, 1872-12-22
" FUN" At H0OLEYS,

| hA14 LIZ fC4J S1Ss4 ~ oc6 Iuu.
"FUN" At AooLEYs.
! 10 the Editor or The Chicago Tribune:
Sm: Mr. Hooloy, in starting his tleatre, ha.
simply upon his stock company, and to diBpens.
entirely with tho aid Of ''stars." It is unnecos
sary to so into tho merits Of these riya
eystems, each Of which has it's advantages
This practice Of ''starring" enables the lover!
OF the theatre to SEQ great actors, who woult
otherwise be apt to remain within the confne.
Of particular cities, but, nt tho same timo it in
duces managers to make the 81 stars" tho whole
attraction Of their places Of amusement, and tt
make up their companies Of undcr-paid and poo,
actors. It is, indeed, sometimes the case thai
"stara" Of the second magnitude decline to play
at theatres where . really good stocA
company is employed, fearing, g,-and not without
reason,-lest comparison might show that they
themselves wore not such brilliant lu1ninariea
after all. They want foils, not efficient support
ors. They wish to be the sole attraction. The
actor Of unquestioned eninence does not think
thus, feeling that his own acting appears to
more general advantage when he is
well, than when he is poorly,
supported. So s1nanaSers. finding it
is the "star" Tat draws, perceive
they can make more money with q cheap than d
good stock company, and a theatre-goer finds
himself in tho position Of man invited to q
grand dinner, where the vcnison is admirable,
but ali the other dishes arc detcstable. Tho
highest point Of excellence ia attained By get
ting q good 'tstar" and good
general company. Next to that, in
an artistic point of view, unquestionaby,
comes o good stoca-company without 'stars, ~
wheEo, while the entertainment may not be- on d
magnificent scale, yet it is neat, comfortable,
and uniform. OF course, however, in every
company there must bo poer actora-at least in
subordinate positions. They are learning their
trade, and arc to bo dealt with yery tolerantly,
except when they are in positions which they arc
utterly incompetent to fill.
AIr. Hooley, then, has abjured s'starB," and
decided to lot his company stand on its own
merits. and for that he deserves credit. It
must also bo remembered that he began Into in
the year, when most actors had already made
engagements, aud that, II his material is, per-
haps, poor in some points, it may bo owing to
the fact that hfa opportunities OF making selec-
tons we're limited.
Tho play Of <s Fun" which has amused the
public week, is one which plainly shows tho
crude md imperfect work of a noTico, It is q
succession Of entertaining scenes, fashioned to-
gcthor without skill It might have been tho
production Of several hands, zach one eontribnt-
ing an ast, and leaving it to so1ne individual
to mako c sort Of connection betweon them. As
for the dialogue, it amounts to nothing. Tho
plot is briefly as follows: On the morning Of
ilr. Bankstock's wedding day, ,whilo he is driving
in the Park, his horse chews up the jockey
trimmed NJ bonnet OF come 19 nakn9En ady Soon
her cousin, Maiiland, and demands that Mr.
BanAstoct shall replace the bonnet. so Chat it's
disappearanca may not excite the suspiciong OF
Bentssock, tho bridal party enters, and he is
forced to hide Ills visitors in separate rooms.
Pleading an engagement at . bank, he rushes
off to millinery store to get the bonnet, With
9Ea 9at which Mrs 1sns swesrs she will not leave
rho bridal party finds its wa; wav
into the store, whom the bookkocper. QutN, is
mistaken for Justice Of The Peace, and is
hunted up md down hy Pigs. the father-in-lau,
groom tina. ho can fnd the bonnet he wants at
AIRS. Dooiiuies. He goes there, ia mistaken for
signor Mario, and, accepting the situation,
claims as q reward for his services tho bonnet.
1Ad AAtIEl-4u-1S.H AAu LIS CIONu 1QilCN Qlu even
c thSfs and get hsDpX 7, on Ire tho n,os
guests. 1t last Bankstocs fnds 9'*>'tS out
lhat the bonnet had boon given by Hrs. Doolaue
10 her niece, Nrs: Jenkins Ignorant TINT this ia
The lady whose bonnet lie destroyed, he calls
y tho house, and finds M': Jer,h:ins, tie jealous
husband, who learns from him that his wife is at
BankstocIs 5 house. The weddin.-party intcudo
ae:e a1so. At LAST. Diggs and his escort so to
house, force their way in, and at-
hey are pitching them out OF tho window, d box
3ucst open and reveals o bonnet. BQnkstock,
rho comes up just then, Identifies it.
t is the one he is in search Of, and sent a
he party, and carry them of, bu: Ba,ahstocl;
ucceods in delivering tho bonnet to Mrs Je71~
;i,s in time to save her from her husbands ans-
'icions, and tho curtain drops with probability
hat tho long-delayod marriage will soon take |
,laco. !
1t will be seen tha. tho play is inartis-
ic and full of palpable and unnecessary |
bsurdities. Tho author, too, las ro- /
orted to some rather coarhe situations to
xcite laugh,-auch Us tho nppearance
or Miss JOHNSON, like AIRS Dshn, g Fairly pnts
er characters to bed" There aro several other
hings OF this kind which had better have been |
mitted; aod the entire play should have been |
eF1sed by somo one who is no! novice at tho |
uainesE.
This play, With it's many imperfections, still
olds out great opportunities to . smart and
vely motor. It is unnecessary for him to know
is lines. He may improvise whole scenes, pro-
ided only that be furnishes something as ANUS
1g as his original. The authoress may tear her
air aud scream over tho way in which her pro-
uction is nltercd, but, to tho public,
is r mntter of perfect uncon-
ezn. They want to hear the best
ming TINT they can, and they do not, and should
OF, care whether tho actor or tho playwright is |
ne author. There is no reason why IN actor
hould throw away fair opportunity for q local
l1usion or hit, so that it is not dragged in By
1e ears. It is true TINT not all actors, like John
rougham, can make up their parts as they go
long, limited only by tho necessities Of the sit
atom but if any one Of A1r. Hooley's company
IN, here ia the place for him to trY
imself. Tho opportunity has been neglected,
oweyer. The only local references are the old
,Jle oHes, to nit: Calumet Judge Banyon, the
ridewel and the Black Maria, and they arc not
orkod in very happily, but look az it they uero
.steued On rs With nail.
Er. John Dillon, who takes tho part Of Bank
ock, is the principal feature OF this PLAY, not
erely bocsuse he has the best character, but
scauEe he nakos the most out OF his part.
hich, generally speaking, the other actors fail
do. fature did much for AIr. Dillon when she
sso him, in perfection, the art of making
TUA-- H. L. =