The San Francisco call., 1896-05-05
Laughter Greets AThe Strange
Adventures of Miss
Brown"
FAUST" IS AT TIE COLUMBIA.
The Chimes of Normandy" Seen at
the Tivoli-Minstrels at the
California.

1t is safe to predict that audiences at
the Baldwin Theater this week will pre-
sent very different department from the
serious earnestness which marked them
during the Mansfield engagement. Last
night there were people who shook in
their chairs with merriment over the
whimsicalities of "The Strange Adven-
lures of Miss Brown" and the farce
comedy was acted all through to run
ming accompaniment of laughter.
miss Brown" has more coherent plot
than most plays of its kind, and the situa-
tions are genuinely funny without being
vulgar. Eddie Foy, alias the guileless
Miss Brown, is dashing young officer in
a cavalry regiment, who runs away with
q ward in chancery and marries her,
aided and abetted by Major O'Gallagher
and Mrs. O'Gallagher.
1t is only when the ceremony has been
performed that the conspirators realize
that to marry a ward in chancery without
the Lord Chsmberlain's consent is an Of
tense against the laws, punishable by i'm
prisonment.
With visions of her husband being
dragged OF to prison by a detective, who
is on his trail. the bride consents TO return
to school, leaving everything to Mrs.
OGallagher to arrange.
That estimable although somewhat men
dacious lady causes the captain to be dis
guised as her niece and sends him TO
boardlng-School with his bride, intending
that they shall escape the same evening to
Paris, where they would be beyond the
Lord Chamberlain's jurisdiction.
Eddie Foy in a crimson wig and an i'm
possible blue costume, with red stockings
and white gloves, had much to undergo at
school "as the new girl'' and his attempts
artlasanaSa Wara preotad with r0arS Of
laughter by the audience. Occasionally
he forgot himself and spoke in deep
bass voice. His whole behavior was most
distressingly unladylike, while his appear
ance melted the unkindest comment from
his fellow pupils.
When the attempt to escape came both
the detective and an amorous music-mas-
ter, who loved the bride himself were
shocked mentally and wounded physically
by the muscular prowess of Miss Brown.
One of the best hits in the play is the
scene where Herr Won Moser, the music
eloquent but broken English: II
haf sacrificed myself; haf lost
my beauty; they haf cut off my
hair!" walls the wretched musician, who
has been battered out of all sem mblance to
virtuoso in his conflict with the doughty
Miss Brown. He had tried to prevent the
brides escape and Miss Brown came to the
rescue, but the principal pities the "poor
girl' and discharges the music-teacher,
who makes his exit in burst of tears and
of injured indignation. The part was ex-
celIently played by James Z. Sullivan.
Eddie Foy was intensely funny as the
terrible Miss Brown, his alterations of
bread-and-butter simplicity and masculine
aggresSiVeness being especially well por-
trayed. at the end of the last act he ap-
peared again as the officer, forgiven and
accepted as Angellna's husband because
he had inherited an earldom,
EHe Dinsmore made bright little
bride, and Lizzie Conway was vivacious
and effective as Mrs. O'Ga1lsgher. Ali the
schoolgirls looked well, especially Lita
Larkin and Page Newcomb, and the rest
OF the cast was thoroughly satisfactory.
Oolumbia Theater.
Morrison's "Faust" company opened at the
Columbia Theater last night. The perform
ance was marked rather by zeal and energy
than by desire to give an ideal Interpretation
: of Goethe's work, but many of the spectacular
features were good and there was no question
ing the energy and good will of the performers
II Faust is looked upon as mere melo-
drama then the members of Morrison's com
pRnC shone last night as bright particular
stars. They posed, introduced "business" and
detained in manner which proved hugely
satisfactory to the gallery but the Deep under.
lying significance OF the great drama was not
brought out even family.
Olive Martin had caught none of the sweet
innocent fragrance of Goethes Gretchen. Her
Marguerite was a woman of the world playing
at simplicity, and in the jewel scene she intro
duced CUISINES" which produced the laughter
1t was evidently intended to provoke, but
laughter is out of place an adjunct to Mar
guerites garden, with the brooding tragedy
hanging over it.
Ulysses Davis was fairly effective but too
melodrsmatic as Faust, and william L. Roberts
did not succeed in conveying more than q
mere surface impression of Mephisto. NJ. E.
Nichols somewhat over-acted the part of Val
entine. The minor characters were fairly well
acted and the fireworks in the Brocken scene
quite brought down the house.