The herald., 1898-10-07
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AT THE THEATER
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LOS ANGELES.-That the reign of
farce comedy upon the stage is not entirely
over Is proved by the success that has at
tended the performances of George H.
Broadhurst's What Happened to Jones"
wherever 1t has been given, and 1t has been
given a great number of times and in many
places.
The author follows the convent tional lines
In constructing his piece. 1t is the un-
heard of and impossible in real life that al
ways happens in farce comedy The fun
begins when the respectable old gentleman
living In his own house, alarmed at the in
trus!on of stranger. instead of ringing
the bell or retiring to another room
promptly hides under the table, and then
the audience let's itself loose at the prospect
of more fun.
1t is the incongruity of the situations
that provokes laughter. and In this piece
the situations are plentiful, while there Is
no doubt of their incongruousness. Every
thing that happens Is an impossibility, and
yet there is just enough suggestion of real
lie, character and happenings to make
everything absurdly lud.crous
Mr.. Clarke's company is a good one for
the not very onerous work put upon it's
members. Clarke himself has to carry the
chief burden of the piece. He Is on the
stage nearly all the time, and to his exer-
tions as the resourceful, imperturbable
and mendacious Jones the success Of the
performance is mainly due. The half
dozen ladies who took part numbered
among them some whose good looks bal
anced their lack of experience. Hema,
the Swedish servant, was q clever bit of
character work by Maude Allison. Miss
Snider introduced a song, "As I Have
Chosen YOU" by the irrepressible Harry
Corson Clarke and she sang 1t very sweet
ly.
| There was one pleasing characteristic
of the performance, which was that the
l ,I,nr, Df H.
all acquainted with their lines, fact that
was quite relief after recent experiences
on the same boards. The action went with
| perfect smoothness and the dialogue had
the merit of being entirely clean and free
from those suggestive references that too
often disfgure similar compositions.
Altogether, 1t was a commendable per-
/ formance, affording as 1t did whole lot of
fresh fun, which made the evening pass
pleasantly enough The stage was hand
somely furnished. and the costumes of the
ladies were very becoming.
Some considerable disappointment was
expressed at the omission of the curtain
raiser, zone Touch of Nature" which was
given with the farce in San Francisco. In
the little comedy Mr.. Clarke has a chance
to play an excellent "old man" part, line
| In which he is seen at his best.
The following is the cast of What Hap
pened to Jones:"
Jones Harry Corson Clarke
Ebenezer Goodly Henry Hockey
Anthony Goodly. Bishop of Ballarat........
| ............................ John Allison
Richard Heatherly ...... Charles Charters
/ A Policeman ..................C. W. Terriss
An Inmate of the Sanitarium. ...............
| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Howard Adams
Mrs Goodly ............ Margaret Marshall
! Observation-Disclosures. Margaret Marshall
Cissy, his ward ......... Florence Marion
Marjorie, his daughter. Lillian Young
Minerva, another daughter ... Olive Snider
Alvina Starlight ........ Mrs Adele Clarke
Helma a.................... Maude Allison