Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-04-30
ROBER AS FANCHON.
Floor, Balcony and Gallery
Crowded and Delighted.
Three Very Good Bills This Week ut
Lothrop's Opera House.


A glorious sunset probably looks 40
to us tv@sy, as II did TO old
Father Adam the first time he ever saw II.
And what is true In this way In the world
OF real life is Just as true, though perhaps
on a somewhat smaller scale, In the mimic
life OF the stage. Hamlet 10 Hamlet,
whether interpreted by Gsrrick, KeaD,
Kemble, Irving or our own lamented
Booth, and Fanchon, the Cricket, is. Just
as attractive and lovable In this year of
grace 1896, as when, almost half q century
ago, Maggie Mitchell danced to the COM
panionship OF her own shadow ard won
the hearts OF all those who were lucky
enough to see her.
Katherine Rober, and strong company
to support her, are doing Fanchon at
Lothrop's this week, and, az was to be ex-
pected, are doing II well. People have
come to know that whatever Miss Rober
undertakes she carries through to the ut
most extent OF her ability and of the
means at her disposal. It was not sur
prising therefore to see the house crowd
ed, not vacant seat on the floor, last
evening at the opening Of her current en-
gagement. 1t Is possible that the prom.
ised distribution OF the little lady's pho.
tographs may have attracted some, It ID
certain that the anticipated pleasure OF q
finished performance had drawn by far .
larger number, and nobody was disap-
pointed. "Fanchon, the Cricket" as
given last night, was one Of the best plays
done ut the local house this season-it Is
no disparagement to others to say that IL
was one OF the best performances given
here In this or any other year since the
house was opened.
The piece 10 one In which interest cen.
tres mainly around q single character,
and the work to be done by most Of those
In the cast 10 very slight. But the com.
pany with Miss Rober never neglect their
opportunities, however slender or unim.
portant they may be, and 80 the result Is
always good. Fanchon herself holds the
attention Of the audience, from her quaint
entrance through the window In pursuit
OF the chicken till, with her hard In that
OF her lover, she receives old Barbeaud's
blessing at the fall OF the curtain. A lit.
tie careless and neglsctful OF her dress IL
may be, trifie unconventional at times
perhaps In her intercourse with others,
possibly little more willing to ackDowl-
edge her love for the handsome Landry TO
herself, while denying It's existence to
him, than maidens Of higher station are
sometimes said to be, she II yet always
the true, honest, straig ghtforward girl,
never telling an untruth. never taking q
penny from anybody nor asking a favor
where she has no right to expect it, loyal
to her old grandmother and to the mem
ory Of her dead mother, bright, piquant,
quick to resent an insult, and through it
all winning and lovable, whether in torn
stockings, ragged dress and tousled hair,
or in the neatest and primest of plain
black and white, with locks as smooth as
aplover's wing. When, alone with her
self and the moon, she dances with her
shadow, she enjoys every movement of
every muscle In her body as intensely as
do her audience In front. When, coming
to full understanding of the feeling en-
tertained toward her by her village ac-
quaintance, she breaks out into wee ping,
she gets the sympathy OF every body who
hears her as fully and as quickly as she
does that OF Landry himself. When she
talks with old Barbeaud and asks him to
be her guardian, she wins him over COM
pletely, and when she does give herself to
her lover, after the yea Of probation, al
though she tells him "not yeti" once or
twice while relating her own story, yet at
last her surrender Of self Is unconditional
and complete. Miss ROBBERS "Fanchon"
simply shows her to be what her friends
have long known her to be, a faithful,
conscientious, painstaking worker, and
finished, polished and successful artistic.
Mfoaa nd 40
the most that can be done with their linn.
tied parts, Nellie Hancock looks pretty,
and would do more II only opportunity
capital Mother Barpeaud and smashes her
fiat stand with genuine vigor and earnest
ness.
Morris McHugh, as Old Fadet, the
witch, does as good piece OF work as he
has ever presented on the local stage, and
that Is saying great deal. Mr.. Paige's
makeup as Father Barbeaud is fine, and
his acting is sunexceptionable,as as It always
Is, while Messrs. McElroy, Rowe and Field
are fully equal to their requirements.
Mr.. Frank Drumiea. the new leading
man, In his role of Landry, established
himself as prime fsvorite at once. OF
fine appearance and graceful manners, he
was easy, natural and earnest, and won
the esteem and regard Of his audience as
easily as he captured tho heart Of the poor
little Cricket. His friends Of last evening
will increase In number with his future
appearances.
Between the third ard Fourth acts, q
chance was given Miss Ida Howell for a
bit of speciality, and she made q hit at
once. What Ida doesn't know about sing
ing and dancing isn't worth learning, and
she has laugh that Is as fetching as a
Worth costume or Virot toque. Paw
tucket people have heard OF Little Ala
I'M ma Ennnau hpfnro ~ M piUht hnt fhav