The times., 1898-10-18
AT THE THEATERS.
coIumbin-.The Meddlcr.,

tion last night at the Columbia. when
that brilliant actor-his press agents have
always called him '-steriing"-stuart Rob-
son,presented for the first time in this city
Augustus Thomas's comedy. THE Med
der" The machine alluded TO proved. in
this case, to be the product of an au-
dience that filed the theater from the
ground UP and left small margin. De-
spite the treatment accorded him in New
York, Mr.. Robson fearlessly set the
wheels In motion, and his results took the
form of numberiess Fashionable. warrant
ed-not-to-split-the-gl bursts of ap-
plause, with an ovation that lasted fully
five minutes after the second act. If Mr..
Davies's metaphor be allowed to hold
good. the local power may be said to have
again taken the form of reversible "en-
gine." Gotham did not like 1.-The Med
der and apparently Washington does.
Besides his description of the piece as a
comic comedy" its author has led one
to infer that his latest effort is a play
of manners. While this measurement
does not quite hold good without tapping
at the back, II may be remarked that
THE Meddler" is emphatically a social
product. In its construction Mr.. Thomas
has never descended to being anything
more than amusing. and the situations
usual even to- the most sober offerings
are. in this work, supplanted by the
quietest sort of Incidents The comedy is
smooth and graceful, largely because it
never varies from certain degree of
strength and because there can be no val
leyS without Hills. From the conventional
standpoint there is nothing in THE Med
dler"-nothihG' but intensely witty lines
and an entertaining humor, that has no
depth beyond that of the moment.
Were 1t not that the action-what little
there is of H-never lags for a moment
and that the developments merge into
each other with the swiftness only pos
sessed by Kansas zephyr or the slides in
a cinematograohe, one would feel tempted
TO say that Mr.. Robsons latest acquisi-
tion Is essentially the work of lazy man.
Mr.. Thomas has begun his labors with a
very casual and rather expansive plot,
has started his incidents there and then
without having taken the trouble to
ground them with any degree of firmness
has let them drift along heedlessly until
one has forgotten the primary and objec-
tive points in enjoying the interest that
each of the scenes carries with it. Ex-
ceptinS for its value as an excuse for one
thing or another the story has little to do
with the play. AS may be imagined from
this, Mr.. Thomas has built upon thor
oughly original lines. his methods ap.
preaching those utilized in such comedies
as "A Scrap of Paper more than any
thing else. And the only real energy dis
played in the entire authorship is in the
formation of some delightful bits of word
play-puns worthy of DR.. Johnson. par
adoNes fit for the volumes of Hood, epi-
grams that might have emenated from
Oscar Wilde and bits of repartee worthy
of shaming Sydney Grundy. And the aud
ience smiled at each of the figures used
and retained many of them for study in
the quiet of its family circle
THE Meddler'' is not verbose. but 1t is
a verbal play in which the situations. in
cidents and climaxes all come by speech
rather than action. In such a piece an
| attempt to describe the plot could only be
uniust and unsatisfactory
Liking Mr.. Robson is. to a great extent.
matter of taste. and there are those
who declare that his squeak" has grown
very tiresome. Be that as 1t may. the
fact remains that the star is certainly
scholar and an artist, whose mastery
knowledge of cause and effect aud whose
delicacy of touch have made him one Of
the greatest actors of the day. Last
nights audience enjoyed Mr.. Robson all
through, and then wished there were
time to begin again. Theodore Babcock
too, is wonderfully clever fellow whose
portrayal of the semi-villain Chandler,
| made one think of f. NJ. Holland and
that players remarkable reserve while
the work of Theodore Hamilton and Har-
old Russell could only be praised for its
finish and fidelity to nature The novel
ist in the play is cast-as novelsts al
ways are in plays-to a boyish chap who
| looked and seemed more like a Eanker's
clerk than an author; George Pauncefort
being the parsonage named. ]. Goodman
| Braye, a gentleman of color. made an
| excellent servant.
| Of the ladies in the company, of course
| Marie Burroughs came first by right of
| her ability, her beauty, and her gowns
| Her conception of the role assigned her
! appears to be rather superficial one.
| but it is, nevertheless well drawn and
well carried out. Miss Burroughs is a
| convincing actress of more than ordinary
| talent-talent the luster of which cannot
| be dimmed by what seems to be too
whimsical and light a Characterization.
| Mrs. Robson looks to be a big betrothed
! for so small a man as the star. but she
has played the part to advantage in real
| life, and must, therefore. be given tie
benefit of the doubt. Maud Granger and
! Gertrude Perry contribute largely to the
| enjoyable rendering of a most enjoyable
! play