The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-23
THE STROLLERS.
A Large and Fashionable Audience-Great
 Success of the Raspberry shrub Sec.


 Success of the Raspberry shrub Sec.
 A long time ago, in 17So, Mrs. Hannah Crowley's play, "The Belles Strata gem" was produced in London at Covent Garden theater, in which pro- duction Miss Younge created the role of "Letitia Hardy" The play was a | great success and the character of this mischievous loving girl has been fa- vorite with great actresses ever since. l At the Lyceum theater under Henry Irving the play was revived, Ellen Ter ry acting the part of Miss Hardy" and Irving himself playing "Doricort." MT. Daly's production will be remembered by many when Miss Rehan Cor as l William Winter would say, our wanton | Ada) essayed the part. Charity cov- CTS multitude of sins" and under the 1 guise of charity many and multttudin- ous are the agonies that are inflicted on a suffering public. Last nights production of this famous play by the "Strollers" for the benefit of the Yale | Infirmary attracted large and fash ionable audience to the Hyperion the ater, but there is no doubt that the best impression was made by the com pany in the after sketch, Raspberry Shrub Sec" This is not because the production of the first play lacked good points, on the contrary it's excel | lencies were many. The scenery was. charming, the costuming rich and ar- tistic, the attention to stage business noticeable moreover. Mrs Richards assumption of the part of 'Letitia Hardy" was extremely good; but those bD had fbict in New York with the same play noticed that in so large a house as the Hy- perion the elocution was indistinct, so that the points of many of the lines were entirely lost and the play did not quite take the hold on the audience one might have expected. The plot is ingenious and we'll developed. "Letitia Hardy and "Doricort" we are told early in the first act are to be united in matrimony, according to mutual agreement of their respective parents. ''Doricort's'' lack of enthusiasm leads Miss Letitia" to adopt vigorous means to bring him to her feat; assuming are awkward, gawkish, manner she first disgusts him absolutely and then at a masquerade, as @ graceful charm ing woman completely enslaves him. After marriage ceremony with Miss Hardy" to which everyone aids in plot to ensnare him, Miss Letitia" re- veals herself to him as the fair en- chantress who in mask had won his affections, and the curtain is rung down on this successful end to her strata gem. In the after sketch we see two old maids whose opposition to their niece's engagement to young man is very strong because he has been known to take an occasional glass of beer. Mistaking a bottle of champagne for | some raspberry shrub, they drink it i with the result that they become 'toxi- | cated' and are thus guilty of the very weakness they accuse the young man | of. The result is, of course, happy. They decide to confess their sin to | him, but instead grant their consent to | the match "A voila tout" This sketch | was admirably nay more remarkably | we'll acted, and gave great enjoyment
 The cast was as follows:
 THE BELLIES STRATAGETM.
 A comedy in three acts by Mrs. Han nah Crowley; revised by Edward Tales | Coward. Produced under the direction of Richard Barker.
 Doricort. ........ Edward Fales Coward MT. Hardy .......... Eugene O'Sullivan Flutter .Joseph G Aamb Saville ...........John Frederick Cook VillerS ................John F. Nicholas Letitia Hardy ......................
 ...... Mrs. Eugene Lamb Richards, jr Mrs. Racket ........ Miss Bertha Swift Miss Ogle. Miss Alma Cruger Masqueraders by Miss Gertrude Ship
 man, Miss Josephine Shaw and Miss
 Nina veltere; and Messrs. Frederic
 Woodruff, William Allen Belden { and Sterling Postley. Servants George Arthur and Charles
 Woodruff.
 RASPBERRY SHRUB SEC.
 A character sketch in one act and two scenes by Frank c. Drake, author of "Helen" Produced under the direc- ton of May Robson.
 Cast of Characters.
 Hannah Dewey a wiry Presbyterian
 maiden of fifty winters. s........
 ............M Miss Inez Hammer Sarah Jane her elder sister, with a
 touch of rheumatism Cor sup'm'
 ...........,........M Miss Bertha Swift Jenny, her niece. Miss Harrison Bob Taylor, an everyday sore of fel-
 low ............John Frederick Cook
 Time The Present