St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-10
FOOTLIGHT NOTES.

The amusement event par excellence for
this week is the lecture Thursday night by
that gifted orator, Col. Robert G.. Ingersol
Col. Ingersoll had practically quilted the lee
ture field, but he was prevailed upon to give
just one more on Shakespeare, and when it
was heard it created such furor that he has
had no rest since. 1t is the most bril- liant
and magnetic even of his series of wonderful
lectures, and it is expected that next Thurs
day night will see the Peoples church
packed TO the doors. Shakespeare and His
Creations is the theme of the lecture The
thousands of people whose religious views
prevented their hearing Ingersoll before will
be gled to know of this opportunity OF listen
ing to the worlds greatest orator. The sale
of reserved seats will begin at Dyer's music
store Tuesday.
II
Laughter and sunshine are a good alike in
their effects upon human nature A man
who would quarrel with honest mirth is
negative quantity in life, apt to chill the
happiness. if not growth, of all around him.
William Gillette Is useful believer in the
virtue of good cheer. and in the private
Secretary and ''All the Comforts of Home
he has illustrated the faith within him. to
the great joy of all playgoers. The laughing
charms of the Private Sc cretary'' have been
revealed in ST. Paul several times, and al
ways with conspicuous pleasure and success
Next Monday night. at the new Metropolitan
theater, the companion to the Jolly ''Secre-
tary' is to be presented for our enjoy
ment the first time. The original pro-
ductiOn in New York found instant
favor and induced q glorious success In
San Francisco recently the play was received
with enthusiasm for four weeks, and is re-
corded as the most successful legitimate
farce-comedy ever played in that city.
In brief and fact, "All the Comforts of
Home is big light comedy success, and
the company Charles Frohman has brought
together to exploit its jolly features has cap
tvated the critics to a marked degree. The
humOr of the piece is said to be singuarly
quaint and catching. and the rushing incl
dents and humorous situations grow more
and more laughter-compelling as the play
progresses. Among its most enjoyable char
acters is gay and susceptible old fellow.
whose life is made alternately glad and
sad by the fitting presence of an
aggressive and roost-ruling wife. The
central figure of the story is dashfng young
American, who takes advantage of The un-
cle's absence and seeks to raise needed
money by advertising his relatives rooms to
let with all the comforts of home" This
crooked advice OF the impecunious young
blade brings together an odd assortment of
home hunting mortals, and starts series of
hates and loves and amusing mishaps that
keeps everybody i'll a perpetual roar. Rob
ert Hillard, long the beau ideal of the fair
sex in New York, here, and almost every
where else.appears as the scheming nephew,
who precipitates all the mockery and frolic.
i
WhnO Thnnoae r Addison onpoai,,oJ ar,l
wrote Grimes Cellar Door, which opens at
the Grand tonight for a week, he had in
mind the peculiar abilities of James b.
Mackie, who will be seen as the star therein.
and the character of Billy Grimes, an imp of
mischief was fitted in and to Mr. Mackie.
There is little that can be said by way of ex-
planning the plot of farce comedy.as by this
time it has pretty generally become under
stood that a plot is not essential to the
playwright who constructs the farce comedy.
and it is no exception to the general rule in
Grimes Cellar Door, and its synopsis will
probably be as complete as any, Eoae it simply
written a string of absurdities with but slight
relation to the theme held together bv
series of catchy songs, dances and bright mu-
sic. In fact, this might answer as a descrip
ton Of most all of the present day successful
farce comedy skits 1t is said to be funny in
its complications and situations, and its en-.
tire three acts is quick in action,
and hilarious in the general ten
dency of their lines. James B. Mackie,
who will, no doubt, be remembered here as
the original Grimes in "A Bunch of KEYS"
will be seen for the first time as a star in this
city i'll the character of Billy Grimes, as
above mentioned, and it is to his good work
that great measure of the success and
merry fun of the play can be accredited: but
be is not alone in the good work, as the COM
pany embraces Louise Sanford and q number
of other talented fun creators, who will be
heard in merry songs and seen in some new