The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-27
MISS INNOCENCE ABROAD"

Miss Fanny Rice. a most untiring per-
son, who affects big sun bonnets. sings
juvenile songs and INDUCES in a perpet-
ual series of expansive and far-reaching
dental smiles. opened the season at the
Bijou Theatre, Saturday night, in new
comedy farce" called Miss Innocence
Abroad" adapted from the French by
F. C. Phillips and Charles Brookheld.
and arranged-or disarranged-for the
American stage, by Edward Paulton.
The broth, II will thus be seen, was dal-
lied with by a number Of cooks, and the
proverbial result OF such dalliance was
most evident.
Miss Innocence Abroad" that started
In to satirize the matrimonial bureau
business, and started In well, VITA
bright dialogue and some clever cpl
grams, went to pieces before the first
act was ended. and resolved Itself into
the disconnected, illogi Al and irrelevant
medley with which we are ALL alas! but
too familiar. The thread of the story
got itself into hopeless sort OF a
tangle, from which 1t was never suffered
to emerge, and save FOR Miss Rlce's va
riety specialties the evening was insult
1tEdUly Hdu DttH ltll
acne we might have Jared better. for
the author Of "As In Looking Glass"
could not be stupid IL he tried. Mr..
Paulton, however, was admitted. to dis
arrange the thing for the American
stage, and ne did IL. The piece cannot
be analysed. 1t is in three acts, and
Miss Rice plays the part Of a supposedly
Unsophisticated maiden. She appears in
street dress, cut low in the bodice,
while her fingers are plunged knuckle-
deep In diamond rings. II seems to be
an Unwritten law that a feminine star
must wear diamonds-that there Is some
thing sordid, squalid and trivial In the
idea Of lady who doesn't glisten.
That being the case, she should never
appear as an unsophisticated maiden
1t is quite unnecessary. There are peo-
pie who are troubled by such petty de-
tails as logic. though they get precious
little Of II In farce-comedy.
Miss Rice, however, is toning down a
little since the days OF "A Jolly Sur
prise" She doesn't change her dress
every five minutes, and. in fact, she
wore but three gowns. That Is some
thing to be thankful for. She Is not de-
void OF a certain kind of cleverness. Her
imitation OF Chevalier is exceedingly
good and her mimicry quite commenda-
BILE. In fact, she did a good variety
turn In the third act, but you had to
wait long time before you reached 1t.
The lady's humor Is a trlfie odd. When
she wants to be funny she turns on a
| sort Of nasal intonatiOn that Is bewilder-
ing. Her merrment Is of the nose, nosey.
The company, with the exception of
Charles Coote, whose character sketch
OF the Private Secretary" order was en-
tertainlng. was scarcely up to the metro
politan mark. There was a large young
man, named Melville Stuart, who seemed
to be in state OF constant surprise that
he was SO nice. and there was a pert lit
tie fellow called Frank Jones who sang
a song, In which he begged a young
woman to inform him II she would love
him always. The young woman sat on
sofa In the mean time. and as he
opened his mouth very wide while he
| made his touching request, she appeared
| to be gazing intently down his throat
1t was quite pathetic. George X. EIDE.
son did as we'll as the silly part giver
to him allowed him to do. and Mis-,
Rose Beaudet. cast for n stately role
was stately. Two little character part,
were neatly played by Miss Glady,
| Greene and Miss Nellie Jordan-the roles
were evidently the work of Phillips
but the young women dropped out afte
| the first act
Miss Innocence Abroad" is Just a bi,
behind the times. but Miss Rice's dia.
mond rings are almost intellectual.
ALAN DALE,