The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-25
A BENEFIT FOR THE ELKS.
AFTER The Ball" to be Played Next
Monday Night.

The Performance Given for the Char
ity Fund of the Savannah Lodge
The First Elks Benefit Ever Given
in Savannah-A Custom That Pre-
walls Wherever Elkdom is Known.
1t was decided at a meeting of the
Elks last night to give benefit for the
charity fund of the Savannah lodge of
that order, and for this purpose they
made arrangements to secure next Mon
day night Bob Graham, who will be re-
membered here as Gen. Knickerbocker in
the Little Tycoon, and also as Larry the
Lord.
This will be the first time since the
establishment of the order in Savannah,
years ago, that the Elks have given a
benefit entertainment
This order is peculiar, in that it is the
only one in existence that dispenSes char
ity among outsiders as well as among its
own members. Bob Graham and his new
play, After the Ball" have been secured
for the first benefit to be given by the
Elks in Savannah. 1t is generally Gus
tomary with the different lodges of the
order to give an annual benefit, but this
will be the first to be given in Savannah,
and liberal patronage should be given it,
OF Mr.. Graham and his new production
the Baltimore News of Sept. 4, says:
''There is so much that is clever and
ingenious in After the Bali, that it is
a wonder some one did not make use of
the French original before. Gillette or
Clyde Fitch would have found in it ma
terial suited to their peculiar talents, but
they could not have made a smoother
adaptation than that which Graham uses.
In the original, there was evidently con-
siderable spice, which, in Graham's YER
sion, has been carefully toned down. The
undressing scene in the first act sent
nervous thrill through the house on the
first night, and some of the ladies looked
in frightened way in the direction of
the door, as if they meditated flight, and
there was some anxiety when the star be-
gan to remove his shoes and suspenders.
But happily, the dramatist always knows
when to stop, and the apprehension sub
sided.
"After Monday night, of course, there
was no great alarm or agitation, as it had
become generally understood about town
how far the process of disrobing reached.
The action of the play is maintained very
iugeniOusly, and the situations arise
naturally and increase the interest. In
works of this character, there are no
playwrights like the French. Compare
with their artistically constructed farces,
the farce comedies Of which there is such
a plethora at present-the latter point
less, inane, stupid and without rhyme or
reason, the former telling bright story
in witty lines, through humorous compli-
cations with laughable stage business,
and the whole eliminating IN an artistic
climax. The treatment of the second act
in Graham's play is study in dramatic
writing-the skill in which the same Incl
dents-the dinner-the wall paper and
the smoking cap-are repeated and made
extravagantly funny. The whole is a
farce of the highest order, as done by
Frenchman. The acting of After the
BALI was remarkably good and in the
true spirit of the author. In acting farce,
the players must not do anything to indi-
cate their consciousness that it is all fun !;
they must be thoroughly in earnest
throughout and behave precisely as real
people would conduct themselves if such
a series of events should arise. Grahams
company succeeded in carrying out this
idea very well, especially the two old men
and Miss Francis"