The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-20

street, and for three weeks the pair were
absolutely invisible The result was "A
Mad Bargain and the piece was produced
by Rich q Harris. They geve 1t the ad-
vantage OF a strong company, special
scenery aud complete stage effects. This
conservative and enterprising Boston firm
OF managers had thought that farce-comedy
had seen its zenith. "a Mad Bargain" was
accordingly produced without a specially
or Interpolation of any kind what
soever. 1t was presented at the lead
ing theaters In Boston, Brook
Ign, Philadelphia, Washington, ST.
Louis and other cities. The critics found
everything to praise and absolutely nothing
to condemn in the entire performance. They
gave Messrs. MoNally and Mitchell credit
for having written a high claSs, straight"
comedy: they praised Mr.. Powers for his
individual work, and they hailed with Joy
the courage OF a management who would
produce comedy without catering to the
public taste for song, dance, high kicking
and abbreviated skirts. SO itran for nine
weeks. The Brooklyn Eagle, in brilliant
criticism, declared "A Mad Bargain to
be almost the equal of that stand
ard OF sll English farces, "Box and
Cox" but the show made
no money. People came to see it, were
pleased at it, but they didn't enthuse
over it and they didn't come again. There
was only one thing wrong. "a Mad Bar
gain was simply in advance Of the period.
Finally, as the gentlemen were not in busi-
ness for their health, and as they had done
all in their power and more from an artistic
standpoint, they thought it was about time
they were making little money for them
selves. So here at the Columbia theater
early in November, Mr.. Powers was in
structed to introduce a pantomime song and
dance. He was Furthermore told TO origin
ate another burlesque,
NEW BLOOD INFUSED INTO IT.
He did so and put on travesty on Loie
Fuller's serpentine dance. In theatrical
parlance Mr.. Daley was told ito cut loose ?"
So the quaint and genial Peter rang in
parody ~on ''Ta-ra-ra-Boom-de-a and
later on descriptive ditty telling of the
trials and troubles Christopher Columbus
bad in discovering America. Rich and
Harris discovered and developed a dancer
named Leona Forrest. who can kick higher
than any woman in America, and who
crowns an astonishing terpsichorean feat
| by series Of somersaults with he volumin-
Gus lace skirts swirling over her
blonde head. A musical director
was engaged, Powers trunk was
ransacEed for songs and music that he pur-
chased last summer in London, Paris and
Vienna; a medley was introduced, the
singing strength of the company was
brought OUT ana "A Mau bargain" was
transformed from a legitimate comedy into
a regulation farce-comedy, The first per-
formances as given at the Columbia IN No
vember were rough and crude. The dia-
logue and dramatic action had to be saori-
feed to specialties. The continuity of the
plot was broken. The jagged edges of story
and speciality refused to dovetai Bug
between Chicago and San Francisco
the company played two weeks of one-night
stands. In this interim the file was brought
to bear, theatrical sandpaper was used in
large quantities, and as a result "a Mao
Bargain" on its opening night in San Fran
cisco achieved, it is claimed, popular sue
cess 1t improved at every performance.
On its return from the coast Salt Lake, Dem
yer, Omaha and one or two other towns
were played, and in each city standing
room only was the order of the
night, aud the utmost OF enthusiastic
audiences. In word, the public received
IA Mad Bargain" as a farce-comedy when
it utterly refused to accept 1t as "a Straight"
comedy. Such, in brief, is the history of
the average farce-comedy. AS "a piece of
contemporaneous stage history it is inter
estnR, as it reflects phase of the modern
American stage.