The San Francisco call., 1896-06-09
At THE CITY THEATERS.
Nat Goodwin Scores a Success
With His New Play in
Mizzoura."
Brother John" Con tinues to Draw at
the Columbia-"Miss Jerry"
Told in Pictures.

A warm welcome was given to Nat Z.
Goodwin when he appeared at the Baldwin
Theater last night in his Lew play, 'In
Mizzoura." After several of the acts
efforts were made to induce the comedian
to make speech, but he succeeded in con-
fining his acknowledgements to bowling.
"In Mizzoura" is by Augustus Thomas,
author of Alabama" 1t has been heralded
as great success, but so many mediocre
plays are SO heralded that theater-goers
grow wary of believing without seeing.
Augustus Thomas latest effort, how
ever, was weighed by the Baldwin audi
ence and was not found wanting. 1t is a
drama based rather upon human interest
and emotion than upon elaborate plot or
striking situations. Some of the situa-
tions are remarkably effective, though,
particularly the one in which Goodwin, as
Jim Radburn, the Sheriff, sits down. un-
armed in front of the cupboard where the
stage robber is concealed and commands
him to come forth.
| The story of "In MizZoura' is based on
the misunderstanding of the Sheriff real
motives and character by the woman he
loves. He is rough Missourian, kind
hearted, with fund OF dry wit, but lacking in
| anything like artificial polish or culture.
Kate Vernon, the blacksmith's daughter,
Graves for the higher education and at Rad
burn IS expense is sent to the seminary. She
| returns woman and not knowing that she
is indebted to the Sheriff for her education
she straightway falls in live with glittering
scoundrel, who proves to be stage robber ,
| and she f1outs the faithful Sheriff.
When suspicion falls on Trayers, the stage
robber, there is fracas, in which he shoots q
man, and being bounded by the whole town
| flies to Kate Vernon for hiding. Radburn fol
lows and is upbraided by Kate for prosecuting
| her lover out of jealousy till Radburn, In his
dry, deliberate way, explains that he has come
| to offer the fugitive his horse to cross the
State line.
Travers attempts to thank him and to take
(, his hand, but Radburn draws back, exela1m-
ing: You may have my horse, but I'll be -
| if Pll shake hands with you"
| Despite this unpromising condition of affa irs
| the play has happy ending. One of the Chief
charms of ''In MiZZoura" is the amount OF local
coloring which pervades it. The plot is laid
among people in the lower walks OF life. One
scene is laia in blacksmiths shop, another IS
| the interior of Missouri cottage, but all the
details are faithfully carried out and there is
| picturesqueness in the realism of the way in
| which the play is staged. Most of the perform
ers assumed the slow. drawing accent as if to
| the manner born.
| Nat Goodwin was seen to excellent advan-
| tage as Jim Radburn. He conveyed to the
audience in the most natural way the manIi-
ness, the slow, dry humor, and the underlying
! current of pathos which were characteristic of
the Sheriff's role. Frequent applause showed
that his efforts met with thorough apprecia-
| ton. Louis Payne gave clever rendering to
| the part of Dave hired man, in love with his
masters daughter, who could not have her till
| he got a steady job. "And can never have an
hour off to get a steady job!' was the hard
| working Dawes lament.
| Clarence Handysides was effective as Joe YER
non, the blacksmith. So was Frazier Coulter as
| Colonel Bollinger, a politician. The other
male roles were in the hands of actors who
made of them careful character studies. AS
! Kate Vernon, Blanche Walsh was fairly effec-
| tive, though she was too cold aud lackadaisical
| for an ideal Kate Miss Ethel Browning gave
a spirited Interpretation to the part of
| Lizabeth Vernon, Kate's sister, who had no
craving for the higher education, but was con-
tented to wallow in placid Ignorance.
! AT the Orpheum.
! The chief novelty at the Orpheum this