The evening times., 1898-08-30
AT THE THEATERS.
Co,um.,.-..That Man,

Despite the efforts Of spigrammatists
and paradox writer's 1t is not yet usual
to be unusual. and. therefore. when so
extraordinary a play as that produced
for the first time on any stage last night
at the Columbia reaches the range Of
vision one hardly knows how to consid-
er. Certainly, whatever may be said of
it from other points of view, A. NJ.
Palmer's new farca That Man." is
unique in every way and not least of all
in its construction. Perhaps this oddi;y
may be more the result of accident than
design, for some of the novelties seem
more like blunders than anything else.
but charity is the queen of virtues and
the audience of yesterday evening was
disposed G1ly TO take the queer play at
its face vaIue and to laugh uproariousiy.
II not always with reason.
Ones first Impressions of the piece are
excellent. The idea that forms its germ
is not only ludicrous, but is also orig
inal. and promises complete freedom from
mistaken identity and other time-wo-n
devices to amuse. When the entertain
ment is over the auditor decides that he
Is nevertheless disappointed and that
the theme has either not been developed
along the right lines or not been grasp.d
at all. He realizes that much of his
laughter has been illegitimately won and
that in some scenes his risibles have
been tickled only by absurd costumes and
make-ups. And yet That Man is a
fairly clever piece of work. not partic-
ularly well-handled but which promises
much upon being revised.
The worst fault of the comedy Is its
lack of coherency and cohesiveness The
plot has a tendency TO stray and be
merged into half dozen minor stories
that are irrelevant. dull and intensely
stupid. This is particularly true of the
second act, which has so little bearing
upon the remainder of the piece that one
can only think of IT as monologue writ
ten especially that Mile Pilar-Morin may
display her doubtful accomplishments
through ruse that is both inconsistent
and Improbable Either this should be
left out altogether or it should serve as
the explanatory first part about which
to build another som of farce. Its re-
moval would, however enable the other
incidents 10 be knit more closely to-
gether into a sembEance OF form that
would fulfill expectations instead of
merely promising to do So
After being pressed together That
Man must take to Nself complica tions
cihmaxes, and incidents that will prevent
its depending aftogether upon the prin-
cipal male character to pull 1t through.
As it is the fosbies OF that role make the
first act delightful. the third act tolera-
BILE. and the fourth remarkably and un-
reservedly funny-i1 comparative alb
sence from the second contributes to the
wretchedpess of those scenes. That
Man is at present the play of a per-
sonificac:on and not of what 1t or any
thing else does.
Almost as the farce SINNERS down 10
one part. and is of only varied excellence
outside. the company resolves itself into
the actor Reuben Fax, who always plays
that part. Mr.. Fax has builded his con-
ception of many things, has embelished it
with the voice of his bishop. in What
Happened to JONES' and with the laugh
of his Svengali. and yet 1t impresses enc
as being a peculiarly witty and praise
worthy creation. The artist-and Mr.. Fax
is an artists truly funny, and his char
acterization Is consistent and distinctive.
Tom Harvest, Jimmy Dalton, and Theo-
dore Vane, two wicked young men and an
old one are well done by William Ber-
nard, E. W. Morrison, and George Obe-.
the work of the former at the close of
the play being particularly fine. Edith
Athelson Edna Phillips. and Jennie
Weatherby are all inclined to overdo a
trifie in presenting the wives, but are still
in two cases. winsomely pleasing. ana, IN
the third. humorously so. Mile Pillar
Norm, the motive spirit in the affair.
does not seem especially entertaining, and
displays none of the chic that made her
notorious in New York. while Clifford
Leigh IS a mediocre valet and a number
of minor folk fill in the remaining roles
passably.
The Columbia will be closed after the
present engagement for one week, open
ing its regular season on September II
with 1.-The Hula Girl"