The evening times., 1896-04-28
COMEDY HOLDS ) fHE 1 BOARDS
1.-THE Strange Adventures Of Miss
Brown" Mada,a Hit.
IAN Artist IS Modef' Il 4 1 Clean. Clever
Plece"-"A Tshpnss.ny Tiger"
and vaudeyllles.

"The Strange Adventures OF Niss Dfo"u
was given last night at the New Natonai
Theater by John X. Rogers comedians TO
a big-sized audience. The play Is what the
muci-maligned and fnisused term FARCE
comedy should mean, and what IL VIII
proDably henceforth mean, now that ire
presumer has faded away. The name de-
fines itself.
1t is q comedy, nasmuch us 1t had
humorous but consistent foundation 10
build upon and the esuperstructure Is fardcai
in detail. That II is from first to last.
There's nothing serious about an evening
with Miss Brown, except the result 10 loose
stitches, which are likely to break inder
stress OF uproariOus laughter. il mace
decided hit with those present last nlght:
The play deals with a young officer oI
dragons, who marries a young Doafuihg
school girl. Being ward in chancery oy
English law the marriage is not blhulng
and the mistress of the academy attempts
to retain the young bride. Her HUSBAND
dons female attire and comes To the acilu-
envy. His ludicrous appearance, the CON
trast between his awkward lgure anu Il
dozen winsOme schoolgirls. and the huhureu
laugiIable situations suggested by the oou
state of affairs, furnish the reason OF all
In a way-it suggests ..Charley's Aunt"
but the story is entirely dissimilar, and the
persons OF Lord Bats as the aunt ana capt.
Courteuay as Miss Brown, though both very
funny, are not in any other way aiike.
Their capacity for skirts and inirth are
their only traits in common. There Is a
nightdress scene at ,ne ena Oh .ne se9oh"
all OF which goes to show that the good
things in comedy have relatives IN aiifaini-
lies
X. E. Graham piaye the unfortunate Of
ficer OF dragons, who married the board
ing school girl and had to disguise his long
limbs in petticoats to claim his bride: Ora
ham has done Inauy good things in his day,
but this is the best opportunity he has ever
had and he handles the part skillfully HIS
arfectatiOn of a female voice was cleverly
done. aud gives an opportunity for com
PAL isOn with Girardots theory, winch lie
put into practiceas the aunt, that the coarse
masculine voice Is much more farcical ana
amusing.
Major p. O'Gallagh of the Dragons,
and principal conniver with Capt. Courte-
nay, was played by L. a. Locke, and an ex-
celicntly subdued Irish woman was the
cha aracter of his wife. played by Jennie Sat
tcrlee. Herbert Sparling played a cockney
detective in style that seemed accurately
representative OF the type as Americans
have come to know him. The ladies' of the
company were evenly cast and extensive
numerically-at least "A dozen i'll all.
The last place is sometimes considered
the position OF honor, and in this case II Is
reserved for Charles COote for his admira-
bic portra yal OF the German character
comedy role, Herr Won Mozier, the music
teacher. He only had the part about fifty
hours. and only once did he meet the Others
with whom he had his two scenes. The
result in any case. but particularly so under
these clrcumstances,l vas distinct and
commendable triumph. .Coote has never
done anything SO finished. so humorous and
SO delightful III SeDre suggestion. IL Is a
portrait worthy OF place beside Harc's Gold
finch. fergusou's stephen Spettlgue or Hoi-
lands Capt. Freddie
In IAN Artists Model" which opened a
week. engagement authe Lafayette Square
Opera House last nigtlt, the lovers OF pure
musical comcIy have a tIcat. While the
name may be suggestive. there is nothing
in The performance 10 shock the sensbiti-
ties OF the most fisudious. The story
is told with discreetness that Is COM
mcndable.
American iheater- -soers have been in
debted TO LondCn managers this season
for number II, ..,o Of good ,hings-' The
Slavey," and other london successes have
been brought over here and elighted large
audiences IN all paris OF the country. AN
Artists Model" is probably the last for
eign production we shall have this year,
and in some respects 1t is the best OF the
lot.
headed by Marie Siudholme. She made a
good impression last night, and Is sure to
be the reigGing favorite during the week.
In addition TO her beauty II face and form.
she can sing most swcetly, rs her bird
song in the second act demonstrated
Maurice Farkoa's ''Trilby" laughing
song made Il great hit, and he was re-
peaiedl yencored. John oates, Daisy Nixon,
Cissie Neil, Nine. Amelie, and in fact all the
members of the company contributed their
share 10 the general merry-naking.
The audience was large and very liberal
In applauding the good things served up
10 them. Society was well represented.
among the hox-holdcrS being Assistant
Secretary of State Rcckhill, Senator Lodge
and Nine. Dominguez.
A fair portra val. with only now and then
q necessarily exaggerated scene. of the ma
chinery of metropoiitan ward politics was
seen at the ACADEMY iasI evening; wien Mr,
Tiger was presented for the first time in
Was shington.
The performance is under the direction of
Mr. Jacob Lift. and he has succeeded adj
mi irabl Y in dra wing together an aggregation
of actors and actresses in whose nands any
melndrama could well be placed to isure a
faithful production. The performance is
one OF the best attractions thathave graced
the Academy stage this season.
There is not so much difference. at heart,
between Tammany tiger, who prowls
politics, where a path has only here and
there been blaZed by Parkhurstism and
Rooscveltism. and the Bengal reality that
plunges through the taDglcs of his native
forest. Both seek prey-one to crafty his
aE,bition and the otherto satiate his hunger
John Crane was tiger of the former class.
a millionaire. and a man who wanted to
come to Congress by fair means or foul |
rank Losce pia ycd well the difficult role. |
Samuel Edwards played even better: In
fact he had an extremely difficult and un-
popular but interesting part in the por-
ira yal of Simon KraDtzer. an unprincipled
district boss" and the large audience
showed clearly that it appreciated the ex-
celient work he did.
Frank Mansfield, pla yed by Mason Mitch
en represented the reform element of
Greater New York. came to Congress and
was popular with the house. Charles
Charters enacted the role of John Crane, |
jr., son of the ambitious millionaire.
The cast was equally as strong on the
ladies' side. Miss Laura Burt, so pleasantly
in Washington, assumed the
pa rt OF Mile. Ruby, queen of the vaudevilles,
and possessed of a large heart. She earned
every bit of the praise that was accorded
her. Miss Una Abel assumed in an interest
ing fashion the part of Stella Everett, an
orphan.
Mme. Zenda, a fortune teller of today,
was played by Miss Agnes Herndon. Miss
Herndon is particularly clever in ca arrying
out such role as that. Other intere sting
EOHP