St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-16
AT THE THEATERS.

An English farce by Robert Buchanan and
q. Marlowe entitled '"The Strange Adventures
OF Miss Brown" was presented for the first
time In this city at the Metropolitan opera
house last night. Additional interest attached
to the presentation, inasmuch as 1t served to
Introduce Eddie Foy as a star In a new line
of work.
According to all reports the farce has scored
a hit in England, and also met with success in
New York CITY, 1t Is somewhat on the order of
"Charley's Aunt" in so far as the principal
character, Capt. Courtenay, in this case mas
querades through most of the play in female
attire. The similarity between the two farces
ends here, however, the plot being entirely
different.
1t Is not difficult to conceive that company
OF players specially adapted to present this
laughable absurdity might make a box Office
success Of it. Perhaps the company that ap-
peared at the Metropolitan last night may ac-
complish this in time, but at present there is
lack OF the smoothness and spontaneity that
are so essential to the effectual presentation
of farcical creations Mr.. Foy himself is far
from being at home in the character Of Capt.
Courtenay-afterwards Miss Brown. Natural
ly, he is funny, for there is laugh in every
line of his countenance, but it is evident that
his assumption of the role Is so recent that he
has not yet formed any definite notions as to
the most effective style of playing it.
1t cannot be denied, however, that the farce
is replete with the most ludicrous and laugh
able situations. some of which come near
o'ersteppng ''the modesty Of nature''-that is
to say, they are trife suggestive. In what
respect can be imagined, inasmuch as Miss
Brown finds himself housed in an academy
for young girls, under the supposition that he
is one of them.
The cast includes Harry Brown, c. ]. Bur-
ridge, James E. Sullivan, George CASTOR, Efie
Dinsmore Lizzie Morgan, Miss Page Newcomb
and Lizzie Conway.
"The Goth Century Girl which began
weeks engagement at the Grand opera house
last night under the direction of Frederick
Hallen, is a most entertaining compound.
The most captious spectator could not deny
this virtue to the burlesque in the face of
the shouts of laughter and the vociferous and
frequent applause with which the performance
was greeted by an audience that filled the
Grand to overfowing. "The Twentieth Gen.
tUry Girl'' is designated the programme
as "a lyrical novelty in two acts" 1t is the
joint work of Sydney Rosenfeld, the prolific
librettist Of American burlesque, and Lud-
wig Englander, who has contributed as his
share of the labor pleasing suficiency of
tuneful and spirited music. AS the title of
the production indicates it is a travesty on
that nm de steele creature, the new woman.
For the purpose of emphasizing the mannish-
ness OF the new woman, the author has in
troduced a character known as "The Boy
Spinster," thus affording numerous oppor-
tunities for amusing contrasts between the
masculine woman and the effeminate man.
The success Of the performance is largely
due as 1t must be in all creations of this
character
tertainers composing the company Mr. Hal
len has displayed commendable sagacity in
selecting such tried and competent performers
as Gus Williams, John T. Kelly, William
Cameron and Miss Molly Fuller, who, of
course, plays the title role. The plot of
The 10th Century Girl'' matters not; it is
sumclent that the incidents are laughable.
the action always brisk, the dialogue terse
ana spicy and the specialties exceptionally
prlght, and many of them novel. OF the
TWO acts, the second is the livelier II lasts
nearly an hour and a half, and is literally
crowded with laughable situations and clever
speclalties that receive encore upon encore.
MISS Molly Fuller wears beautiful bIoomer
COSTUMES and sings new and witty songs
aoout tne new woman and her bloomers.
1uS "iilans entertains the people with the
pest OF MS perennially pleasing speciaItie~
anu sirgs some of his recent songs while the
audience could not laugh too much or too
long at John T. Kelly's Hibernian Diversion.
ana lnimitable brogue. The widest entbusi-
asin was evoked by the dancing specialtv CON
trlputed oy Mr.. Cameron, the "boy spinster -
anu MISS georgia Hawley, who furnished an
amusing travesty Of bloomer clad princinaI
OF female seminary
ne ourlesque is handsomely costumed and
ehe chorus sings unusually well.