The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-04
GOSSIP OF THE THEATERS
The Man From Mexico" Is
Bright and Witty.
A ILEVEL-HEADED AUTHOR
A Telegraph Operator Who Won Fame
Between Tricks = "a Prisoner of
Spain" at the CIR and-"A Bunch
of Keys" Is Up to Date.

bright, witty and humorous lines, and
| the way Willie Collier says them is
sure to produce a gale of laughter for
each one.
Bars all around and I can't get
drink" plaintively walls the man as
he does his lock step in prison on
Blackwelrs Island.
II have been in better jails than
yours" says Won Bulow Bismarck
| Schmidt to the warden, as his breast
swells up with Teutonic pride.
| The italian waiter, who is also doing
a term on the island, has a brilliant
plan of escape
| when / blowa da whees', you killa
da ward he says to his distinguished
| fellow prisoner
And what happens them" asks the
Man.
Il makka da gran escape
| When the Man completes his 80 days
| on the Island and returns home from
his supposed trip to Mexico, he often
| finds himself cornered in trying to an
| swer questions about that country, but
naturally inclined to the truth, he tells
| his wife, Il found Mexico nothing but
| a CELL
He tells her about the pleasures of
| boating on the river.
What river?"
THE Amazon"
! but the Amazon isn't in Mexico"
"Oho, yes; but it hasn't been there
| long. Hal ha! Mexican joke-just
| Niyyn Il Lave
| See? ?"
The author of my Friend From In
| dia' and The Man From Mexico" is
Fl. A. Du Souchet, telegraph opera
| tor, who, between tricks scrubbed
away at a manuscript in his desk,
evidently proved to be one of the great
| est farce successes of the day When
My Friend From India made a hit
| and the managers were tumbling up
stairs to find out if Mr.. Du Souchet
had any more manuscripts concealed
in his desk. they found the level-head-
ed telegraph operator still busy at the
key and not at all anxious to give up
| the surety of a small salary for the pos
/ sible success of second dramatic eff
! fort. Il can keep on doing this said
| he, tapping the key of his instrument,
''and know just what it will pay me.
I don't know what my second will
bring me in, so l guess I'll hang on to
| this bone until ! see the naturalization
of the dramatic shadow And Mr. Du
Souchet stuck to his telegraph desk
! and in his off-time wrote THE Man
| From Mexico The piece is not altos
| gether original. being founded on a
piece by Gondinet and Bison, those
| merry writers for the French stage.
But Mr.. Du Souchet has localized the
| Gallo farce, and in SO doing has prac-
| Ia "a
written the dialogue, making it, to all
intents and purposes, new play. 1T
| was originally produced at Hoyt's thea
| ter, New York. last year. where it en-
joyed a run of months. The press was
unanimous in its approval. and old and
hardened theater-goers were enthusiasts
tic over its brilliant wit and ludicrous
| situations
| The new war comedy drama "Pris-
oner of Spain,' will open an engagement
of two nights at the Grand tomorrow
night. The press throughout the coun-
try have nothing but words of praise
for play and company. The piece is
| said to be written on strong lines and
| embraces many opportunities for effec-
| tive staging. There is said to be a
bright vein of comedy running all
through, furnished principally by the
awkward actions of Ole Swenson, the
|
| the newspaper correspondent The play
has for the basis of it's story and ac-
| ton one of the most sensational ep-
| 1sodes OF the recent wharf.-the battle al
| Ell Caney, near Santiago. The cast all
| through is strong and embraces some
| well known members of the dramatic
profession. Special scenery and effects
have been prepared by the celebrated
| artist. Arthur Hurt. showing Cuban
| landscapes, Spanish block houses and
| Notifications. Incidental to the second
| act numerous up-to-date songs and
| specialties will be introduced by mem
| bers of the company. A realistic mach
| etc fight between the American captain
and Spanish general is feature of the
| last act.
"a Bunch of Keys" polished I'D to
date, Hoyt's best satire, still possesses
great attraction for the theater-going
public. 1t is essentially an entertain
ment for the masses, and in that draws
the patrons of farce comedy This rat
Ting farcical production bristles with
funny situations so closely following
upon each other that the audience is apt
to be in continual peal of laughter
until the final fall of the curtain.
Nearly every one is familiar with
the funny hotel scene, with the two
upstairs, and the queer scrapes which
Snaggs, the legal gentleman who thinks
he can run hotel, gets into as much as
any one would laugh at any minor en-
barrassment of an old acquaintance
The songs, dances, music and medleys
which form no small amount of the
entertainment. are said to be entirely
new. The company claims to be the
strongest that ever presented this rat
ting satire and headed by Ada Both
ner as Teddy.
"A Bunch of Keys" will be at the
Union Family theater Monday night
for a week.
Frank Daniels first weeks engage
ment in San Francisco has proved a
| record-breaker, the management of the
Columbia theater announcing that it is