The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-20
TRIMMING UP A FARCE.
Successful Horse-Plays Always the
Outcome of Patient Toll
From the CHICAGO Herald

outcome OF E8Cl9nt Toll
From the Chicago Herald.
The modern farce comedy is a more fear
fully and wonderfully constructed object
than the human frame itself 1t is born as
a helpless infant thrown upon the cruel
mercies of a cold and unfeeling world, tossed
from hand to hand, cuffed and boxed in it's
boyhoOd, until finally, out Of sheer hard
knocks and worldly experience, 1t attains a
state of virility and manhood. There never
yet was in the history of this latest form of
American amusement, farce-comedy that
came into the world with a silver spoon in
It's mouth. Fsrce-comedy was rather
born lucky than rich. It is essentially a
thing of to-day. 1t is dependent solely and
wholly upon that capriCious public
taste which can hest be hkened to May
shower or an autumn leaf. Fsrce-comedy,
in a word, is of the public itself. 1t is sim
ply the retina Of the public's eye. 1t is the
mirror of the present year Of grace. It
teaches no doctrine; il tells no moral; it
adorns no tale. 1t is simply kodak. 1t
doesn't even know what right it has TO its
own name. It has doubtful parent In the
variety stage. The history Of farce-com-
edy is amusing and, at the same time, la
struCtive. For instance, to illustrate, take
for example James T. Powers present pro-
duction, "a Mad Bargain" Julian
Mitchell, for a number of years stage
manager of all the Hoyt and Thomas
productions, conceived the idea of
the plot, or rather tue plot was suggested to
him by an actual incident that happened in
California. A theatrical real estate specu-
lator there. some years ago, controlled what
was known as the water tank circuit"
The circuit consisted of number OF towns
ranging in population from 500 to 5000,
along the line of the Central and Southern
Pacific railroads. Here this man in the
course Of q season managed TO squeeze from
travelling combinations by means of threats,
persuasion and lawsuits. sufficient money to
afford him decent living. In the course
of his business he ran across an elderly
widow III Southern California who
had considerable wealth and
a comely daughter. He made violent love
60 the mother, but she thought he was seek
ing her wealth, not herself Accordingly
the willy adventurer declared that he loved
her for herself alone, advised her to put all
her money in her daughters hands and de-
clared that then to show his devotion he
would marry her penniless. The widow did
SO and the schemer eloped with the
daughter. This incident happened when
Mitchell was in California with Hoyt'R"H Hole
in the Ground. Mitchell treasured it up as
plot for a possible comedy. He preached
the idea to John McNally, and the two
thereupon agreed to write play. Mitchell,
during the season OF 1S9l-92, sketohed
out his ideas Of the different acts, which he
forwarded to McNally. The latter, who is
extremely good at dialogue, wrote in what
was required in a rough way. McNally is
brilliant but inclined to laziness, 30 the play
dragged on till the early part Of last SUM
mer. Finally Rich and Harris, who had
agreed to accept it for Mr.. Powers, got
McNally over TO New York.
MADE A LAZY MAN WORK.
Mitchell at once corralled him, took him
up to his fat on West Seveuty-fourth