The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-07
IN BROADwAYANDBOwERY
n NEW FARCE TN ONE AND a NEW
NELODRAAA IN THE OTHER

-
Hunny Comedians Richards asa Canneia Ap-
pear In "My ~Boys--Miss F~ltraiien In
"Mhdeiiuo OF Fort Reno IAN Astoria
Mornins Performance Of "Adeiaide."
Two always funny comedians, George Rich.
ards and Eugene Garfield, had funny things to
do In q new farce at the Manhattan Theatre
last night. William Gill had written my
Boys" for them, and. after using it sew.
oral months In small cities, they ven.
tured rather riskily with 1t into this
big ono. 1t was hardly At to perform
in Broadway, because its wit and humor had
been planned and executed for easily amused
audiences. Nevertheless, II caused much laugh
tor and some applause. Mr.. Richards figured in
It as a farmer who, In order to keep tho
fortune Of a ward In tho family. desired ono
of his four sons to marry hor. He gave $500 to
each OF three. and sent them out into the world
to mako their way In professions. with the un.
derstanding that tho one who returned wealth.
iest In two years would get tho girl for a wife.
Mr.. Garfield impersonated the fourth son, a
loutish fellow, of whom tho father expected
nothing, and who remained on the farm. Tho
farce began on tho daythAt the two years expired.
The three absentees had taken wives and were
prosperous, but returned in pretended~p poverty, 80
as not to seem eligible to marry the heiress. She
had secretly become q wife, too, and even the
lout had become n husband. The four couples
were assembled under the same roof ostensibly
as bachelors and maids. Out Of that complica-
ton a lot of foolery was extracted, with spells
OF singing and dancing to break the run of sub
terfuges and Misunderstanding.
Tho methods Of Mr.. Richards and Mr.. Garfield
are we'll known, and they never fail to produce
ludicrous results. Mr.. ellis processes Of farce
making aro also familiar and fixed. The present
combination of acting and authorship Is an
Entertainment not worth thinking about
after 1t, is over. but satisfactory enough
e aIsel Rl1egist wh So d Ssmsnd L S %iil dot vs sGS
we'll during the two weeks that 1t is to stay at
in. the company One Of them is Matte Keene.
who plays an Irish role. with much JUNCTION
some and who sings ballads with a rich con.
tralto voice and good expression, Carrie Rome
and sa a rs Stembler are singing aids, too, and
siderable vivacity and spirit in the whole repro
sentation.
The measure at the Peoples last night was q
very full one, and the quality OF the overflow
ing diversion wns remarkable. There were five
acts of the goriest Of border drama, yet when
tho curtain rose q quartet sang and four speci-
alties were performed before a hint Of any story
was given. The scene of this act was Fort Reno,
and the listeners to the specialties were soldiers
and camp followers How the entertainers
came there didn't appear: perhaps 1t was be-
cause other localities wouldn't have 'em. They
were o boy vocalist with q sentimental ballad
and two gestures. q tenor with tones like the
upper notes of q leaky clarionet, and two
women whit danced In short skirts. After all
this routine OF army life had been ex-
plotted, the character of the drama be-
gan to appear and become recognizable. The
hero was a half-brecd Indian. and he deserved
the record both for promptness and for t pink
and white tints of his complexion. The heroine
was the daughter OF a plainsman whose humble
hut had q practicable stained glass window.
Comic characters were q negro cook and a Ger
man high private. Officers with swords were a
plenty. and soldiers and Indians were employed
TO I'LL the stage. Spotted Tail. an Indian chief
with a record for badness, was one OF the exhibits.
Man-Afraid-of.His-Ma Make. j p and No Brow. chief.
tains of well-known Bowery tribes. Other aids
were four horses Of assorted sizes. ditto colors;
alive. hut decidedly moth-eaten lion. and more
nickol-pletcd revolvers, rusty muskets, and bent
swords than often grace even q Bowery per-
For four acts the plot and the variety show
battled on even terms. Occasionally there
p rsS1a s' a an ' i%%edi"scI fHns Ias stHEs S siond ae
would como forward to winsomely do splits, or
ard skin coat or to the fact that he had the long.
est revolver of the outfit. 1t was fully %one.third
S a1s siT Wss. and sSst a w tn' s Relfa eet w r nn ms ineh waist ia
the end the plot overcame the specialties. This
was distinctly the contes. of the play, which, SO
virtue was concerned, reversed the usual rules.
AT tho final curtain the stage was strown with
the dead Of the Custer massacre, over
G SinSaa d IA rr r9al s sndk e of teri s.tt r..
Geld were shown in tableaux General
Custer, the blond contortionist. Pawnee Bill,
and other doors. Of good. Whether their being
grouped there in strong limelight meant that
they were dead. as following history would have
them. or that they were preparing to join in a
specially to confound the butchering Sioux was
mot plain. But other things in the play were
not plain; perhaps the. ponderons, hero was tho
only really evident feature. Who the author
vas was not disclosed. The title was Made