The San Francisco call., 1897-10-05
JUST ANOTHER
HA-HA COMEDY
Ashton Stevens Reviews
Du Souchet's Friend
From India."
Bret Harte's " Sue " Kindly
Received at Columbia
Theater.
"Rigoletto" at the Tivoli-A New
0rpheum Bill-The Other
Houses.

Mr.. .Ha.Ha Du Souchet-on the play
bills it reads merely "Mr. H. A. Du Sou
chet," but the audience ar the Baldwin
last night found no trouble in spelling it
out in full-has written very ha ha
little farce, which is called my Friend
From India" l am forced 10 confess
that this little farce, which was pre-
sented by snug little band of
experts, has but one redeeming feature
it makes you laugh. There is nothing
else TO be said in it's favor, and none but
persons who are willing to give up two
hours and half of precious after-dinner
time to ha-haing over three acts of incon-
sequential absurdity should assist in fill
ing the Bald win Theater as it was filled
last night.
If myself had not laughed at all this
at the funny situations, at the good Jokes,
at the bad ones-I should be in hitter
hunor now for a cold blooded considers
tion of Mr.. Du Souchet's right to assail
the great institution of comic play writ
ing. Mr.. Du Souchet, when he is work
ing. is telegraph operator for the
New York Tribune and it is a
grave point if telegraph operators should
be granted privilege that is denied
The makers and breakers of the drama
thG CIlLlCc. CdI lIlfdSluc lllc Feelings OI
William Winter. the souiiui critic OF the
Tribune, wuen he awakened and found
Du Souchet famous. Mr. Winter knows
everything about playwriting except the
Morse system.
Mr.. du Souchet's farce Is simplicity 1t.
self. Instead OF building it around q
funeral or a pesthouse, as Mr.. Hoyt has
builded, or around a betrayed hus band, as
Mr.. Thomas has DONE he has taken one
of the fundamental personages of the
American gag-ihe barber-and made
him the central butt of three acts of good
natured scramble and misidentity.
This barber, very properly. is not seen
in the practice of his craft. Waking up
one morning the barber finds himself in
the household of a family of the name of
Underhoit-good Kansas people bent on
forcing an entrance into New York So
ciety - and. at the instigation of
the dissipated SON, assumes TO
it is inferred, is a thriving fad in metro
politan society, and in the barber the
Underholts think they find their open
sesame.
The barber assumes the name of Rev.
James Tweedle, who turns I'D to claim it.
OF course. BY the same good old logic
which reasons that two pigs under gate
Will maze more noise than one, Mr.. du
Souchet discovers that three Revs. James
Tweedles will make more fun than one;
he masquerades young Underholt and his
chum IN Tweedles' garb and confronts
them with the original.
Meanwhile the barber has got himself
up in Imitation of the leading female
comedy person and there is fun to spare
This last is truly the supreme instant of
the piece Behind a mirroriess mirror
frame stands the theosophic barber in
feminine clo hes, before it comes the
woman. They are dressed alike to the
last hatpin. He follows her every move
ment and the illusion is tremendous.
The com pany fits the piece. John f.
Ward especially is convulslag in the part
of The bar ber and Frederick Bond infuses
large genialIty into Underhoit pere, Miss
Helen Relmer Is the felicitous victim OF
the mirror ruse. There are several good
looking young women who wear wonder
full gowns and voice their nes steamfuilv.
ASHTON STEVENS