The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-11-04
THE TWO DROMIos.


In speaking of last evenings entertain
ment at the opera house comparisons wit
comedy of the modern type would not onl
be odious, but would be manifestly out o
place. In the make up of our amusemen
world the Shakspearian comedy is com
paratively unknown quantity Wher
THE Comedy of Errors was written we
can imagine its distinguished author. la
Artemus Ward, with one leg thrown over
| the arm of his chair laughing softly to
himself as character and comical situation
were slowly evolved from his Inner con-
| sciousness, and much is also left to the
modern time imagination in considering
the effect of the play on an audience in
Shakspeares day. Everybody convulsed
with laughter as the panorama of whimsi-
cality and drollery slowly unrolled upon
the 7x9 stage of the dramatic past
But things have changed since
Hannah died" and it must be conceded
that the player, or company of players,
who can entertain an audience of the pres
ent day acceptaoly with comedy of
Shakespeare's creation, a comedy of a
dead or dying dramatic age, must, indeed,
be of extraordinary mold. But Stuart
Robson and VIII Crane are fully equal to
any dramatic requirement and as THE
Two DrOmios, they seem to be as COM
petent to meet the disposition of the most
exacting as in any of their modern com
edies, such as The Bachelors" eSharps
and Flats or their newest one known as
I'D. A NJ"
In point of quality, as well as numbers,
the audience of last evening was fully
equal to tina: which turned out on
Tuesday evening to see and
hear Mary Anderson Unfortunate
ly, however, there were t"slow coaches"
which rumbled in after the curtain rose |
upon the amusing comedietta of Two can |
Play at that Game. quite to the indignation |
of the large majority If people who were in
their seats on time. There's a remedy for |
this and the ARGUS would suggest to Mr. |
Harper the adoption of the church plan. it
is this: We all know it is
customary for church goers to tarry in the
if they happen to arrive at the
church during prayer. On the same
principle if people will contrive to reach
he theatre after the curtain has gone I'D
hey should not be permitted to annoy
hose who are in on time by tramping
Town the aisles and frequently compelling
! half dozen, or more, people to rise, push
off FL. |
N opportunity of reaching their seats.
The whole thing is an unmitigated nuisance
nut like other nuisances could be abolished
y compelling the late corners to wait in
he area, in the rear of the dress circle, till
he going down of the curtain. Severe
diseases require heroic remedies the world
yer.
But to the play. Robson & Crane man
ge to extract every ounce of fun out of ;
The Comedy of Errors" that it contains. s
nd when little Interpolation seems neces-
airy to increase the merriment it is put in
o deity as to disarm adverse criticism. ,
nd always enhances the interest in the !
lay. We can all see that without these
wo extremely clever comedians it would /. .
e difficult, indeed for the average audi :
nee to regard even this master stroke of | [
hakspeare in the realm of comedy with 4
nything approaching favor. The real fun
the play. as whole, springs more from
0mic action than from the reading of the G
mes. And this combined with Cranes
onderful facial contortions, (Which have
wen him the reputation of being the best
.umpty Dumpty on the American stage
nee the death of poor Fox.) are amply a
Efficient to keep the audience in the best 9
humor.
While Robson is f1rst-class actor in the
line which has rendered him
meus, Crane is by far the better come b
an. In addition to taking the best of
ire of his own "stage business" he is =
'mpelled to closely initiate Robson's :,
Iusaky delivery and TO keep this con- A