Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-11-30
THINGSTHEATRICAL
TWO NEW FEATURES IN THE DRAMATIC
LIFE OF NEW YORK.
LEND Nc Your Wifi" and AFTER Thoughts" are
Given with Success Mrs. Booth in New
Rols-General Gossip About
Plays and the Actors
on the Stage

h0le-deneral uoSSlp AoVul
Plays and the Actors
on the Stage.
New YORK, November 29.-There
was little in the theatres to disturb the
blissful calm of the critics this week
but new play at the Star and an old
play, revamped, in Brooklyn.
"Lend Me Your Wife," the old play,
is rollicking farce, which fifty years
ago would have been hugely popular.
The humor of the French piece, from
which it has been stolen, has not been
wholly lost in the process OF translation.
Nor need the fact seem strange, for
among the half dozen writer's who have
had hack at the farce was one who
exceled all other playwrights at adapt
ing. refer, of course, TO Dion Bouci-
cault
To Ernest Warren, however, belongs
most of the credit attached to this ''ar-
rangement from the French" as it is
called. His version was performed in
London, whence it was transplanted to
Boston few months ago. Dion Bouci-
cault revised and ''localized" the trifle,
writing in small part and remaining
some characters. Then Mr.. William Sey-
mour had shy at it, and lastly MIR. sgd
ney Rosenfeld, patcher-up-in-ordinary to
the stage of America, seems to have re-
shaped the last act and developed the
idea of the hero's claim.
is n slit tho carinn= Don VI n n A. al
in THE Senator" the claim of Captain
Tarbox in LEND Me Your Wife" is
amusing. Old Tarbox once had a rot
ten scow sunk by the English. He has
valued his loss at $4,000.
He has promised his daughters hand
TO Mr.. Funnibone on condition that
that worthy shall get the powers that
be in Washington to pass his claim.
In the last act Mr.. Funnibone arrives
with the news that at length he has ef-
fected his object.
''The claim has passed. he cries,
burlesquing Mr.. Rivers.
"Forty thousand dollars says Tar
box. MY daughter is yours!'
But on reading the despatch which
brought the news of his success he finds
that he will only get seventeen dollars
and sixty cents. So that his joy gives
way to fury: he elects Mr.. Funnibone
and bestows his daughters hand upon
his nephew, Dick Easily.
In the earlier part of Lend Me Your
Wife" Dick has been palming off his
friend Tom Bunting's spouse as his
own, Toms baby as his own baby, and
Toms father-in-law as the minister who
had baptized the child. These substi-
tutions were required TO delude the
Captain, who had sworn that unless his
nephew was welded when he met him,
he would cut him off with Il quarter.
The complications which grow out of
the original deceit are droll at first Bat
they become tedious ere long. for the
adapters repeat their jokes and lengthen
out their business" I'D ndusedm.
There is just fun enough in the plot
TO fill one-act comedietta. The only
really humorous part is that of Blunt
ing's father-in-law, and we had seen
something very like him quite lately in
Carl Lauf's farce, "Bin Toller Entail,
A fugacious tritle entitled after
Thoughts" was given its first presenta-
ton the other evening at the Madison
Square Theatre. 1t comes from the
quill of Mr.. Augustus Pollack, and
served as a curtain raiser for "A Pair OF
Spectacles." 1t is merelya dialogue be
tween Mrs. Frank" Fairfield and Don
aid Barclay, in which they relate 4 pc
cular Irritation that was carried on be-
tween them some eight years before The
rise of the curtain.
Mrs. Fairchild at that time was 1
widow OF twenty-eight. Barclay was
few years her junior. ''Glve me on'
year, just one year, out of your lresl
Young life" the widow had said TO him
and as she was very charming crea
ture Barclay naturally accepted thu
offer.
1t seemed they lived in a communit,
of goSSiping tabbies, and their idylli
companionship aroused so much com
ment of blame that the widow babe he
boyish sweetheart to kiss her hand ant
20. He went out into the cold, cole
world. and by the time he again meet
the widow they are older by eight years
In the meantime-as the widow hersel
admits-her figure has lost some Of ii
girlish outline: he has met and fanciet
a nineteen-year-od miss, who, in Mr.
Thomas play, assumes merely think
ing role. That is, she doesn't appear
she only is talked about.
Barclay has a bit Of quarrel with MI
new love and concludes that after all h
would rather marry the widow. Whei
he comes to plead his suit they fall intC
romantic remniscenSeS-after thoughts
Mrs. Fairfield finally persuadeS Bar
CLAY that it is more meet for him to wee
his budding fdncee than to join his nc
to one whose hair will be white, or al
most white, when he is still in the bloom
of manhood. He protests that ms
fdnccc is light and frivolous; that she
will be void in his intellectual life.
To this the widow replies, Marriage
may be happy without Lindley Murray
and Copcrnicus," which | think no one
will deny.
Then she helps him on with his lnver-
ness, hearkenS to the cab roll away.
turns down the lights, throws herself
on chair that faces the glowing
hearthpace and sobs convulSvely until
the curtain falls.
Mrs. Agnes Booth presented salts
factory portrayal of Mrs. Fairfield,
though her work lacked its wonted in
tensity and richness of detail.