Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-01

Marked instead OF by the stage directions
usual with us, by the indication OF a new
IN the third act, the longest OF the play.
But the story progresses without break OF
time or place, and 1t would be difficult to say
why each act ends when IL does except that
a ballet is introduced Just then by way OF
semi colon. These ballets, common TO many
of the plays of Moliere would appear to be
OF that agreeable and vivaclous kind known
to us as burlesque or extravaganza Ger
tainly the balets OF dancing masters. cooks
and journeymen tailors, which close three
Of the acts OF lie Bourgeois Gentilhomme ="
seem not unfamiliar in the light OF things
recently seen and heard, to say nothing of
that delicious performance of the comforting
Of Turkish knghthood upon the unspeakable
ass whose antics are the subject Of the play.
As type of the now extinct class to
which he belongs. Monsieur Jourdan is in
some respects, convincing although, one
is constrained TO believe, for the most part
an overdrawn picture. The stratum Of so
ciety which he occupied by right of birth
has been held up TO ridicule by satirists of
all times as containing the soggy and en-
crusted accumulations of the stupidity of
ages. Even so, and conceivng Monsieur
Jourdain as digged bodily out Of the mass. 1t
| is not easy to understand the extremitles OF
folly to which he attained. That any human
being, or any we'll bred donkey could be
duped by the elaborate impostures which
were brought to bear on this bourgeois by
| the merry crew which surrounded him. is so
unlikely that one sympathzes a little with
the honest duke in Motley's story, who
feared that French comedy was growing no
| better than Italian farce.
| If reference to the drama Of the present
may be permitted 1t would seem that the
ducal critic might we'll have compared this
particular character to some of the creations
of Charles II. Hoyt, presuming him to have
| been familiar with the works of that in
gerious writer OF farce.
The other people, however, in lie
| Bourgeois Gentlhomme form cabinet OF
Molere gems of purest ray. Never was
| more faithful portrait Of the jealous, bustlng
| managing" lower r-middle-class wife than
Madame Jourdain; never, outside the covers
| Of Moliere, more delightful pair OF retainers
| than Nicole and Covelle. The part Of
Nicole was written especially for certain
| actress, friend of the poet, who had in
Cured the dispsasure Of the king by her
| apparently uncomfortable habit Of giggling.
The lines given to Nicole will be seen to
have been peculiarly adapted to such an
infirmity; indeed, 1t is said that the actress
was fortunate enough not only to contribute
| largely to the success Of the play by the
| excellence Of her performance, but also to
regain the kings favor for herself. Covele
's one Of those intelligent and scampsh
veets in whom the plays Of Moliere abound,
Terence and Plautus. The Intriguing
Dorante, with his feminine counterpart,
Dorimene, and the bourgeois lovers, Cleonte
and Lucille, are equally characteristic OF
tHelT source, Wnlle tne IOuT-COTTGTeu CUInDdt
Of Jourdain's instructors is the funniest thing
in the play from the standpoint Of pure
farce, always excepting that screaming
burlesque ceremonial of initiation, already
referred to-
1t is a merry play, lie Bourgeois Gentil-
honme." The bare perusal of it, in the ad |
mirable English of Miss Wormeley (who
persists in disintegrating the English in |
fntive, but who translates French batter |
than moss Of us have learned to do)-the |
hare ppruSal of she piyec II m w |
drive away the blues at the heels of many |
hearty laugh. more thoughtful contempla-
tion may reveal the deeper purpose beneath |
the mask of Momus, and the lesson which we
may take to ourselves, IL we will. Do we
need, any of us, lesson from the seven
teenth century? 1t is probable that we do
not, and that the recent absorbing interest |
which most Of us have felt in the nauseating |
but important details of the Marlborough
Vanderbilt nuptials has arisen from causes
quite different from those which actuated |
Monsieur Jourdain in this half-forgotten play
Of old Moliere.
Managers Davis and Keogh commissioned
the well known playwright Scott Marble, to
write a drama that would throw all previous
southern plays into the shade. Unless it did
SO they would not accept it. He turned
out Down in Dixie" The fact that the
managers promptly produced it, with a most
expensive outfit, shows how well they thought
1t filled the requirements.
The cotton compress is of the size required
for actual work, and is one of the largest
machines ever put on stage. 1t is first
seen crushing the large cotton bales for ship
ment, and later 1t figures in most thrilling
scene. Two villains have been planning harm
to other people in the play. Their plots are
suspected by young naval officer, who Sc
cretly follows the plotters to the warehouse |
They discover him there rush upon him from
behind, knock him senseless. place him in
the cotton compress, start the machinery
set fire to the warehouse, and depart. The
heroine Of the play has been concealed in
little Office in the warehouse. She becomes
aware of the officers peril and starts to res
cue him, but finds that the door of the Office
has been locked. Thereupon she breaks a
window, Chambers cut, runs to the compress
and drags the officers body to safety just as
the great jaws of the compress close. The
characters are an interesting group-the
heroine herself, the manly young southerner,
who loves her in spite Of his family's oppo-
superiority of the olden times before the war,
the proud old judge. the judges handsome
young wife, his coquettish niece, the naval
lieutenant, the blackmailer from the north
the old coiored couple, the plantation darkies
and pickaninnies, and the hungry alligator.
The comedy in the play Is characteristically
southern, as are the beautiful landscape and
other views that Mr.. Young's scenery repre-
sents. The first act set shows plantation
with darky's cabin, high banked creek and
old trees. The second acts
scenery is a copy Of the outside of an old
homestead with far-reaching landscape |
The third is placed in the Charleston cotton
and through an opening may be
seen glimpse of wharf, shipping and bay. a
For the fourth act there is faithful repro t
iucton of the parlor Of the homestead-a e
and most inviting place. The !
company in Down in Dixie" has been organ !
zed with great care. The production is under +
The personal supervision Of the author him /
self, and will be presented in an elaborate c
manner during the four-night engagement 4
1t the Creighton, which commences with a
natinee today. '
The engagement OF the Bostonians ct [
Boyd's theater the first four nights Of the q
week has already aroused unusual interest {
This favorite light opera organization has not d
'een here for two years. Their present com +
ng Is in the nature Of an event. All the old i
avorites remain, and numbered among the 4 #
principals are: Henry Clay Barnabee, VII
lam ii. Macdonald, Jessie Bartlett Davis
Helen Bertram Henley, Eugene Cowles, I,
ieorge rockingham, Harold Blake, Jerome q
,ykes, Josephine Bartlett, Alice Nelson, Cora n
Leonora Gnito, Charles r. Hawley Il
;. II. Landie and others. The sale Of seats 4,
indicates that the repertoire arranged has a
Ound favor with all classes OF theater poers -