The sun., 1896-10-07
THEATRICAL ADJUSTMENTS.
"MY FRIEND FROM INDIl," a NEW
FARCE At THE BIJoU.
Tho Bills of the Week in Piays and Vaude-
viiie-Pnstor's Portrait Maker and
shnrpahooter-KeIth,s Tronpe OF ARABIA.

made of 1t. There was great deal Of such mat
ter In My Friend from India" at the Bijou
last night. Here is a sample Of 1t:
The glass had been broken out Of n mirror.
vain woman in n new gown entered the room. A
young man disguised in dress like the one she
wore and made up in face and hair to resemble
her. ran behind the screen to hide, because he
did not wish to have his counterfeit exposed to
the genuine original.
But the absence OF the glass prevented con-
cealment. The woman walked up to the sup
posed mirror, and, seeing the scmblanoe of her
self behind tho empty frame, mistook the fol-
low for her own reflection. Thereupon.
in order to save himself from discovery, he
initiated her poses and motions exactly, copied
her smiles, frDwns. and smirks, moved his lips
in unison with her talking, and thus fooled her
elaborately and completely. Walter e. Perkins
was the actor, and his pantomimo was clever.
Another original provocative laughter was
scene in which perfectly sober man was con-
vinced that he was intoxicated. He had drunk
q single glass of whiskey, and felt no effect
from IL.
But several members of his family and their
companions conceived the idea of throwing
him into imaginary drunkenness. One after
another. upon encoun tering him. they pretended
to be astonished at his condition.
A son expostulated, q daughter sobbed with
grief q guest roared with laughter. and q sister
had Mysteries. The man was at first amused.
then resentful, then puzzled. and at length,
when left alone. ho manifested all the symptoms
of Toodles. very ably acted by Mr.. Frederick
Bond. 1t was q case Of hypoohondria induced
by persuasion.
or such comic conceits in profusion. My
Friend from India" had been composed by II.
A. du Souchet hitherto unknown as II writer
for tho stage. He is a telegraphic operator en-
ployed In the Tribune Office. 1t was said at the
Bjou that he had finished this piece several
years ago. and that every producing manager
In New York had declined TO take 1t. 1t had at
length been acted obsourely by small travel
ling company month ago. but It would hardly
have got into broadway II the Bijou stage had
night most unex pected and very great success.
It is full of rapid foolery; much OF which is as
described " The work is a farce. crude in
some respects, and inefrectual in some OF
IT, dSss Of fun Ss and S
1t sets Mr.. du Souchet out Into the front row OF
farclcal playwrlEhts. OF course. some OF the
a. i'as. no more hsn a. qsalis&b Sb.n sns
ths end Of tho second oct Il was
realized that an actually comic piece from an
to- bs Tho
from box had such an ovation as might have
been given to q new Shakespeare
The friend from India mentioned in the title
10 unwilling false pretendor. by trade a
barber. and by mischanco an intruder in the
vain to got his family into fashionable society.
This visitor is compelled to figure as Theo-
sophlcal pundit from India, the Intention being
to have him lionized by the people whose ac-
Guaintance the host desire to cultivate. A round
dozen of characters have their love affairs in
The incidents are extravagant and exaggera-
tive. the farce never rises at any point to conf
work. but It IS immensely diverting in the man
nsr described.
The plays newly started this week are Secret
Service" at the Garrick. My Friend from In
dia" at the Bijou, and MARY Pennington.
Spinster." with Georgia Cayvan In 1t. at Pal
mer's. Sue" must close at Hoyt's on Saturday
night to mako way for "A A Florida Enchant-
ment." Invited actors will make up part Of
this afternoons q" Evangsline" audience at the
Garden. Tho comic operas are Half King"
at the Knckerbocker and Santa Maria" at tho
Olympia Musical as well as variously laugh
able are Lost Strayed. or Stolen" at the
Fifth Avenue. "A Parlor Match" at the
Herald Square. THE Geisha" at Dalys.
and Merry Tramps." with the Liliputians.
at tho Star. Tho German drama is My Official
Wife" at tho Irving Place. John Drew is n
favorite at the Empire in Rosemary" and SO
is Edward II. Sothern In An Enemy OF the
King" at the Lyceum. Under the Polar
Star" cutters its last month at the Academy OF
week are presenting "A HAPPY Little Home"
With George Monroe. At the FouIteenth street:
,hs ssra Tta sd~d AZ
at the Columbus. and THE Land OF the Living"
at the PEOPLES.
high grade Of vaudeville is to be had In our
music halls. At the Olympia there are OF new
features nying ballet and pair Of eomie fel:
has divertng lot of entertainers. who more
than overbalance the Barrisons' shortcomings.
Weber q Fields's Btoaewsy has mas. roster OF well;
a burlesque that tomorrow night 10 to giye
away to q new take.oh Of THE Geisha" In
dards are for good entertainment, too: The
three most conspicuous Items at Keith's Union
swartSy M aorotats' and some trained t cats"
surely: surely AZ Psstor's C. V, Lit,lsaeld is the II:
usual quota Of colliders with song. Tho Stand
ard has q week Of a touring minstrel company,
followed by specialties. AT the Grand there is
week OF vaudeville. Eugene SAndow and his
the Rossows, and Wood and Shepard. furnish
Ing It. The wax figure of DIR. Parkhurst has
I1st been put In new sprroundings at the Eden
Museo. AT Huber's Museum represen tation
OF burying person alive Is made hourly. and
an apparatus for preventing such happening is
exhibited.
Several OF the acrobatlo Arabs at Keith's
Union Square are light OF skin and ono or the
most skilful OF the lot has the features of q
negro, but whatever their nationality their
tumblng is quite unusual. Eight of thsm arc
actively engaged. though at first one man per-
forms alone At balancing. There follow some
conventional trckS of forming human pyra-
mids. In which one swsrthy follow supports all
his companions. and after, this the tumbling
begins. Somersaults and handBprings are
thrown at first, ono athlete performing at a
time. while his companions stand in the wings
and watch him as closely as does any
one on the other side of tho foot
lights. Ono Lumbler succeeds another rapidly.
the somersaults become more complicated,
the waiting performers seem to grow more and
more excited and they occasionally give cries
of encouragement to the busy twister. 1t seems,
tOo as II the order OF eIercI sing was determined
by the feelings of the Acrobats: as II the men
jumped and tossed whenever the spirit moved
them to do So but no collides with his fcl-
low or with the scenery, so II is system we'll dis
Ruissd. The final series of jumps are curious
lot. One man has trick OF striking very, lightly
on his feet In his cartwheel turns and landing
very heavily on his hands, pausnG long enough
to spring into another turn 81 the Same
over -heels. striking feet and hands to