Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-10
FROM FUN TO FURY.
Mr.. Wilkinson'S Widows Make
Things Very Lively While
THE FIRE PATROL is REALISTIC.
The Clemenceau Case and the Other
Attractions offered Here.
HOW ALL WERE RECEIVED LAST NIGHT

Mr. Wilkinson was bigamist, but neithe,
wife knew Of the others existence till afte,
his death, till in fact they had married
again. How he kept up the two establish.
ments and provided for two young and
pretty wives Is not explained very def
niteiy, but such things have been done in
real life and the complications resulting
J from such dual existence have been used
before with good effect in farcical comedy.
Last night at the Alvin Theater "Mr. Will
kinson's Widows" as they we're after
they had exchanged the funereal crepe for
bridal colors made two hours fly very quick
ly amid roars of laughter. The story of this
amusing trifle, which is an adaptation from
the French of Alexander Bisson by William
Gillette, is not to be told off-hand or in less
than column, so that the merest outline
must suffice here. The widows of Mr. Will
kinson have married again and by strange
chance are living in the same apartments
house in London when the play begins.
Ma are ans Engss ana ocsr s nq0 r9
China and drops In to see his friend Perrin,
and to him confides the story of his f1irta-
ton with certain Mrs. Wilkinson,
n9 pe1 he umps bears to is the now sonVHsos TiaGw
at once that this is his wife, and becomes
desperately jealous. Mrs Perrin discover
AHS Ulll COnCrdcueQ Dy the wicked w llkln'
son. whom she revered as saint, for jew
elry, the bill being made out to Perrin also
grows jealous. The ENHANCEMENT and con-
fusion which follows is most ingeniously
contrlved, so that gross fmposstbilities seem
1or the moment almost probable. Unlike
most farces of this sort 1t Is weakest not at
the end, In the unraveling; but in the middle
eh Mhere tine pict should reach crisis, it is
habbJ and fiat. The first and last acts con-
tain good deal of pure comedy, and are
bright and sparkling for the most part. The
center is weak chiefly because the play
degenerates into slap-stick clowning there.
Yet the play, in spite of the tire
some repetition of burlesque business
around the dinner table, is full of laughter.
and a. like "Jane,' which it resembles greatly
In style, it is not too long.
But the acting makes after all about two
thirds of the fun. 1t is capital company
mat CHARLES Frohman has got together.
school-the school that can make more
laughter with the lifting of an eyebrow or
the accenting of word that your clown can
cause with double somersault and a bag of
Hour So good was Mr.. Holland at depicting
husband distracted by his first Jealous
pangs that one wished he had more sim
Gereiy human character to play. Mrs George
Drew Barrymore lent her striking per-
sonality and aggressive humor to one of the
WIDOWS, and as Mrs Perrin was responsible
for great deal of laughter. The beauty
and daintiness of Emily Bancker made the
kinson's good taste. Thomas Burns gave
quaint and quietly original individuality to
the Mator who puts his foot in it,"
though the squeaky. upward infection of his
voice perhaps suggested Stuart Robson too
much. A thoroughly new Irish servant, new
on the stage, though fairly familiar in pri-
yate life, was very cleverly presented by
Miss Matte Ferguson. Miss Fergusons
creation was funniest when nearest ma ture,
when. for instance, she stood staring at her
mistress wish open-mouthed wonder. On the
other hand Miss Annie Wood made
hv
GUS makeup and broadly farcical antics.
Miss Adelaide Grey, whose home is in this
city, made modest but very satisfactory
with exquisite taste in two handsome inte-
riors. A large audience laughed at most of
the play heartily.