The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-08
AxrUsEMENTs.
Ths Practical Joke THAT Aurustss Thounas
Played On the Psor Crtterisp.

Played On the Psor Criteriop.
TIT Criterion Independent Theatre came to
pitiful conclusion yesterday afternoon. A
few mourning friends were present when I
died, and about as many witnesses were dis
posed to umile over the final struggles OF the
poor thing. The postponed matinee at Hoyt't
had boon advertised to begin at 2 o'clock. but
there was q disposition on the part Of the audi
cnce to miss q part of the ordeal by arriving
late, and half an hour was devoted to waiting
for these tardy ones. The curtain was raised
at halfpast 2 on an English translation Of Giu'
seppc Giacosa's italian play. ''The Rights Of the
Soul" It was in one act, and its m po'
tency was about equal 10 that which one of
Anthony Hopes Dolly Dialogues would have
IL acted seriously on the stage. Its talk was by
q man who loved his wife jealousy, and had
good reason to doubt her reciprocity OF his pas
sion; his wife, who was true to him physically,
but In her soul was profoundly in love with an
other fellow; her brother, who tried to patch
up o peace between tho pair, and o servant
girl, whose only apparent object was to show
her legs by wearing skirts shortened to her
knees. This piece was well enough expressed
as to language. and would have served as q sec
ton of q possibly interesting long play. but
standing by itself It had no theatrical value
whatever. Any adept and fluent writer could
turn of the equivalent of ''The Rights of the
Soul' every work day in the week, and then feel
no mental fatigue requiring rest on Sunday.
The last half hour of the expiring Criterion
Independent Theatre was occupied by From
q Clear Sky" by Henri Dumay. 1t was q
melodrama in intention, but o farce in fact.
There were three characters-a wife. her pros
emit husband, and her past husband. She was
confused about her love. and she told each that
sho loved him best. The past husband was a
hustler. and he grabbed her away from tho
present husband, but not for keeps, because the
present husband at once killed the past hus-
band with a gun. 1t was an altogether ludi-
crous piece Of work, and the faithful adherents
of tho author were visibly depressed, while tho
unfeeling strangers jibed.
But tho real fun of the occasion came be-
tween the two dramas mentioned and was a
practical joke played by Augustus Thomas.
The Criterion folks had sent to him for material.
They meant to give the professional American
dramatist q fair chance for glory. Mr.. Thomas
yielded up a sketch that had been written for
vaudeville use and had been performed last
was called Shat ovcrcoat." In it a risky
young wife and her grim mother were visited
in q divorce suit. He brought champagne along,
drank 1t with his wife. circumvented his mother.
i nstinE. s sFiiaampsed and oyer ree sG%s f ths loved iniFi and
loving one. THAT Overcoat' would have been
o merry thing for a quarter of an hour II 1t
oording to previous contract. in the ~"contin-
uous" bill at Keith's week after next.
Tho treatment of the three plays was very
poor. Obly Elk actors had been hired. The
dominant presence of such a strongly indi-
S Siss,l Tss 81 81 Iiiu q ! HENLEY Sri in R fl iss f s i r Sss
artist, but his loss of voice incapacitated him.
Besides that, he did not know his lines and had
not digested their meaning. Elita Proctor Otis
played q short part intensely. but, by an unfor-
tunate error in makeup, her black-lidded, eyes
in an otherwise very white face turned her
beauty into caricature. A. s. Lipman and
Carrie Keller were unprepared in their two
roles apiece. The performances were more
The scenery was makeshift, the furniture mis-.
cradle. and the entire affair. put forward as
object lesson in dramatic art, would have
q repertory company on the Oshkosh
circuit. So the Criterion Independent Theatre
passed away in silent contempt and open ridi-
nule