The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-30
Reilh'S Opsra House.


That Tim Murphy, the well known
comedian. and his excellent company gave
patrons 81 kcith's Opera House last even
ing a couple of the plcasantcst hours they
have enjoyed i'm sometime cannot he ques-
toned by anyone who witnessed the
double bill of "Old Innocence and
"Sir Henry HynOtized. T" The pertor-
nance was i'm every way worthy OF
larger audience but there could not have
been "A more satisfied one.
Interesting and amusing and the posses
sar Of many fine stage qualities that In
whatever character he represents he Il
bound 10 be- never overshadowed as Mr..
Murphy is, the charming comedy Of "Old
InnOcence, ~ II not a one character piece
There is the happy combination of impor-
tant parts and of parts that are slighter,
that I'm fact seem just Ia suggest pleasure
in the piece which Is AN adaptation from
the French comedy Les Pcttits Orseaux, "
or the birds. Its fun is keen and lively
enough and so irresistibly funny
arc things of "a serious nature made
that everyone Is constantly laughing
There is no such thing rs a dull mo-
ment in the comedy and the contrasts are
good and every one Is shown before the
curtain goes down on the final scene that
while things may be amusing they have
another side, and that good lesson can
be given IL "a pleasant way just as well
us III any Quiet lHls vi
course is the object of comedy not only TO
amuse, but To instruct. The part of j.
Green or "Old Innocence, offers Mr..
Murphy ample opportunity To show his
personality and he won new friends last
night by his clever work in this role and
there can DC little doubt that many dur
ing the present week will embrace the
opportunity of witnessing how well he
can personate the good and generous man
and also the suspicious one The thing Is
well worth the seeing. J Green Is an
elder brother and has reached go years of
age and always trusted men and women
when he is visited by his brother Flint
Green. The latter part Is taken by Mr..
jackson in manner that leaves nothing
10 be desired and in which every attention
was paid to the characteristics incidental
To the name
Flint comes to New York to see his son
whom he has left To his own resources for
two years, and whom he Uses i'm II pretty
tough way. He, i'm an off-hand, but
effective way, sneers at his brother
ideas, and finally finds that an old coach
man of his brother has tried to work
quite an imposition on the hitter. fhc
elder brother Suddenly becomes suspicious
of every one. He measures the brandy he
leaves on the sideboard To sec that his old
colored butler ".Ioe" does not steal IL.
He had promised his friend, Mr.. Good
friend, To loan him $4,000, and then he
discovers that Goodfriends son has pro-
posed To his daughter, when the father of
the young man was in pretty hard straits; /;
the brandy bottle he finds less full, and
he thinsk his wife coquctte. His family
thinks he is out of his mind for he de-
mands and keeps possession of all the keys
and then he sends u refusal of the loan he
has promised. This letter il never de-
livercd for the money il not needed.
Then the bank fails i'm which he has all
the money but the $40 600 he drew out 60
loan his friend. The latter comes TO his
rescue and the old man finds the letters
he quarrelled with his wife about were
his own that the son knew nothing of
his fathers difficulties when the proposal
of marriage was made, that his brother
drank the brandy instead of his butler,
and all ends with the good-heartcd man
findtag his first ideas the right ones.
AS Ben Green, the son Of Flint, FrankColt-
man was natural and his conception of his
part added no little to the SUCCESS of the
comedy. Miss Dorothy Sherrod as
Olive, the daughter of "Old Innocence, I"
was particularly clever in her work,
which, however, except in one place, was
not particularly important, but then she
did decidedly well and her charm as
well us the easy engaging way of Jane
Holly made choice bits of the evenings
enjoyment.
When the curtain went down on the
third and last act of the comedy all of
the east were called before the curtain
and given n hearty reception. Mr..
Murphy, who had been accorded this
honor previously, made a brief speech
and told good story.
"Sir Henry Hypnotized" consisted of
brief but interesting impersonations Of
the following characters, Miss Shcrrod
giving pleasant introductions to them all ::
Henry Irving, as Matthias; John i. Ray
a.. II. M,,Il ..1.
Joseph Jefferson. as Bob Acres; Lawrence
Barrett as Cassius; Sol Smith Russell,
as Noah Vale; stuart Robson, as BERTHE,
the Lamb Major William Mckinley,
William j. Bryan.
The same attractions will be at the
theater every evening this week and at
the customary matinees.