The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-15
out March list. The Gordon Hat.
"A BACHELORS HONEYMOON"
A Rare Treat Given by Good Players mt
the Margaret

the marEafei.
"A Bachelors Honeymoon came and
conquered. There was a little. uninten-
tional Misrepresentation in some of the
advance notices furnished by the COM
pany's agent. The statement that there
were 1855 laughs in the comedy is false
on the face of it. There are only three
laughs and each laugh begins with the
rising of the curtain on each OF the
three acts and ends exhausted only at
ter the curtain falls. Three great-souled,
life-giving side -splitting laughs The
kind that makes one conscious of ribs
and cheek muscles. No. There We're
only three laughs. but they We're sucn
Gargantuan laughs as would crack the
death mask on mummys face or a.
gest a Heiogabalus dinner-a much
more different task.
Ii is Il long time since Anaconda has
been able to see and enjoy a comedy OF
such intrinsic worth as was presented
by the players last night, or one which
was so cleverly interpreted. There was
not a false note from beginning TO end
either in the comedy itself or in its
rendition Its modest subtitle of a
"farcicaI' comedy is misleading. To
the modern theatergoer farce is so often
synonymous with horseplay and other
banalities that Mr.. Stapletnn in justice
To himself, his work and the public
should insist that the word fareical-of
goodly and respectable lineage, no
doubt, but in bad company now-should
be vigorously expurgated, 1t Is too
good work to have the word farce con-
nected with it. 1t has too much of the
flashing wit and humor. of ready re-
source and human, ever changing IN
terest. which gave Sheridan his sue
cess, to go under any other title than
comedy. In "A Bachelors Honeymoon
Mr.. Stapleton has produced clean,
. rod - hn
with rare fun and master mifth
maker.
Like Too Much Johnson" with which
one almost unconscously compares it,
"A Bachelors Honeymoon takes its
motif in the inevitable tangles of deceit
the twisted troubles born Of one simple,
well-intended, little lie, which, as lies
WILL has an innumerable progeny And
that one lazy little lie, apparently harm
less, follows its unfortunate author
from climax to climax until the curtain
falls. That is all there Is to it, No
plot. no villain; no deep laid plans: no
palpable excuses on which TO hang mys-
ferrous and tiresome specuations, bur
instead a simple story told with rlcn
humor in the most laughable manner
possible.
Happy as was Mr.. Stapleton in his
idea, he was more than fortunate in
having his mrth interpreted by such
players as presented ii at the Margaret
last night and While none of them need
praise, all deserved the warmest. Nella
MacLeods work was excellent, unaf-
fected and natural. even 10 the little
bit of slang which naturally sounded
ineongruous and harsh in the surround
inga. And If it should be suggested that
the calisthenic costume was injected
into the play for a purpose. well, II can
easily he forgiven when the purpose IS
considered.
Nita Sykes conception of the prim.
precise Puritan aristocrat with will
and a mind of her own was most
excellent piece of work. Virginia Jack
son as Marianne was "all right That
expresses il exactly and needs no elab-
Grafton, and it's also needless to say
that she has a clue which she can cas-
lily follow up to much higher things
than subordinate parts. Florence Mil
ford and Phyllis Ashc0m as the daugh-
tiers. while cast for parts in which II Is
difficult to do good work, acquitted
themselves with credit. George +. Nash
as Benjamin Bachelor. was even better
than his reputation, which is saying
much. Horace Thrum recognized like
true artist the deadline between horse
play and comedy and religiously OBJ
served it, Robert Gibbs made a de-
cided hit and was a fund of laughter
In himself While William w. Jefferson
as Stephen Hawston showed himself in
excellent training for the paternal man.
tie, If there is ever one save the father
who can wear 1t.