The times., 1898-09-04
CHANCES OF SUCCESS
THAT Man. Laughable, if Poor.
ly Constructed.
MAY DRAW IN NEW YORK
Notes From the Exchanges-!mpres
hearsai-A Curious Criticism on
the Acting of Snrnh Siddons -
Other Theatrical Items.

If anything in the way of an object
lesson was needed to show why it is that,
like doctors. critics and audiences often
disagree, that something would have been
furnished in the presentation last Monday
of A. NJ. Palmers farce THAT Man.
With one exception. none of the local
papers found very much to admire in
the work and said so plainly and yet,
despite the weather, the Columbia was
well filled at every performance during
the week with crowds that laughed up
roariously at every scene in the play. The
reason need not be long sought after.
That Man was builded upon a novel
foundation of real humor, and it provid-
ed considerable enjoyable material for
the average auditor. But the dramatic
writer was not prone to condone faults
that seemed to him unnecessary and by
no means trivial-terrible errors in con-
very few.
Undoubtedly the offering was full of en-
| tertaining situations The very theme
! was extraordinary and thoroughly funny.
But the piece was replete with rough
nesses and repetitions, diversities and
needless declarations, improbabilities and
! Inconsistencies. The plot was neither
well developed nor were all the opportuni-
| ties. with which It abounded, observed.
Many of its incidents might have been
profitably omitted, and indeed, had the
| second with re
| of what had already been explained, been
| given over in part to the first act and
| in part to the third acts. the comedy
would have been much improved. These
| were only few of the faults that were
| detailed in the Tuesday criticisms.
Much could be gained by their eradi-
| cation, The humors of the play. the many
exceliencies that do exist. and the possf-
| bihues of its original theme give great
| promise for its success. after careful re-
| vision. THAT Man will never be an ex
| ceptional farce-it cannot be given the
smoothness of What Happened 10
Jones'; the quaintness and ingenuity of
The Private Secretary" nor the hiIari-
| Gus fun of "Chariey's Aunt" But Il may.
! be readily grated into a remarkably good
| and pleasing comedy-one that may be
counted on as a go" both artistically
and financially
| Unchanged and unaltered, Mrs. Char
| tre5's work may attain much in New
| YORK. The mere fact that It is sufficiently
| laughable TO enable one to while awav q
pleasant three hours while listening 10 II
might be counted upon to fill the house
| at which 1t was presented Stranger
! things have been known TO happen. But
| the probabilities are that. in its present
state, That Man" would be. in the Me-
| tropolis or anywhere else a fat and
tasTeless failure. That il was NOT would
be anything but complimentary to The
crltlcal ability of Gotham's theatergoers.
Truth is stranger than fiction" and
| often one hears Of things that can hs
! vouched for as having happenad b,,,
which are much more pathetic or humor-
Gus than any novelist could have evolved
| in It's "On the RiaIto" column the ORA
matte Mirror of a few weeks ago related
an incident for the verify of which IL held
| itself responsible, that can only be spoken
oil as being most impressive The writer
| says:
m The dingy East Side hall was m,rsty and drtv.
The aroma of stale beer and tobacco iuicc-sol,ye
mrs OF the tough balls OF the last Season
stlli relgned unmenaced 10y breath Of fre.b air
Big shades. discolored BY the stains OF ti,ne
and weather and mixed drinks obscured the
| dusty windows and suffered the entrance Of A
~ pm AdNS oi sunlight tHlt seemed tlmEi aud
| ashamed On the riekety plltfurm where tha
band had played for the balls, stood little
group Of men and women. speaking in sthlueI
| voices. At the piano seated middle-aged
man with unbrusaed clothes, who held batwe .,
| his teeth ragged cigar stump. 4 pretty girl
with blonde hair and much stperfuCus ieweIrv
hummed coon" melody to his solt-prdal ar
compartment Across the floor tall well-dresseI
arctic
Guess he's figuring how to make us do four
teen changes in two hours. whispered the pretty
girl to the piano player. ''Why doesn't he
start the rehearsal?'
'.Madge amt here yet returned the musician.
| she was awful sick yesterday, but said she'd
be all right today. He's worried about her
Nothing serious, is itF' asked the girl
perhaps caught cold in her chest at Ceney
Island Sunday. Had doctor last night II
anything happened, Rcsie, you might get her
part
'.Pshaw." the girl exclaimed. ssDon't TAN, like
| that. Look at him now!'
The man who had been pacing the floor had
paused to take massage from 4 telegraph b Y.
| He pushed back his derby he pressed hand
| to his forehead. Then he came quickly toward
| the group the platform.
you can all co. he said. abruptly; there
| won't be any rehearsal today" Turning. he
moved rapidly to the door and disappeared The
men and women on the platform looked inn,,ir.
| roll OF paper that lay upon the piano
Here is Madges music he said to the blondc
girl. You might take IL along and look il
| over
| Something quite as interesting though
| In different way comes from the Kan
| sas City Star of a few days back It Is
| the copy of a criticism published over e
| hundred years ago in the Dublin Journa
on the acting of Sarah Siddons and may
be counted upon as being thoroughly
| authentic. 1t reads:
Yesterday Mrs siddons, about whom all tn.
| world has been talking, posed her beautiful
| adamantine. soft and lovely person for the fss
time in the Theatre Royal Smock alley in the
| bewitching, melting and all-tearful character o.
| Isabella. From the repeated panegyrcs in the
London papers we were taught to expect The
sight of a heavenly angel. but how were we
supernaturally surprised into the most awful joy
in beholding an earthly goddess The house wa
crowded with hundreds more than it coulC
hold %, with thousands of admring spectators
who went away without a sight This extraor
binary phenomenon of tragic excellence th
star of Melpomene, this comet of the stage, th
sun of the armament OF the MUSES., this moor
of blank verse, this nueen and princess of tears
exceeded expectations, went beyond belief, ant
scared above all powers of description. She wa.
nature itself; she is the most exquisite worl
OF art; in short, she the bouquet of Par
nassus. Several persons tainted before the cur
tain went up, but when she came to the scent
of parting with her wedding ring, oh, what
sight was there! The very orchestra, ''abeit un
used to the melting mood wept like hungr,
children. Nature sure, in of her beautifu
moments, in one of her humane leisure hours, il
one of her smiling days, in one of her weepin.
months, made this acme of perfection Oh happ,
HibeTnia! blessed isle, what bright excellence o
excellence stands on the turf of thy fruitful earth
Not only does this show the veneratior
and admiration in which the star was
held but it throws considerable light or
the style of dramatic criticism in vogue
at that time. If any enthusiastic idiot
L tnIl