Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-08
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE DRAMA.

a Wild, Farcial COnceit at the Opera House.
One of the most thoroughly mirth-pro-
voking performances that has been wit
messed in Fulton opera house in a long
while was that presented there last even
ing, when a company, fresh and funny,
from the Madison Square theatre, New
York, presented tho new alleged comedy
entitled "The Professor" before bril-
liant audience that quite crowded the house
and that was kept in an almost con-
slant state of explosive merriment during
the four acts that comprise the piece,
with only hero and there a momentary
intermssion to make way for CLEAN Of
pathos with which the author has succeed
ed in touching up this astonishing produc.
tion. They call it comedy, but more
liberal license was never asked nor taken
in the widest flight of farcical conceit, so
far at least as regards the disor.
ganized arrangement of the Incl
dents, their ludicrous character through
out, and the utter impossibility
of tho existence of the chief actors
in them. The piece was written to make
laughter, and in that design the author has
scored pronounced success. The Profess
sor, a preposterous person, is the centre of
pkCpOoICIOuo ClLCl0 0IOuAu W AOA 4CSOAVO
q number of preposterous young maidens
and men who perform the most preposter-
GUS actions, with corresponding prepos-
the maidens severally and separately
in the most preposterous fashion, consider
ing that he has reached the age of forty
one years, "though he night just as well
make it thirty-nine," and the action lies
-: ALo IL ~ xI,,,c
by the verdant Romeo. Withal there is a
vein of romance and of human interest
pervading the whole, in the story of Daisy
Broun, and the performance actually ar
rives at dramatic climax, when one of
these pIeposterous personages transforms
himself into detective, badge and all,
and lays the strong hand of the law on the
heavy villain, who has been smuggled into
the piece, in order that it may not be
without the proper moral effect of illus
trating the reward Of virtue, and the
stern retribution that we are taught to be,
lieve is bound to overtake crime.
The cast is capital. Mr.. Lacy plays the
title role and gives unique characterize.
tion !; his acting is marked by an artistic
finish and clevernesss of execution that
serve to develop in marked degree the
singular humor of the part. Miss Morant
is a vivacious young woman with re-
markable laugh the top note Of which
never failed to evoke roar from the audi
ence. and her entire performance was OF
the funniest sort imaginable. The other
ladies and gentlemen Of the cast answered
all the requirements of their respcc.
tive parts in the most satisfactory
style. But tho ono who fixed
herself firm in tho affections Of the au.
dience was Miss Belle jackson, who in the
part of Daisy Broun, interesting and in
genuous, contributed such an admirable
foil to the senseless performances of the
other people, and whose sweet face, child
ish voice and simple manner swept be
times over the audience at the termination
of some period of uproarious mirth like q
breath of the fresh and fragrant flowers oi
her native woods.
The general mounting and the scenic
effects throughout the performance were
exceptionally fine, while the songs inter
jected by the male quartet at several
points were nicely rendered and generously
applauded.