The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-03-02
ART LEAGUE ACTS
Two Delightful Comedies Pre-
SGltGd Last NIGHT.
WAS GREAT DRAMATIC SUCCESS
Hall Crowded With Homo.
lulu People.
Performers Did Wen-Stage Set
ings BeautffuI-WiH
be Repeated.
WAS GREAT DRAMATIC SUCCESS

The success which has attended the
presentations of comedies by amateur
performers in Honolulu heretofore,
fully prepared the audience which
gathered in the rooms of the Eifohaiia
Art League last evening LOT Keen
endowment of the two comedies given
under the ausp-i~vs of the league.
ore---amount of interest has been
.-aen in the rehearsals during the
last few weeks by members of the
league and il was known on the rising
of the curtain that the evenings en-
tertainment was going off smoothly
The hall was crowded TO it's utmost
capacity. After it was comfortably
filled, seats were brought in and
placed in front and even with that
provision late corners were. obliged
to- stand. Admission was by invita-
ton only, to members of the league
and their friends.
The two comedies last evening were
"a Proposal under Difficulties and
The Bicyclers." Both were written
by John Kendrick Bangs. For pure
laughter-provoking perhaps no better
selections could have been made
Bangs can be funny, irresistibIy
funny and his stories furnish capital
entertainment even from between the
two covers of a book and embellished
by only his own headlines and pune
frrn DrrN ~Envr a f-y-I al
with appropriate stage setting his
stories are even better. His situa-
tions are new and grotesque and are
never tiresome, because they suggest
none of the hackneyed conventional |
plays which are often thrust upon an !
unwilling audience. Perhaps the two |
given last evening may be taken as |
representing his style.
The Proposal under Difficulties |
was given with the following cast:
Robert Yardsley," DIR. A. E. Nichols |
Jack Barlow" NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
....M Mr.. A. st. NJ. Macintosh |
(Suitors for the hand of Miss An
drews)
..M Miss Adele Widdifield |
"a much loved young women)
Jennie. Miss f. Ella Stansbury
"a housemaid)
"a coachman who does not appear) |
Robert Yardsley'' and Jack Bar
low are two suitors for the hand of |
Dorothy Andrews" New York girl /
of the type of the present day, ac-
compIished and versed in the art of |
pleasing more than one man at once. |
Jennie" is an Irish housemaid with /
a good rich brogue, who is little un-
certain in her affections.
The comedy has one act only and |
the scene is laid in the parlor of a |
New York house on a December after |
noon Robert Yardsley' enters, and |
finding himself alone allows himself |
10 speculate on the prospects Of his |
being accepted by Dorothy" His |
lack OF confidence proves stronger /
than his courage and he puts into exc
cution a happy thought which has !
come to him, to rehearse his proposal |
before the arrival of Dorothy. As h 1
falls on his knees before the sofa on /
which the absent idol of his affections
is supposed 10 be sitting, Jennie
enters the room unseen by him and /
listens TO his impassiOned wOoing-
When he asks the vacant air if she
who takes it 10 be genuine proposal
to her eagerly answers yes. Yards
ley is Mortified but is prevented from
making an explanation by the prOtes-
tatfons of Jennie" who has already
accepted the coachman. Robert
Yardsley" is impersOnated by DR.. y
E Nichols in a pleasing manner. His
eager desire 10 prOpitiate the absent
coachman prOvOkes the audience 10
laughter. The part of Jennie is
taken by Miss E. Ella Stansbury. Her,
imitation of the manner of the Irish
housemaids is excellent.
At this point in the comedy Jack II
Barlow" in the person of Mr.. A. st.
NJ Macintosh arrives on the scene
and each young mans attempts to rid
himself of the others company is
comical. Miss Adele Widdifeld as
sumes the role of Dorothy in a
charming manner. Her arrival is the ;
signal for successive attempts on the
part of the young men TO secure her
sole attention but neither seems to be {