Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-15

performance, and the Empire tbeater, where
the stock company has scored the greatest
hit since Its organization in Sydney Grun-
dy's sowing the Wind" Then The Girl
Left Behind Me- which has broken good
many records on the road, will come to the
Academy of Music fora long run, beginning
March l2. 1t will be given an elaborate
scenic representation, and spectacular eff
fects which were only limited at in the orig
inal production ut the Empire year or so
ago will, it is said, be shown on the large
stage Of the Academy.
Henry Guy Carleton, smart as he is land
there is no doubt of the fact that he is a
genius), never wrote anything in the way Of
a play which was quite so good rs THE
Butterflies" 1t is very light comedy and
fairly sparkles with bright dialogue made
more enjoyable by humorous situations,
which, in the main, are enforced The plot
is Of course not very deep. It is not de-
sirable that story should be involved for
IN actor like John Drew, whose province is
to amuse, not to instruct.
Take il all in all, 1.-The Butterflies" is
perhaps the best really light comedy ever
written by an American. 1t is distinct
advance over "A Gilded Fool" which
Mr.. Carleton constructed for Nat c. Good
win (Mr. Goodwin always insists upon that
c. in the middle of his nance, and il the
new play, Ambition" upon which the same
author is now at work for the same actor,
is as great an improvement upon The But
terhies" as THE Butterflies" is upon "A
Gilded Fool" the heartiest congratulations
will he in order for Mr.. Goodwin, for he
will be n fortunate man indeed.
There are of course some faults in "The
Butterflies" What play is entirely devoid
of them? There is rather too frequent re-
sort to the time worn expedient of permit
ting one person, of whose presence the 9th
ers would be quickly aware in real life,
to overhear what her Tor hiss fellow players
have to say Then, besides, there is one
really serious blot on the play. Through
the first, second and third acts it goes with
Il quiet but none the less positive rush un-
til the final love scene between Mr.. Drew
and Miss Adams is reached. Then there is
II halt The subject is exhausted, and then
it IL gone over and over again. 1t must be
confessed that eventually it becomes a trifle
tiresome, especially as it precedes the in
variable pairing off of sweethearts which
most paywrights seem to consider neces-
sary but which is, to say the least, not par
ticnlarly exciting or unexpected and is in
deed too often II bore.
OF the actors little but commentator
can be spoken. John Drew is-John Drew;
that sto say, he is perfect with the excep-
ton OF that old trick of his Of making faces
at the audience occasionally Miss Maude
Adams is good enough as Mr.. Drew's sweet
heart There is nc tangible flaw in her
work, and yet she has not made anything
like The hit that she scored in The Mask
Ball. or. us Mr.. Clyde Fitch, the adapter
of the piece, persisted in calling it, The
Masked Ball"
The member of the cast of The Butter
flies" whose work stands ont almost as
brightly rs that of Mr.. John Drew is Miss
Olive May, who has at one bound. as it
were, stepped from comparative obscurity
into positive fame. The company through
ont is competent. and many of the excellen:
bits of byplay, am informed were intro