Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-06

The firm Of Rich & Harris had reason to
think well Of Omaha, for several Of the most
successful plays with which their name has
boon Identified have either been frat tried
on the Omaha dog or have been started fairly
along to prosperity with an Omaha boom
SO had John J. McSally. for his sprightl,
dramatic writings have always found read
acceptance here. And so had the good May
Irwin. who never fails Of the hearty Omaha
welcome which many coyct and which few
obtain
For such reasons and for others only less
cogent, all these Interested parties con
spircd TO give this favored city a first view
of the new piece, "Courten Into Court
which Rich & Harris own, which McNaly
wrote aud in which Miss Irwin fills the lead
ing role. II is not often that local thcater
goers have chance at a genuine first night
And yet to hear certain glib talk OF "Omaha
frSt-nighters." and to note how the opening
performance Of a three-niRht stand is pa.
tron2ed while others may suffer. one would
get notion that there was some danger
that a habit might be formed. However,
last night there happened a real premier
"CourtCd Into Court" Yves safely launched
on what bids fair to be prosperous voyage.
Author, monarcls, players and public were
pleased with the showing made And the
piece, having been tried. aforesaid, on the
dog will be prunGd and revised little more
and then offered as tid-bIt to the delicate
and capricious metropolitan taste OF New
York.
"Courtcd Into Court Is In three acts and
the story is Of the present. Try to fancy
May Irwin in a drama Of the past or Of the
future! It played last night without
other scenic accessories than those afforded
by the local stage and in the costumes which
have done duty in other fields. The clothes,
however. we're well enough, and even the
lack Of scenery did not seriously clog the
march @! events
To frs. act opens tedously, with the vi
vacIour sally Cohen doing housework in
short skirt. II is to be hoped that Mino Cohen
Is not wooded to the idea that a sOubrette
cannot ba a soubrette in a rational dress.
Perhaps when the new costumes come hers
will be found to reach to her ankles as the
others do. Everybody was nervous in the
first act, and doubtless it will go better
another time. But 1t seemed to lack ''gin-
. ger condiment which Is not apt to be
wanting In Mr.. MCNally'S writing. The gpe-
CialtieS are punched at the end. after the
authors habit. Why they could not be as
well interspersed with the action of the piece
and so have a valid reason for being is not
quite apparent; but Mr.. McNally's method is
otherwise and since the spccialties are eN-
ceelngy clever after their kind one is thank
ful for them whenever they occur. The sue
cess Of the piece really began with Ada Lewis
"Oomplh" song. which though net new Chav-
ing been employed for some time past in The
Widow Jones'O, had never been heard in
Omaha TIL last night. This walked the audi
ence from the lethargy into which it had
been falling. and some rattling songs by Miss
Irwin and Joseph NJ. Sparks brought down
fhc curtain amid a veritabie whirlwind of ap-
plause. Eight rapturous curtain calls rewarded
MigI Irwin after this act. Mr.. McNllly being
accustomed to consider critically his own
worl, rs well as the work of others, can
readily determine how much of the enthusi-
agm which prevailed at that point was due
to thc specaltics and how much to what
had gone before.
The nncOnd act went with much better
effect than had been expected of II from the
rChearsals. and may fairly be said to have
contributed as largely either OF its fellows
to tho success OF the play. 1t was here
that the want of special scenery was most
keenly felt The set shows two apartments
with partition between, impenetrablc save
by q practicable trausom, through which
sounds are heard and other commodities are
exchanged, which bring to a head the gather
ing domestic storm. The supper will give
an excellent opportunity for color group
irgs when suitable costumes are provided
and Miss Irwin, for the first time in her life
has q genuine emotional scene. She does II
well, as a matter of course. She does moth
ing badly But she will be longer remem-
bored in other lines of artistic work.
The third act Is continuous uproar and rio.
1t IL set in courtroom with Sparks on
the bench, and Misc irwin applying for d-
yorce from Rice II is undeniably funny.
and clever I'm the way of some bright hits at
the absurdties of legal procedure, but it
is so utterly unlike any court of justice in
the civilized world that 1t lacks even that
verlsimilitude which one expects in MIR. Nc
Naly0 style of farce comedy.
There is less dancing in "Courted Into
Court" than in "The Widow Jones'" but
oTuite "a many songs, some of them very good
indeed. Miss Irwin has one. "Crappy DAN,
which will give The New Bully" hard run
for first place in the popular heart and
three or four others fall to her and are taken
care of in her inmitablc manner. The
HakCwaik Down to JohnSlns." "Dere's Hot
Time N Oldtown Tonight" Ma Lulu" and
"Oh Babcr are some of them. Sparks has
1 first rate song which concerns the two
!, legs of Maloney, Roland Carter sings q
y Capital drinking song at the banquet and
Sally Cohen peases in japanese ditty.
Tho company is for the most part ad
mirably cast. Miss Twins part and John
Rice's ft them like the paper on the walls
as they should, having been made by clever
workman thoroughly familiar with theiI
measure. Ada Lewis made distinct anC
decided hit in a German dialect role. This
clever and ambitious young woman displays
anew her versatility with every fresh par
she essays. Joseph NJ. Sparks was entirely
successful as the Irish judge, and Jacque:
Kruger did excellent work as the drunken
parent. George w. Barnum always an ad
mirahlc character actor, quite outdld MN
Self in the part OF the Russian baron.
was as Clean-Cut and consistent piece
OF eccentric character work as has been seer
on the local stage for long time.
"CourtCd Into Court received witt
marked appreciation last night. Unless al
signs fail, It will be a success Whether /
will ever quite fill the place of The Widow
Jones" Is a question for which time mus
furnish the answer
The Creighton Theater School of Elocu
tion and Dramatic Art is being formed int
stock company, after the plan followe,
by the Lyceum theater in New York. Th
organization will appear during the winte
at various adjoining towns, including Ere
mont, Lincoln, Plattsmcuth and Council
Bluffs
Its first appearance this season will b'
IS y y -