Little Falls weekly transcript., 1894-10-19

AND GARTER INN.
blair" in which Sothern was seen to such
excellent advantage. ''Bonnie Prince
Charlie'' is said to deal with the adven-
lures of the ''Young Pretender" in au in
teresting manner, although none of the
details of tho story has yet been allowed
to get beyond the walls of the Lyceum.
Mr.. Sothern is known to be very enthusi-
astic over his part in it, and he generally
knows pretty we'll what will fit him. 1t
is bit singular that Mr.. Sotherns only
two failures should haye come one imme-
diately after the other, and at the begin
ming, too, Of his annual season in New
York. 1t is enough to discourage veter-
an, but the young and plucky star does
not appear in the least depressed by this
unto2ward circumstance.
IA Way to Win Woman" is scarcely
worth criticising. The ''hero," Harry Hal
ward, is detestahle rascal who permits
his desire to wed good-for- nothing, mer-
cenary little snip to overcome whatever
honesty he may have once had, and he ap
propriates the fortune which his dear dead
friend in Mexico had bequeathed to him
in trust for his son. In the end Halward,
after dispelling suspicious which have
cropped up, tells the whole story himself,
having called in most Of the important peo--
pie of the play, that his long speech may
be effective. Then he takes prussic acid
in glass-and talks to it while the cher
oine" (save the markD sneaks back, whis-
pers "Harry," and then telling him that
she really loves him, and that what he did
was all her fault, asks him to marry her
and take her away, or something of that
kind. AS he hugs her just as the curtain
falls, it is presumed that Harry consented.
Up to the present time Mr.. Sothern's
acting in each new play has been distinct
improvement upon what has gone before,
but in the case of IA Way to Win Wom-
an'' he is seen at his worst. The part is in
great measure an emotional one, and Mr..
Sothern's s features, adaptable to comedy as
they are, are unsuited for depicting pro-
tracted grief or remorse. To be brief, he
is out of his element, and if he grasps the
significance of the character of Harry Hal
ward he is at least not able to portray it.
The same may be said of Miss Grace Kim
ball as the ''heroine," Madge Carruthers.
This lady, not overstrong in comedy, Is
almost ridiculous in the serious work de-
manded by the leading female role Of "A
Way to Win Woman" Mr.. Sothern's
supporting people were fairly good, but
none of them seemed quite at home in
Jeronne's misflt play, of which, strange to
say, the third act is the only one possessed
of the slightest merit.
Still another failure to be recorded For
the nonce that sterling comedian, William
H. Crane, has abandoned the lighter mod
H. ~~,Sk
and is appearing nightly at the Star thea
ter as Falstaff in Shakespeare's "Merry
Wives of Windsor" The production has
been made on an elaborate scale, and Man.
ager Joseph Brooks has evidently spent
money literally in providing his star with
thoroughly appropriate surroundings in
the way Of scenery, properties, extra peo-
pie and other accessories. The company,
too, is an excellent one, SO that Mr.. Cranes
first appearance before a New York audi
ence as the fat knight was certainly made
under the most auspicious circumstances.
But the STAR funny though he be in the
line Of work in which his reputation has
been earned, is unable to make Falstaf
appear humorous. He reads the lines in
a faultless manner, the business Is carried
out carefully according to the best author.
tiles, the obesity and the peculiar strut
are all there, but the JUNCTION, the oily jol
lity and the unequivocal and omnipresent
complacency were lacking. The audiences,
too, have not been as large as usual dur
ing Cranes annual engagement at the
Star. The best bits of work contributed
by the excellent supporting company were
the Master Page Of Boyd Putnam, which
was a mastery impersenation of a not
commanding role and the Mistress Ford
Of Miss Ffolliott Paget, which was always
carefully poised between earnestness and
merriment.
And now for the third failure of sin
gle week! Item Kettle' u the title of
the play, the author of which is Henry
Guy Carleton, the brilliant writer who
gave us 1.-THE Butterflies, :" ''The Gilded
Fool" "Ye Earle Trouble and 1.-THE
Lions Mouth" The star is Tim Muir
ply, whose remarkably clever work as
Maverick Brander in Charles 81. Hoyt's
"A Texas Steer" won for him some Of
the most complimentary criticisms have
ever seen given to q character of that sort.
It is said that Mr.. Carleton wrote Lem
Kettle to fit Mr.. Murphy, but that seems
scarcely possible in view Of the fact that
he has not succeeded in getting anything
like the measure of the new star, who is
accordingly handicapped with part with
which he is untitled to cope Besides the