chose comedy for her line and Miss Claire the drama. Miss Boley's first chance came while in the chorus with Alice Neilson's “The For- tune Teller.” While plaving in Mil- waukee Violet Gillette, Miss Neilson's leading support, was taken {ll, and it ‘was thought the show would have to close. Miss Boley offered to take the part, and her letter-perfect perform- ance was a success. Miss Boley was the first one signed by Miss Nellson for her next season's tour. | the petite star of | Woman Knows,” se-| cured considerable publicity for the | start of her engagement in Boston. | Fifty men had been advertised for to make up the mob scene in the pla and 600 applicants responded. Ma of the applicants were students an of course, foot ball tactics were used | to get nearest the door of the theater | on the principle of “first come, first sarved.” The result was a riot, and over a hundred policemen were called out and thousands rushed 1o the scene. The result was a front-page story. _ Miss Justine Gray, the auburn- baired soubrette of the permanent | eampany at the Strand, appearing in | @ “Whirl of Variety,” has visited this @Ry several times with the big shows. ke appeared as Lilly O'Day in “The Gingham Girl” and was quite a hit at ¢he National in her brother- George W. : Face.” Miss Gray musical director of the first four Ziegteld “Follies,” which doubtless ac- counts for Justine's early start on her stage career. Manager Cochran of the National reports a big sale of tickets for the benefit performance of Willie Fowler's widew tomorrow night, but says he would like to dispomse of a_couple of hundred more. Besides offering hie Helen Haves, “What Every Grande Dame of the theater seen in many a day. Playhouses NIGHTER. The appearance of Julia Marlowe (Mrs. Sothern) in Washington Iast week as a spectator and the arrival of Otls Skinner today brings to mind when the former was appearing at the Academy of Music, Modjeska at Al- baugh's and Ada Rehan at the Na- tional, all playing Shakespeare. Robert Taber was Miss Marlowe's leading man. Skinner had the same job with Modjeska and John Drew played op- posite Miss Rehan. In “Twelfth Night” Miss Marlowe was undoubted- ly one of the most beautiful women on the stage at that time; Skinner’s fine acting overtopped the work of his star and Ada Rehan was at the top of her career. All three shows did a splendid business, and a personal opin- fon gave Miss Rehan the lead by a shade, her wonderful voice being much in evidence in the reading of the immortal lines. Crystal Herne in “Craig’s Wife" also brings back memories of long ago. Miss Herne's father was appear- ing in the smaller towns of Pannsyl- ania in the strong melodrama, Hearts of Oak,” and when six weeks old she made her stage debut, being carried on the stage by her mother in one of the scenes of that play. Miss Herne grew up with the play of New Fngland seacoast life, and the impres- sions on her voung mind evidently made her doubly fitted for “Craig’s Wife.” Some one olose to George Kelly must have tipped him off to Miss Herne's fitness for the part, as he insisted on her appearing in his play in his contract with the pro- ducer, and two vears in New York demonstrated his wisdom. IRV]N B. HAMP, who tops the per- manent aggregation appearing in Victor Hyde's musical comedy presen- tations at the Strand Theater, is one of the very few comedians who use the Swedish dialect and do it well. This is only one of Mr. Hemp's talents, for besides doing clever slow-motion dances, using funny dlalects, and creating comical costumes, he is the auther of all comedy dialogue which services Otim Skinner has been a big * contributor, as haz Mr. Rapley. o g i - - is used in the musical comedy presen- tations. a singular situation some years back |- DavIDARMANDI Palace OTIS SKINNER and. JESSIE ROYCE LANDIS - | BerTy DELMONTE Gayety Coming Attractions. NATIONAL—Ziegfeld's “Betsy.” Tuesday evening, December 21, Florenz Zlegfeld's new musical com- edy “Betsy,” with Belle Baker playing the role of Betsy Kitzel will open at the Natlonal Theater. The Kitzel brothers will be portray- ed by Jimmie Hussey, Ralph White- head and Dan Healy. Others in the cast are Allen Kearns, Evelyn Law, Madeline Cameron, Bobby Perkins, Barbara Newberry, Al Shean, Phii Ryley and Vanita La Nier. The book, based on life of the East Side of New York, was written by David Freedman and Irving Caesar, with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. The pro- duction 1s staged by Sammy Lee and the dialogue by Bertram Harrison. “Betsy” is produced under the per. sonal direction of Mr. Ziegfeld. KEITH'S—Eddle Leonard. Manager Robbins announces as his headliner at B. F. Keith's Theater for Christmas week, beginning next Sun- day, the famous minstrel Eddie Leon- ard, who will be surrounded by his new band of musicians, singers and dancers. EARLE—Lottie Mayer's Diving Girls. Heading the bill at the Earle Theater next week, beginning Sun- day afternoon, will be Lottie Mayer's Diving Girls. It is known as the “Bailet ‘Disappearing Act” and comes direct from the New York Hippo- drome, where it has been an outa standing feature of the bill. The photoplay attraction will be Priscilla Dean in “West of Broad- way."” STRAND—"Steppin’ in Soclety.” The Strand’s permanent cast of 32 will appear next "eek in a syncopated ‘musical zomedy, ‘ Cteppin’ in Society,” with 10 scenes that are said to be new and different. Victor Hyde supervised the production and his staff includes Leo Stevens, stage manager, and Irvin B. Hamp, author of the comedy dia- logue. The_three chief jesters are Earl Root, Lew Lewis and Irvin B. Hamp, and the Follies Bergere Girls will again be seen in snappy dance num- bers and acrobatics. Norma_Shearer will be the screen star in !'Upstage,” in which she is seen as a frivolous vaudeville actress. GAYETY—"White Cargo.” “White Cargo,” Lewis Talbot's production of Leon Gordon's gripping drama, will be next week's attraction at the Gayety Theater, opening with Sunday matinee. Christine Cooper will have the role of the half-cast girl, Tondeleyo, and Robert Burns will be seen as Witzel. MUTUAL—Stone and Pillard. At the Mutual Theater next week Stone and Pillard, comedy team, well known in the musical comedy and vaudeville fields, will be featured in their latest burlesque attraction. The Biggest Star The biggest star in pictures appears in “Spangles,” the Universal-Jewel special. The star is feminine, her name is ultana, and she added to the already veighty" cast just about five tons, or ten thousand pounds of flesh and blood—well protected by the pachy- dermic hide of an elephant. Sultana has an “acting” role in the picture, but it is freely predicted that her popularity will never equal that of two other stars who appear—Pat O'Malley and Mirian Nixon. “Spang- dimc(c%b) Frank O'Connor. National Bad Stag_ e Diction. BY OTIS '0 say that the diction of the pres- ent generation of actors and actresses is lamentably bad is merely to glve utterance to a recognized fact. I have recently gone on record for the statement that the modern stage, modern acting and the productions of today are equal and often superior in thoroughness and artistic perfection of detal to those of twenty or twenty- five years ago. But in_justice to the actors of yesterday, I frankly ac- knowledge that they were masters of dlction. They not only understood how to use their volces, but they had, at the same time, a metrical sense which enabled them to carry to the audience the full beauty of blank verse lines. Nowadays the stage is devoted al- most entirely to modern dramas. Blank verse plays are indeed rarities. The one point required of the actor is that he shall appear natural—that he shall seem on the stage what he and every other modern man is on the street; heroics are out of place, to elocute is the unforgiven sin. Consequently, while we have many actors of great talent and absolute knowledge of technique, the speak- ing on the American stage is about as bad as it could be. Your modern actor mumbles under his breath, his inflections are wrong; his use of his voice ignorant and careless; your modern actress, no matter how clever she may be, is affected to the last degree in her speech, The suc- cess of some women of genius on the stage straightway inspires a school of imitators, and the worst faults are more carefully aped than the best qualities of this idol. Then there is a growing tendency to cultivate a British accent. Instead of being satisfled with our own high standards of pronunciation of Eng- lish words, many of our young Amer- fcan actors affect a hybrid pronuncia- tion that is ridiculous in the extreme. And our actresses—particularly some of our leading women—offend even more grievously through their wiliful nesl«-t of the rules of pronunciation and enunciation. In blank verse and poetic drama thie defective elocution is absplutely'| fatal. The actor who can speal Shahkespeare’s words is almost as ex- SKINNER. tinct as the dodo, the buffalo and the Irish wolf hound. - He had his faults, did the old-time Shakespearean actor; he would often tear a passion to tatters, but he had this one virtue—he was invariably dis- tinct, his words would always be heard and his training gave him the power of expressing the beauties of blank verse. 1 recall three men who never have been equaled on our stage for the splendid significance and full value they gave to the lines of Shakespeare. They were Edwin_Booth, James E. Murdoch and E. L. Davenport. It must not be supposed that they were mere elocutionists—mellow, well-toned Attractions In drama. Tomorrow evening. BELASCO—“Sam Abramovitch,” ning. evening. EARLE evening. STRAND—“That’s It,” evening. GAYETY-—“Black and White Re: and evening. NATIONAL~—"The Honor of the Family.” Tomorrow night. that excellent actor, Otis Skinner, will appear at the National Theater in the Charles Frohman production of “The Honor of the Family.” The play is romantic in character, and is a capital vehicle for the display of Mr. Skinner's talents. Here is a meager outline of it: An old bachelor, Rouget, is dominated by his attractive housekeeper, Flora, so entirely that she compels him to per- mit the presence in the house of Max, a young man of whom.she {s enam- ored. She is on the point of getting the old bachelor to make over to her the most of his property—and she plans to marry Max and flee to Paris— when Philippe, the bachelor's nephew, appears. He is a Bonapartist hero, who has served at Waterloo. Philippe admires Flora and proposes to her that he kill Max, while she marries the old uncle, who has not long to live. This is agreed upon and Max 18 slain in a duel by Phil; but Flora's love for Max is 8o great that she em- ploys a servant to assassinate Philippe. The latter, however, is too agile. He slays the servant, expels Flora from the house, and is finally the maker of the establishment. Charles Frohman promises an inter- esting performance and an elaborate production. Assisting Mrs. Skinner are: Robert Harrison, Courtney White, Harry Burkhardt, Willlani I. Clark. ‘Wilson Reynolds, Albert Berg, Edward Butler, William F. Granger, D. V. Deering, Jessie Royce Landis, Eugenle ‘Woodward and Julia Shaw. KEITH'S—"The Bee and the Fox.” The B. F. Keith Theater bill this week, starting this afternoon, will pre- sent two_headline attractions. Harry Fox, popular comedian, with Beatrice Curtis and a company of six attractive girls, will present “The Bee and the Fox,” written by Willle Col- lier, with Harry Gray at the piano. Rosalie Stewart will present Renee Robert and Jay Velie, with Violet Bache and Louise Blackburn, in “Terpsichore and Troubadour,” - with music and lyries by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart. Other attractions will include Bobby Folsom in “Story Songs,” written by Blanche Merrill; the Four Camerons in “Like Father Like Son"; Carr and Parr, English eccentrics, in a dance noveity; Charles Sargent and Burt Lewis in “Laugh Lyrics”; the Four American Aces and Queen in a “flying exhibition” and the Kanazawa trio of Japanese equilibrists, with Aesop's {‘lblelg Topics of the Day and Pathe News. EARLE—Julian Hall's Entertainers. Thd headline attraction at the Earle Theater this week, beginning this aft- ernoon, will be Julian Hall's Enter- tainers in a novelty revue. Addition- al vaudeville acts will include Hall and Dexter in a novel turn, a sketch entitled “Haunted,” alive with com- edy, suspense and mystery; the East- ern Charleston Champions and Bond and Leon in songs. The bill will include the customary house features, with orchestral over- ture, under Floyd C. Wheeler, and KEITH'S —“The Bee and the Fox,"” vaudeville. Julian Hall's Entertainers, vaudeville, musical presentations. Washington Playhouses This Week MUSIC AND DRAMA NATIONAL—Otis Skinner in “The Honor of the Family,” romantic POLI'S—AI Jolson in “Big Boy,” musical comedy. This evening. romantic drama. Tomorrow eve- This afternoon and This afternoon and This affernoon and vue,” burlesque. This afternoon MUTUAL—“The Tempters,” burlesque. This afternoon and evening. Delmonte, prima_ donna;. Mildred Steels, soubretts; Jack Ryan, leading man; Jack Willls, dancer, and Sandy Ackland and his Royal Scots. The colored folk will be led hyv Butterbeans and Susle, phonograph recorders; the Five Crackerjacks, ath- letic dancers, including Florence Par- ham, Octavia Summler, the “Tiger Lady from Harlem"; Louisiana Gulf- port and George Brown, comedians, and Eddie Heywood's Hot Five, In- strumentalists. Scenes incident to the action of the colored program will be “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” in burlesque; “The Cave of Innocence” and demonstrations of the new dancing craze, “The Harlem Stampdown." A speclal chorus of singing and dancing girls will appear with the entire ensemble, and elaborate scenic effects will be a feature. MUTUAL~—"The Tempters.” ““The Tempters” is this week's at- traction at the Mutual Theater, begin- ning with a matinee today. Ed Jordan, comedian, and Elsie Ray- nor, dancer, are the featured members of the cast, which includes Babe Brad- ley, Phillis De Rita, Beth Henderson, Art Mayfield, Leonard Kramer, Joe Mathews and Griff Willlams. The production has 2 acts, 17 scenes, 12 episodes and 6 diversions, with a chorus of 16 pretty girls. GONZAGA OOLLEGE THEATER— ““A Celebrated Case.” The Dramatic Association at Gon- zaga College, Tuesday evening at 8:15 o'clock, will present in the Gonza Collegs Theater a revival of the fi mous old French play, “A Celebrated Case,” by d’Epnery and Cormon, as translated by A. R. Cacaruan. It is a drama in a prologue and four acts, laid in the period of the Restora- tion in France. Many years ago it was given a no- table presentation at the Union Square Theater in New York, with * Charles Coghlan and Agnes Booth in the leading roles. Later it was pre- sented on the road, with Edward Sul- livan and Rose Stahl. ‘The present production is sponsored by a notable list of patrons and pa- tronesses, including the Most Rev. Pietro Fumasini-Biondi, the papal le- gate to the United States; Archbishop M. J. Curley of Baltimore, Bishop Dr. Thomas J. Shahan, rector of the Cath- olic University of America, and Right Rev. Mgr. Dr. C. F. Thomas, Baron and Baroness de Cartier de Marchi- enne, Senators and Representatives in Congress, with Georgetown Univer. sity, Georgetown Preparatory School, Notre Dame Academy and Trinity Col- lege. BURTON HOLMES’ Last Lecture. Burton Holmes will offer as the final topic in his course at the National Theater, Thursday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock, “The Great World Cruise,” in which he is to take his auditor-spec- tators zigzagging up and down both ‘hemispheres, touching all continents and following the Southern Cross to New Zealand and Australia. Leaving New York, his “cruising passengers” will stop first at Ber- muda, thence to Havana, Panama and several South American ports. r pipe organ accompaniments by Alex- ander Arons. The feature photoplay will be “For ‘Wives Only,” featuring Marie Prevost and'John Bowers. STRAND—“That’s It.” Beginning today the Strand The- ater's permanent cast of 22 will ap- pear in a musical comedy entitled “That’s It,” produced by Victor Hyde, with the cast headed by Irvin B. Hamp, comedian. Specialties will be given by Beatrice Jamieson, in solos; Earl Root and Jus- tine Gray, in comedy bits; Lew Lewis, a brief visit to Los Angeles the cruise is continued to Hawail and finally to Japan. Following the visit to Japan will come Korea, China, Philippine Islands, New Zealand, Australia, the Straits Settlements, India, Burma, Egypt and Italy before returning to New York. Burton Holmes has been around the world five times—always camera in hand. Thus he is able to present by means of his still and motion pictures the infinitely varied scenes which de- light the globe trotter who makes the “great world cruise” in this new way. JANET RICHARDS TOMORROW. in slow motion dances, and Rush and Butler, in peppy songs and dances. The Follies Bergers Girls will intr duce more snappy dances, catchy tunes and aerial feats. ‘The screen attr: lon will be “Span- gles,” Nellie Revell's.thrilling story of the circus. The cast includes Marion Nixon, Pat O'Malley, Hobart Bos- worth, Gladys Blockwell and the en- tire Al G. Barnes’ circus, composed of wild anim acrobats, lions, tigers and clowns. The picture is said to truly portray the thrills and glamour of life under the “big tops.” GAYETY—"Black and White Revue.” Jimmie Cooper brings his ‘‘Black and White Revue” to the Gayety Theater this week, opening today, with 70. players—divided equally between white ~and colored, with Jimmie Cooper in person, dispensing his line of “sales talk,” alded by Chuck Wil- son. ©Others in the first half are Betty Do Not Refle phonographs. They were not only masters of diction, but they gave the impress of thelr personality to the character they assumed. *What Price Glory" Coming EW YORK has taken to the motion picture of “What Price Glory” just as it did to the play. Pro- duced with a fine cast by Fox and directed by Raoul Walsh, it jumped right into the lead of show business and is in for an indefinite stay at the Sam H. Harris Theater. Road companies are being organized and it will be seen in Washington after the holidays. It will come here as a regular theatrical organization, with enlarged orchestra, stage crews and all the effect and auxiliaries that g0 to making up the presentation of a master pictyre. In the fllming of ‘“What Price Glory” the director has made grim war his background and thrown against it in high and hilarious com- tedy all of the play and humor that came to the men along with the hai ships and grime of the soldier. It is crowded with laughs and thrills and the love interest has been made ap- pealing with more sentiment than in the play,. Victor McLeaglen is Capt. | Flagg afd Edmund Lowe the Sergt. Quirt, wh Dolores del Rio gives Iwond eharm to the part of Char- ma‘fle. NEW YORK, December 11 () — Rehearsals, whether of opera, musical comedy or motion picture, are engross- ing work, lacking the glamour that audiences associate with stage life. They are businesslike affairs, dur- ing which the artists and directors lprlrsnfly forget all else. Even noises of mechanical activities that give the stage the appearance of a workshop are little heeded, except in the opera rehearsal, when ears are attuned to musical notes that must be faithfully executed. Visitors are distracting and there- fore barred. But here is an idea of what takes place. In the center of a stage a comedian 18 going through his “business.” Sud. denly a cue is given and a young ma starts pounding a melody out of a pilano. A dozen girls In working clothes—dresses, bathing suits er cos- tumes that look like rompers—dance onto the stage, followed by the chorus men, automatically smiling, and begin singin chorus smiles its way out and the comedian picks up his antics and pat- ter where he left off. It i{s a musical comedy company hard at work. The members of the cast are seriously alert while they are are on the stage, but when awaiting lb";:l'l"" turn in the wings they appear Property men and mechanics mean- while are moving scenery and ham- Miss Janet Richards will give her usual weekly talk on publio questions tomorrow morning at 10:50 o'clock in the New Masonic Temple, Thir- teenth street and New York avenue. In thess weekly reviews of the vital questions of the hour Miss Richards touches upon the high lights in the world's work for the preceding week, clarifying many knotty ques- tions and {llustrating the geographic settings of great events by the use of large maps. WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT— Toms 10rTOW. High points In the President's mes- sage, the outstanding work of Con- gress, leading events elsewhers in America and the ression of the League of Nations Council will be covered by Willlam Rufus Scott tomorrow morn- ing at 11 o'clock in his weekly cur- rent events lecture at Rauscher’s. The Conference on the Cause and Cure of War also will be reviewed. ct Stage Life. hearsal, however, are oblivious of the noise. Some blocks away grand opera Is being rehearsed under different con- ditions. On the stage a duet is being sung. Workmen are shifting scenery and properties, arranging the lights and performing other mechanical tasks. But their movements are quiet and the nolse of their labor is muffled. “Shhh! Shhh!" the stage director hisses and the indiscreet blows of a hammer cease. Then the director turns a dark look on the chorus crowded in the wings and the under- tone of conversation in several lan- guages subsides. Artistic tempera- ment is not ruffled by any unneces- sary disturbances. Ag:m the city scenes are being re- hea in a motion picture studio. A small orchestra of stringed instru- ments is playing a throbbing pféce. The villain walks onto the set And harasses the heroine. In diffei®nt parts of the studio carpenters are working industriously . and noisily. Just off the set are actors and extras waiting to be called. They, too, find it irksome business as they talk in low tones, read or stroll about aimlessly. RS Pt e A paragraph¥rom a Berlin paper, in discussing the current production of Wedekind's “Erdgeist” in New York, dwells with some horror on the ver- sion which translated the tragedy as “The Loves of Lulu.” “This will un- * mering away at some bit of carpentry. The fe who n‘ intent upon the re- | adds, doubtedly make Wedekind impossibl in America for years to come,” ll. . A