Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-15
CHAMBLEE
 BROTHERS.
THINGS DRAMATIC.
Hail to "The Rainmakers." ]"

The phenomenal success of Donnelly and Girard in New York with their latest comedy, The Rainmakers," has been the theatrical event of the past season in the metropolis These clever comedians and their entire New York company will present this great comedy success at O'Brien's opera house tomorrow evening" The press of New York is united in praise or the new comedy. and brief resume of its principal features may not be amiss at this time. "The Rainmakers" is from Hhe pen of Frank Dumont. one of the cleverest of playwrights, and was writ ten especially for the comedians who are to present it here.
 In the opening scene Of the comedy the interior of the Hotel Chick is disclosed, wflh Mir. Donnelly in the role of chief clerk and MT. Girard as Bottles, the head porter of the establishment The pro- prietor has become involved in financial difficulties too heavy to bear, and has absconded, leaving numerous debts and no assets He leaves the hotel to the care of Perelval Alright (Mr Donnelly) ana departs for more congenial climes The rise of the curtain discloses the force ~ot servants on strike for their wages. ana Percival Alright finds himself in decidedly warm quarters. The fun be- gins at That moment and Is continuous throughout the three acts that follow Among the guests at Hotel Chick are Press Stage. a modern actor, Otto Wink elsptel. German inventor scientist and ranmaker, Mrs Gen Piper Heidseick, wealthy California widow, with pro- nounced ideas of her own and with a dis position to marry. The inventor, the ac- tor and Percival Alright are rival suit ors for the hand of the fair widow and as matter of course, are furiously ieaI ous each of the other. But Percival has the call and Is about to marry the fair creature; Phelix Bottles his porter. dressed as a spinster rushes upon the scene and claims him as her husband The marriage Is prevented and Percival leaves the hotel, followed by his faithful Bottles, who is sincerely sorry for the trouble he has caused.
 In the next act the country home of the actor is visited. The widow is his guest and his prospects are rapidly improving when the arrival of the two Sports" mixes matters up trifle. The sports are Of course, ,Percival and Phelix, and they are ready to undertake anything that will bring in dollars. The German scIen- list has arranged with Press Stage to produce a shower of rain for a finan- cial consideration and has deposited great number of explosives at safe place near by. Through subterfuge Phelix and Percival get the bona fde rainmaker out of the way and deter mine to make that little fee themselves They steal all his rockets, dynamite bombs. mortars and explosives and then boldly announce that they are ready to earn the money forthwith. Although profoundly ignorant of the use of any of the ranmaking appliances, they pos sess self-assurance to great degree and determine to set the entire lot off at once The result is appalling. A thunderstorm -ensues, followed by a terrible cyclone which blows everything off the stage bodily. There is a deluge of rain and absolute ruin reigns in the once peace ful valley.
 The third act presents a series of spe- eialties replete with all that is new, in- cludlng the wonderful electric march The company is an excellent one throughout. and the comedy is the fun n!est play of the country.
 The storm scene in the second act Is a marvellous triumph of stage realism The ingenuity to plan and execute scenic effects has reached such point of per lection that no author can write a play too intricate for the ingenious stage man. ager.
 Wonderfully Fnl,rt New Drama
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