The times., 1898-08-30
AT THE THEATERS.
columbaa-...T,,at Man

oDtumDtH-<sENat glun ~
To even the most critically inclined the
opening of a new plays season is not
unlike the opening of the lid over new
Jack-in-the-box in that no one can tell
just what is going to come out of it,
Audiences may applaud and dramatic
writer's go away pleased without mate
rally affecting the future of the piece
either in one manner or another. And
this is about all the comfort one gets
from trying to decide what to think of
A. NJ. Palmers new farce, THAT Man."
which was given an original production
last night in the newly decorated and
thoroughly renovated Columbia Theater.
That the house liked the entertainment
afforded 1t there can be no doubt. Every
one laugher uproariously, everyone fol-
lowed that endeavor TO split his sides
with an equally persistent one TO split
his gloves, and Manager Palmer was
Obliged TO make d neat little speech at
the close of the third act. And yet even
the most enthusiastic must have come TO
the idea that his smiles and his plaudits
had been frequently cheated out of him
by anything but legitimate means. Like
the Quaker who started out TO make
money, the authoress had evidently in
tended to win-fairly if possibly, but TO
win, nevertheless.
In the first place THAT Man" begins
with the seed of most ludicrous idea.
Two married women are suspicious of
their husbands and so create profession
al jealousyproducer TO fiirt with them
until the willful Benedicts are brought
to terms. The root is taken carefully
through the tangles of piquancy of
first act and has grown cleverly into a
hardy trunk by the beginning of the sec
ond. But there, instead of sprouting into
a dozen side issues that might all branch
out gracefully from their source, the
tree lets fall other seeds which also take
10 the soil and produce still other dis
tinct and separate growths of their own.
AS a result the farce is not always, If
ever. either coherent or cohesive. 1t con-
sists of dozen sketches held together
by the fiimsiest of unlikelinesses-at all of
which the audience laughs.
This explanation of the state of affairs
would not be nearly so close TO the truth
as 1t is at present were the second act
only completely cut out. The scenes in
that are not only unnecessary, but dull
and wearisome. With their removal the
farce might be much more closely knit
together and the full effect of the clever
first and. the remarkable last act might
be felt. Both of these are striking exam
N of
deserve all of the applause they received.
In brief, the piece is a marvelOusly orig
inal one-perhaps one of the most mar
velously original farces ever produced
here-but still full of improba bilities and
laXities that need recufying. Made less
diverse in plot and more climaxical in in
cident. it has every chance for the sue
cess presaged by the enjoyment of last
nights audience.
The cast Of characters of the comedy is
In the hands of excellent people. First
and foremost of these Is Reuben Fax
who has been seen here both ais Svengali
in 'STriiby" and as the bishop in What
Happened to Jones" His impersonation
of the professional jealousy producer is
one of distinct and we'll conceived worth
AS clever thing of the sort as Wash
ington has ever seen. Jennie Weatherby
comes next in point of ability, her por-
trayal of the conventional old lady being
50 good that ono cs.aa- forgive its more
thau-farcial exaggeration. Mllet Pillar
NORM is stupid and tiresome as the en-
chantress of pair of husbands. played
and becomingdy played by William Ber-
nard and L. ". Morrison. Both Edith
Athelson and Edna Phillips, the wives,
seemed very nervous yesterday, but did
extremely well nevertheless and carried
off a large portion of the honors. while
George Ober is as ever capital as
wicked old man; Clifford Leigh is a rnedi-
ocre valet, and Stella Kenney, Clara
Everett c. F. Burnett Harry Levian,
and John Go7p,az fiji the smaller parts 10
advantage.
The tastine5 of decoration n the reno
vated COLUMBIA evoked much admiration
before and alter the performance, while
Sol Minister'S orchestral concert in the