The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-20
DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL.
GRAND.

Grant Stewart has written a comedy that
will survive and contribute to the health
OF the American people by inspiring their
ris1bes, after Mr.. Stewart has taken those
liberties with play which IT is the province
of the author to take after his offspring has
been tried on the public.
Mistakes VIII Happen is the name of
Mr. Stewards production and 1t was gwen
for the first time before any audience last
evening at the Grand opera house. With
the single exception Of two minutes that are
given over to the reading of a speech by the
lngenue in the last act, which speech, in
justice to the public should never again be
read, there is not period in the play where
in the audience is not engaged in laughing Or
In listening to the dialogue in anticipation
OF laugh. The plot that has been con-
ceived by Mr.. Stewart is extremely clever in
Its possibilities, the dialogue is at times ex-
cruclat1ngly funny. But the true but cruel
pencil blue must be given some play before
1t will be all that may be hoped for It, On
a single performance it would not be fair to
say that it is great comedy, but it possesses
inherent good things that are entirely origi-
nal, and being written In, and cut out, 1t
should prove among the best Of the things
that we have had from an American play
wright.
American stage literature is not so rich that
we can afford to treat lightly production
winch so truly portrays type of life known
10 large portion of the public as that de-
picted in Mistakes VIII Happen II the
author had sustained the pace set in the
hrst act there would be no doubt but that
ne would be entitled to a place among the
very first Of those who have written what
purported to be American comedy The play
is absolutely true as to dialogue; true also
as to the writing of character. 1t is Ameri-
can 1t is not an adapted farce. And being
true in these respects, 1t lis calculated to
stimulate the genius of the American stage
1t IS unfortunate that the movement of the
second act is not equal to the dialogue and
that, as the dialogue is written, the act can
HOT ne maze to tit with 1t. The possibilities
OF the second act are greater than in any
comedy that we have seen the stage of
recent years. That it is inconseouentia1 Is
not to be considered, for the play is really
farc1cal comedy. The story in brief is:
An actor and actress are secretly married
-'he necessity for the secrecy not being ap-
parent except out of Difference to the preiI-
dices of some wellknown American man.
ayers. The actor has written pay and he
ara MS wife set about finding an angel
TO produce the play. Tom Genowin Charles
D1ckson), the actor. falls in with a Young
woman! Mrs. Hunter=Chase ,(Miss Angela
Doiores), who has an idea that she is an
actress and who has possessions in the form
of a rich and ancient husband The ac.or's
young Wife Dorothy Maryland Miss Crave,
Scott becomes acquainted with Mr.. Hunter.
Chase q. B. Everham). Each iadepen1ant
OF the other. seeks to interest the moneyed
ones IN the play that has been written Mrs
Hunter-Chase wants to star in the piece as
an amateur, and makes an appointment to
have the play read to her and rehearsed.
Mr.. Hunter-Chase does the same. The wife
makes the appointment with the actor. the
husband with the actress, and the play IS to
De rehearsed by both in the stable of the
Hunter-Chase household and at the sam.
time Mutual discoveries and the loyes of
a groom and maid are Incidental to the sec
ono act. while the third act. makes everything
satisfactory to the parties concerned and
the audience, by the clever turning Of the
tables by the actor-husband
Mr.. Dickson is a capital actor. He does
his work with vim that is commendahe
and he has very nice sense OF the humor-
GUS he treats humorous situations as though
they were naturally humorous, and appar-
emily with no idea that trey are built to
make people laugh. Native humor is above
par. unfortunately, with American actors
and Mr.. Dickson stands almost alone in pos
sessing the capacity of doing and saying
funny things with an air of producing
laugh He was the life of the piece He
had an adequate knowledge of what was
expected of him, and was altogether equal
to every demand that was made. He was
extremely funny in the reading of lines t. I.
required absolutely true reading to make
them appreciated, and did full justice
to the very funny lines that fell to his part
laugh followed on almost his every ut
terancc-a tribute to the actor quite as much
as to the author. The horse play in the c.
end act, in which he puts on disguise
might have been quite unhappy in it's effect
in less capable hands. MIR. Dickson quite
demonstrated that he could mike the 2 ay
one of the funniest on the stage after it FAD
been handled to some extent. So much bet
ter was his work that it inevitably suggest
ed that the lines were to soma extent his
1Wn.
Miss Scott is at ali times charming, but she
net quite herself in the first act last
night. In the second act she contributed
greatly to the pure comedy scenes and to-
night she may be expected to do perfect JUS
tice to the part of the actress wife. There
is no room for stage heroics in the play or
in the part that Miss Scott has been cast
for, and it may be expected that she will rot
again be called upon for the speech in the
last act. 1t jars.
Mr.. Everham is cast for a part that re-
quires delicate treatment, and he plays with
the caste and discretion that mark the fin
ished actor. The suggestiveness that might
easily enter into the reading of the part is
entirely lost sight of by Mr.. Everham and he
does full justice 20 the portrayal Of the e'der-
ly, but not too designing, stage ange..
Miss Dolores is a very handsome young
woman, but she was too conventional in ner
work. Lack of rehearsal may, in her case
have interfered with her doing justice to her
work. AS an amateur she was too near the
life
Miss Oesterle does the.fpart of German
maid in a manner that has the merit of be-
ing unique. She is b.! no-means the conven-
tional maid and sheitan act.
Mr. Shackelford was of Course good In the
character part Of the ccafhman. lie is al
ways acceptable.
The piece was at times heavy, but not
enough to detract from its really great in
trinsic merit. 1t is very taughab,e; the lines
have snap to thefH that is inspiring; the
second act is entirelgs original in it's concep-
ton and is set with fidelity to life tina. is
worthy of all commentator and before the
end of the week it Will be given with much
better effect. Its raVdless being worn off and
more rehearsing being had, Mr.. Stewards
comedy is Likely to do justice to its author
and take place among the really fine CONS
dies on the American stage. The audience
last night was enthusiastic, and there were
curtain calls fer Mr.. Dickson and his asso-
ciates after each act. The same bill during
the week.
Locusts Stop Trains.
After the rinderpest the locusts have come
to South Africa and trains now beng
stopped by them.