The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-08
PLAYS NEW ON OUR STAGE.
MAT IRWIN IN a BALLAD FARCE BY
GLEN MACDONOUGH.

Kip. Buyer" and "The Finish of Mr..
Fresh"-Anne Sutherland in A Anair
of H~onor''-NIny KeliRrd on Exhibition.
May Irwin 10 the kind OF an actress to DO
classed as an entertainer. Her personal humor
and dominant individuality overwhelm her tai
emit as an actress. She has cleverness In the
assumption OF character. but II IL not re-
markable, and IL small in ratio TO her unc-
tuous, spontaneous. good-natured merri-
ment. The play and the company are
important. yet secondary. TO her sue
cess with audiences. She is a farcical rough
rider. and her enthusiastic followers include
the most fashionable people and those that are
least so. All kinds were mixed at the Bijou
last night, when she began an engagement with
a new play. and. as there was no competition in
novelty at the theatres. the contingent Of
" first nighters" was numerous. too. A farce
written for her by Glen MacdonouEh. and en-
titled "Kato Kip, Buyer" had It's FIRST New York
performance. In 1t Miss Irwin figured as a
hustler. Within three hours OF netting time she
arrived in a Western town on a wrecked rail-
way train. found that her brothers fortune de-
, pended on the Legislatures decision be-
tween two cities as the State capital, es-
poused his seemingly hopeless cause, fooled
and wheedled the leaders Of tho opposition
over to his side. pretended to be two mems
daughter, one mans wife. and two chill
dren's mother. lost her lover. won him back.
and carried the political fight to victory. The
role was perfectly adapted to Miss Irwin.
and, besides that, the play was q rat
thing good farce. overladen with complica-
lions OF plot, and with come expedients
Of fun which failed. but with so many that did
not. with so much OF nimblo wit. and with such
q preponderance Of matter for the chief actress
to use effectually that the SUCCESS with the au-
dience was something tremendous. Not since
Mr.. McNally's 1.-THE Widow Jones" has she
had anything like SO valuable a play.
Miss Irwin knows on which side her bread is
buttered. 1t 10 said that she would like to dis
card songs and rise to legitimate comedy. But
her public will consent to no such thing.
Well aware Of what is required Of her.
she sang last night seven new comic ballads.
nearly all negro character pieces. and most
Of them were received rapturously. Her
voice was strong. her spirits high. and
she made every point in them count for more
than It was intrinsically worth. Notwithstand-
ing all that she did. she had consented that
CITIZENS should have good things to do. Joseph
Sparks and lgnatio. Martinetti had their accus-
toned characters Of an 1rishman and a French
man to enact, and. each had a frst-rate song.
They are essential aids to her, and she had never
enjoyed more help from them. The three other
actors OF any consequence were efficient new
members OF her COMPANY. and 50 were six
t%resses, This fresh show OF COMBINES was made
especially attractive with good raiment, and by
adroit groupings in several scenes. A scene
Them Il Mnt to- a t %eonee Mer and Sa she EiI fSf q t mSD By bS t tefie
Ing their fortunes with cards, was about as
We have had on, the stage in a long time:
Whether it was due to Miss Twins W skill
hired man. the effect there and in some other
passages was excellent. Much that might easily
t hSys farce 9eep f6 5oRS On T VA a smoSt6 6s ! so eoI nllse a6m s !
much OF the time.
The revival of what used to be called farce
comedy" for the want OF a better name. is
coming about in q curious way. The school
that was represented by THE City Directory"
no longer survives in the flrst-class theatres.
unless some strong personality gives 1t q rea-
son for existence. The experience of recent
years has shown that its success requires O very
p~uissant talent. Built about a predominating
central figure. 1t receives some degree OF popu-
lar favor. But the genus is practically extinct.
The saving grace of vaudeville. however.
has brought 1t to life in those theatres
which hesitate to enter into rivalry with
the houses avowedly devoted to va
riety. and evidently it is likely to lead
q vigorous life In this renaissance whether or
not 1T is to be prolonged. Mention has already
in. reality built about variety programmes
offering their sparse dramatic incident at the
TfShs st Is n aoH f9tw ype Of tine @e flSSe 9 @a e tSnty s sss.
that could never be obtained before. Rough
Finish " Of Mr. iP.i Fresh" 'a at the inat Star Plan last I nieht W was
in a high degree illustrative Of this new ten
american farces have lately affected So far as
the str}I 5r59 o. n INNS S sihoST : : It. might have - been .ss as a 8
q e%ff'itShs them o' Bur t k'V was SIS merely ner Glo ysu SdSnfifileva'ITf Us
three acts, for all the continuity they possessed
might have been three afterpieces of the kind
Star. 1t followed the formula OF the new melo-.
drama IN supplying all its theatrical moments
had the merit Of am using the audience. The
intervening vaudeville was OF good, quality.
mary straightaway variety theatre programme.
Those advantages are enough to Justify the
spolcsie sSho Bu e Riusst oes not' ey TRe II 1t nHe e
Strongly. II saw its f&aSorite variety peTior%-
Pyins fooHHr-ffths Of the y" ev tG n IL doing daS Their Their
F Pfsf he Of MI rh Fres TaS sshIsSRHIsyh po % %eK With t the
spectators, and their attitude seemed to show
that they were ready for moro OF the Same mix
ture.
THE Duel " was the medium Of Anne suth-
erland's vaudeville debut at Proctor's Theatre
yesterday. 1t was also the first stage use here
OF a dramatic incident suggested by the we'll
known painting OF two women in a combat
with foils. and called an Affair OF Honor"
The promoters OF "A Dangerous Maid" at the
Casino. declare that the idea was stolen from
their piece. with which Miss Sutherland was
familiar. employment. In it having been offered
to her and refused after the dialogue OF the
scene In question had been read to her. Yes
terday's programme gave John Nj. Morton as
the author of The Duel" It was in the studio
OF an artist in the Latin Quarter OF Paris. A
professional model In peasant garb had been
posing for the painter. In ten minutes OF slow
md fAHinna tnlE n MN IAun1nnnI thnt
a sufferer from a sentimental disappoint-
ment OF years age and that his former
Paris, titled ana wealthy, Az ayowal Of his
widow appeared, She found the artist cold to
her and accomplishing better work than that
70 which her posing had ever inspired him.
Jealousy moved her to destroy his unfinished
picture. Then came the other. and a quarrel
ensued. A teunt by the model so anGered the
other that she seized a foil from the wall and
t %akss t 4 yiG sSs c DSss TIs5 Il tbhf p m9dsl o Tsi
chose her weapon. She had reappeared in, the