The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-04
Providence Opera House.

1he Colonel. .................. Charles Stanley
TIE TIE JUDGE Advocate. i. 4 L' %en. %,5seh
Ibe surgeon. .................... john HninDd
The Bandmaster. ................ Will Distin
The Private. ...""""...Fra frank Lawton
The Lieutenant. .......".... John Marble
vivnndiere. .......,........... Alice Campbell
mary Bum
.......,....,.... Aimee Angeles
The Standard Bearer. ........... Jack Warner
All OF the above belonging to and being part
Of the Rensome Guards.
The Dear Departed ..........George A. Besns
T5SSs prphan Rr,snd iSSiarisse Agnsw
The Bereaved. Sallie Maddern
The drum corps consists Of Miss sadie Car
Isle Captain, Vera MarkiIlir. blanche
Palmer. Maude Dalton, Minrie Briggs.
Tho messenger boys. Ida Mansfield. Julia
Raymond. Emma Myers. Jenoie Barton.
Tho hand, Mile Cox Jr., PM Heisol.
Shields. Ad Dorsh, Ed Brown
The general verdict by the large au-
dience i'm the Providence Opera House last
evening was that "a Milk White Flag"
seen for the irst time in this city, was
about as much fun as that frolicsome
farce writer, Charles Hoyt, has yet pre-
sented. Judging, from the continuous
laughter that Tiled the theeter the play
was a hit. IL seemed 10 touch the funny
bone of everyone present, consequently
the audience and the players were on the
best of terms. The performers on the
stage realized that their efforts and the
they did their best. IL was an unusually
competent company of specialists, too,
with comedians who had sufficient capa-
city to maintain the amusing idea OF Mr..
Hoyt who made a funeral the ground
work of his entertaining nonsense. The
Ransome Guards had a rival military
company and the effort to eclipse their
funeral-which broke up in a row
formed the basis of the farce.
MIR. Hoyt's stage craft was particular
ly noticeable here, for he made a grue-
some subject seem as bright as a freshly
coined penny and just a. unobjectionable.
He has eclipsed former fnrces by his sur
prises and some of them are almost start
lingly funny. Some of the situations
are particularly grotesque and they come
unexpectedly. For a m the spec
tator is induced to forget his mother-in-
law and enjoy himself uproariously.
There is no exaggeration in the state
ment that q better pleased audience never
left the Providence Opera House. IL 1t is
true that a little nonsense now and then
is relished, etc., then "a Milk White
Flag VIII be Just the thing for those
who have had a burden of seriousness of
late.
The reproduction of the clothes that
Napoleon wore and a clever caricature of
that genius by Mr.. Stanley, was extreme
ly ludricous. Private Lawton was one of
the hits of the popular show. lis dane
ing, grotesque movements and whistling
solos, suited every one. Undertaken
Marble was the essence of farce comedy.
HIS speech and action contributed liber-
ally TO the chunks OF mirth. Mr.. BeGne
made a grotesque animated corpse, and
Miss Madden had the right atmosphere
as his widow. Miss Agnew was a particu-
larly bright member OF the company and
her singing and dancing vas in much
demand. -.
There was n group OF pretty girls hand
somely gowned as soldiers, and messen-
ger boys and drummers in slightly cos
TUNES. The stage was u~ncommonly at
t~ractive in special scenery and alto
gether "a Milk White Flag" was satisfy
ing TO those who frequent the theater for
entertainment. Mr.. Hoyt's farce will be
played all the week, including Wednesday
and Saturday matinees.