The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-12
ADJUSTMENTS.
ssToo Much johnson" Keeps HIS Audi-
ence in a Roar of Laughter.


Cool. always cool. imperturbable, s1nok-
ing innumerable cigars. always smoking.
getting into the most impossible predica-
ments. and getting out from under tot
terlng wall OF troubles and difficulties
built up by a series of lies. each larger
than It's predecessor. by his quick wit ana
other stories-that is a picture OF TOO
Much Johnson
1t is no exaggeration to say that the Sc
attic theater was crowded last night 10 see
William Gillette and his company OF play
ers present his adaptation Of the French
comedy All the lower boxes were occu-
pied, ana the pit. the balcony and the gal
lery were crowded The people all came
expecting to see a good show" and II
was a success, a big success, from the
point OF view al any rate that It made the
people laugh almost increasingly. II must
be said, however, 10 use a trite phrase,
that there was a little too much. the
whirlwlnd pace Of fun and absurd. ridicu-
lous situations was too fast. Nnen the
curtain went down after the first act the
entire company had 20 respond to call
that came spontaneously from all parts
of the house, The second act. while its
situations were even more laughable than
those Of the first, fell down a little, and OF
the third the same could be said. But TAX
ing 1t as whole, its Intersections We're
lost sight of and it served excellently 10
carry out its authors aVowed purpose to
Kill time.
The many and svift-coming troubles OF
Johnson all came from his disposition to
forget the quiet comfort Of a home in
Yonkers, where ne had a wife-and
motheT-in-law--and to dance Al the ribbon
ends OF a fascinating French woman. the
wife of a wine importer whose business
kept him away from home a good deal Of
the time. Mr. Augustus Billings was very
proper person in Yonkers. but as Johnson
in New York, taking in the operas and
roof gardens with Clairette, he was diff
ferent. To explain his frequent absences
from home he told his wife and mother-in-
law that he had bought sugar plantations
in Cuba, which required him TO visit the
island very often. He mad an engagement
with the pretty French woman and had
told his family that ne would have 10 make
one of his visits to the island After he
reached New York. however. he received
letter from his wife that she and her
mother had decided that a trip to Cuba
was about what they needed. and they
were going to be there in time TO take tbs
steamer And all of Billings resources
could not help him out of the difficulty;
he had to go 10 Cuba.
Meantime, Cairette's husband has dis
covered his wifes perfidy. and he was
hot on the trail of the man, a piece of
whose photograph he had snatched from
ruined his home. The curtain rises on
scene in the cabin of the Cuba steamer.
with Billings. his wife and mother-in-law,
and the excitable Frenchman on board.
On the steamer. also, Is Leonora Fadd:sh,
who is going TO Cuba to marry the real
Johnson. whom she<had never seen, &C
c1mpan!ed by her father, who has ar
ranged the marriage. and Henry Mack;n-
tosh, In love with Leonora. The two par
ties get acquainted and Billings IS kept
busy getting out of the many difficulties
which his first Cuban plantation story
has got him into. The wife discovers
compromising letter from Cla.rette in his
overcoat pocket and she and her mother
are filled with wrath-untl Billings
points out 10 them that the letter is ad-
dressed to johnson" The Fadd:shes
want 20 know about Cuba about the John
son Leonora has got to marry, and the
wild Frenchman is all the time looking
for Johnson" who has betrayed him.
This is the best part OF the play. The
consummate ability by which Billings gets
out from under his troubles, only TO get
deeper and deeper into the network of
lies he had constructed is beyond question.
His nerve IS magnificent. When Cuba
is reached Billings is simply swamped be-
cause the friend upon whom he was count
ing To help him out. and who ala own
plantation. had sold out 10 the real Mr..
Johnson and had left the island After
many hair-breadth escapes Billings Sc
cares the only available team on the place,
puts his WIFE mother-in-iaw and Leonora
and her lover into the carriage. and they
get away from Johnson and reach the
steamer in safety.
Gillette. Of course. carries the PLAY him
self. and he is excellent Maud Haslam,
who plays the part Of the most always
trusting. but sometimes suspicious wife.
IS handsome. ard a good actress. She Is
wel,-kn-wn on the stage ana VIII he re-
memherel as he girl in tights" who
makes such a brief appearance in AN Tho
Corr forts Of a Home" Mr.. Charles J.
Bel as tho F-enchnan. was good. but his
maFc-up was entirely ton much overdono.
Tho rest of the support made the most Of
-Na.r parts.
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