St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-10
AT THE THEATERs.

Charley's Aunt" amused an appreci-
alive audience at the Metropolitan
opera house last night This farcical
creation owes its popularity to its
oniqueness. The public may applaud
the conventional. for applause is cheap,
out 1t delights In the novel an eccen-
tr1c. If the union Of the two be skillful,
and bestows upon such a blending, un-
stinted appearance.
"Charley's Aunt does not radiate
the wit Of Sheridan's School for
Scandal" or 1.-The Rivals" but it pre-
sents succession of ludicrous pre-
dicaments and complications that ex-
cite laughter without awakening stern
thought. And everybody laughs all
the heartier because thought is fast
asleep, dreaming Of consistency, logic,
reason and all those bug-a-boos that
make the "grasshopper a burden"
IL would be unjust, not to saw I'M
gallant, to ask "Charley's Aunt to be
consistent, old as she is She Is too
loyal TO her sex to belle it. It is to the
credit of the creator of this faughable
concelt that, although he is compelled
10 metamorphose a college student into
an elederly aunt, he never forgets that
Charley,s Aunt may forget. And she
does. She Is nothing if not inconsist-
ent. Her failure to remember throws
her into commissions Of laughter, while
1t plunges her pals into paroxyisms of
perturberation. 1t Is ell very funny
and all very ingenious.
1t does not often fall to the LOT of the
constant theater-goer to praise COM
pany Of players which, twelve months
ago. did not provoke noticeable compli-
ment. In this instance, the constant
theater-goer" is bound to commend a.
performance which he could not con-
scientiously praise last season. The
cast is substantially the same, but the
performance is unequivocally superior
The electric response of the audience to
every clever touch indicated that
The burden Of the play rests upon
Arthur Larkin, whose pepper and salt
trousers are exhibited In a brief prelude
and are afterwards concealed behind
solemn black skirts. Mr. Larkin has
improved since his last appearance
here in this role. He has elaborated
his conception. His sense of its absurd
1ty is keener. His "effects"-that word
the prosaic stage manager is wont to din
into the ears of the novice-are more
palpable. Perhaps Mr.. Larkin shows
his trousers at the expense of his skirts
too often. Yet perhaps there are many
idle eyes in the theater, that would
never see those trousers and skirts
IcNiiCOdoly ui1lcSS MI. LdTkln en-
phasized their co-existence. Actors, like
newspapers, bow to the public. ORA
matte license covers sins as we'll as DO
etc and political license.
Comment upon this performance
cannot stop without crediting Ray
mond Capp with refreshing piece Of
acting. His ompersonation of Jack Ches-
ney. one Of the Oxford students. was
most agreeable and unaffected. Addi-
son Pitt played the companion part
acceptably, possibly as we'll as could
be asked. Jacques Martin showed
commendable discretion and intelli-
gence in inparting to the waiter an
unobtrusive individuality. The role OF
servant is almost as ungrateful as
that Of the king in Hamlet"
Charley's Aunt" discriminates
against the ladies of the cast -Four
appear, and they are all vital to the
story, just as they are in real life. But
Brandon Thomas has cruelty robbed
them of every good line in the play.
1t is therefore an empty compliment
to say that Grace Thorne Coulter is
the pictorial embodiment of a Brazil
ian donna and that Marie Anderson
and Rose Hubbard are girls whom
OXFORD students cannot resist