The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-04
"a SCRAP OF PAPER"
A Delightful Hot Weather Performance
at the Park.


1t does not require a vivid magma
ton nor any strain on the journalistic
conscience to pronounce the effort of
the Park Company this week thor
oughly breezy and delightful perform
ance. "A Scrap of Paper" is light,
witty and sparkling-just the sort of
piece needed to counterfeit the heat
and though here and there in the trans
lation are noticed places where the
French original must have clashed with
American moral sensibilities, the play
ers render the situations with such
delicacy that those who come to be
shocked remain to be amused
This comedy masterpiece of Sardou's
is too we'll known to the theatre-going
public to require an extended descrip-
ton. The story how Prosper Coura-
mont's three-year-old love letter drives
him all around the world and finally
unites him in marriage to charming
woman, though not the original mate
of the letter, is a familiar tale, but
when told as delightfully."- as Mr.. Yves
ton and his fellow players render it,
Is always worth listening to.
Mr.. Weston and Mr.. Barringer are
ton, who rumor whispers has cut a
wide swath among feminine hearts
since his local advent, makes his first
entrance clad In dazzling white fan
mel suit and accessories, in which he
looks handsomer than ever. In the
second act admiration changes to pity,
for he has to wear a heavy fur over
coat wrapped tightly around him. Mr..
Weston finds a congenial role in the
airy and careless Prosper, and does the
most genuinely satisfactory work of his
engagement. Mr.. Barringer, though
an excellent actor of serious parts, is
essentially not comedian. He, how
ever finds his second self in the Sc
verely practical, unimaginative and
rather ponderous baron, and deserves
to be credited with a hit only subordi-
nate to the leading man. Mr.. Kranz,
| who has heretofore been doing juve-
niles, shows surprising versatility and
considerable character talent as the
old entomologist, and Mr.. Harrington
| as comic butler with the amusing
catch-phrase, wouldn't that jar yer?"
scored laugh at every entrance.
Susanna, the heroine of the quick wit
and Gallo temperament, falls to Flor
| ence Baker, who essayed the role at
two days notice, and played it as
though she had twenty. Miss Baker
| has the invaluable gift of intelligence,
which counts for much; but in a part
like Susanna, whose essential charac-
| teristic is lightness and froth, the SOM
breness of black gowns is handicap.
The audience found the bewildered de-
spair and the pink ribbons Of the young
wife to be better framework for Miss
Casmere's pretty face than her former
heroic style Of parts, and appreciated
her accordingly. Miss Aiken adds an
other to her gallery of capital character
portraits, and Miss Morrisse makes ev-
erything possible out of the ingenue
role.
The feature of the production is the
| setting of the second act, representing
the den Of the curiosity collector. Mr.
| Weston took this in hand, and Dor
rowed from everybody in the city who
he could learn possessed rare articles
of vertu or bric-a-brac. The result is
that the setting includes over 600 differ
ent articles, and takes rs minutes to
| prepare, but when finished, 1t is a YER
liable museum and alone worth the
price of admission.
A special matinee is announced for
this afternoon. At all the matinees of
the week. ladies who attend will be re-
warded with a cabinet photograph of
| Kendall Weston.