Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-10
At THE THEATERs.
A Gold Nline-CIarn Morris Rerurn-Othel
Attractions,

A Gold Mine-CIarn Morris Return-Other
Attractions.
There can be no question Of the popular sue
cess of Mr.. Nat @. Goodwin and his brilliant
company in the new comedy "a Gold Mine"
which was produced at the Grand Opera House
last night. a large and most appreciatiYe
audience laughed heartily the whole evening,
and applauded both play and players gener-
ously. And it may be said in the first place,
that Nat Goodwin shows in the choice of "A
Gold Mine" as his play and in his impersona-
tion of leading character therein. tremend-
GUS advance upon such worthless trash as
Turned Up" and the vulgar and offensive un-
dertaker. The step forward is unmistakable,
and as THE DISPATCH last year urged Mr..
Goodwin to it, we applaud it.
"a Gold Minen is one of the latest additions
to the swelling list of American plays. Itisa
comedy in three acts by Messrs. Brands
Mathews and George h. Jessop. The story is
OF the simplest character. Silas K. Woolcot,
OF Grass Valley, California, visits England with
view to selling gold mine. Hemeets an En-
glish widow in London, or rather on a train
flying thither, falls in love with her, and gains
an introduction by chance to her in the house
OF her brother, to whom he is trying to
sell his mine The American and the
English widow clash at first The
former, however, wins her over to his side by
helping her nephew out of a financial hole
Woolcot to DO this sacrifices his mine to the
widows brother for the exact sum needed for
the erring youths salvation. The English
widow with entirely unnatural acuteness OBJ
tains the mine from her brother, and when
Wooicot in due time proposes she gives him
back his mine. All the other details of the
play are auxiliary merely to the story
MI. Goodwin, as W0oLcot gives us an Ameri-
can ot no extraordinary elevation, but an
american all the same, Yankee of positive
character, shrewdness and warm heart. For
the most part Mr.. Goodwin has laid aside his
welI-known mannerisms reserYing only ten
dency to wink at the audience and to open and
smut sn, his mouth with snap His comedy is ex-
eellent, and the truth and tenderness of his
patnos In the recital of wild brothers tragic
history make that incident the brightest
Jewel In the play There is a deal of
sparkle and dash in the first two acts and ma
tuFally Mr.. Goodwin shines in the interchange
OF savage repartee with the charming widow
The charm of Mr.. Goodwin's lovemaking in the
last act is largely its novelty. Nobody ever
knew, we fancy, man-to offer his heart to a
grown woman in such fashion. We takeit
that 1t is high compliment to Mr. Goodwin's
art TO say that he made that love scene appear
natural. To take Mr. GoodWin's work In de-
tai is neither possible now nor fair to the very
clever actors who played with him.
The fact is that one of "a Gold Mipe'sD
greatest merits is the number of good parts it
contains. The star has no field to himself in
terlzatlon is Mr. Paul Arthur's as Home Rule
M ?. and journalist Rarely indeed does any
one attempt to portray an Irish gentleman
upon tne stage, and rarer still is there a sue
eessful portrayal. Mr.. Arthur gives us an Irish
gentleman as we have known him: a generous
courtly, spirited and very eloquent Creature
about the best friend man can have in a
pinch, and prince of good fellows when
goose hangs high You don't wonder for a |
minute that the impulsive little golden-haired |
ttngenge, Una Fo1sgood. falls in love with |
Gerald Riordan, N. 2. He can make love like |
a house af1re, and coin compliments faster that |
the United States Treasury can great ugly
silver dollars. And this little tngenue, Miss |
Una Fo1l0ood, what gracious Illuminated pic |
ture OF g1rlhood Miss Mae Durfee makes Of |
ner! There is hardly time enough in the play |
to get a satisfying vision of her. The little |
touches Of force and feeling which accentuate |
tne maidens part were admirably dealt by |
Miss Durfee
Miss Isabella Coe as the widow who first |
lights, then admires and last loves the Ameri- |
can was cnarming-you can't apply another |
Word TO such tempting glimpse at widow |
aooo ID lts warllKe and yielding models. Her |
Ups were as ready to shoot sarcasms as tender |
words of love-though the epigrams predomi- |
1ated, and better ones at that. A clever study |
also was Mrs. Cecile Rush's presentment of |
,etlrea acgress-a great juliet in her day. Mr.. |
John II. Browne and, indeed; all the COMPANY
syen the too stiH and pompous city baronet |
Nj. 1nce-deserve praise. The scenery from
,nough.
By way Of summing up we may say that "a
iold Mine' would be great comedy if all of
were as strong as the second act il the plot
Fhlch makes good woman swindle her
,rother-even il he be a swindler-were
hanged 80 as to avoid this absurd inconsist-
ney. The dialogue is always bright; the wit is
Ilmost too abundant and to supply all of IT
omebody, authors or actor, has been led to
'ilfer epigrams and bon mots. Take it all in 4
IL it is a play well worth paying good price to
ee and Mr.. Goodwin and his company are to
'e congratulated on their capital work.