The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-24
Excellent Performance OF Her New Farce al The
Providence Opera House.

May Irwin, more popular than ever
and with a fund of real humor and
sparkling wit that surpasses any OF her
former efforts. delighted a large and
fashionable audience at the Providence
Opera House last evening. 1t is doubt
ful If today there is another woman
on the American stage who possesses
the ability OF so ingratiating herself
with her audiences as does Miss Ir-
win, and i'm her new play, Kate Kip.
Buyer" she has every opportunity OF
showing her wholesome and absolutely
contagious spirit of fun, and IL is doubt
full IL she has ever met with a more
pronounced success.
The play i'm which Miss Irwin APP
pears Is farcicaI 10 degree, but Is
clear and excruciatingly funny crea-
ton, abounding I'm absurd impossible
ties. Complications succeed one an
other until the snarl becomes almost
bewildering, and the fun becomes more
acute, always with Miss Irwin for the
central figure. and, Of course, the prime
instigator. The dialogue Is not deep.
neither did IL require "A great literary
mind to produce the lines but IL is al
ways bright and breezy, and the three
acts are just replete with crisp re-
marks, brilliant repartce and unique
sayings. but In all cases devoid Of all
coarseness and the utter absence OF
horse play.
But good as the piece is, Of course, il
is May Irwin that the public is interest
ed i'm. and while there Is plenty of fun
i'm the lines and several really funny
people in the cast, the real fun is that
furnished by Miss Irwin. She is on the
stage almost every minute of the three
acts. and seems to carry the entire per-
formance along without any difficulty
whatever She seems to enter into her
role as IL she most thoroughly enjoyed
it. and her sparkling humor seems TO
communicate itself 10 the other mem
beTs OF her company. one of her most
delightful traits is a seeming ability to
put herself upon the most confidential
terms with her audience, and every
word and every move she makes serve
10 acCentuate "a wholesome condition or
happiness and good humor.
or course. May Irwin sang coon"
songs. and this season she has several
new ones, and some of them are bound
10 become as popular as those which
she has already launched upon the pub
lie. one of the best is IF You Amt
Got No Money You Needn't Come
Around" and the audience last even
ing never seemed 10 tire of the repeti-
tion OF its catchy words and swinging
rag time air.
The company supporting Miss Irwin
is a good one, but the honors certainly
belong To Joseph Sparks, as Hon. Will
helm Coogan, who once again demon
strates his very clever work as clean
and wholesome Irish comedian, with II
wonderful brogue and his humorous
song, "Off Again. on Again, Gone
Again, Finnegan." Ignacio Martinetti
as Gustave LAlouette is particularly
good i'm his role of husband by re-
quest" his gestures and accent being
strikingly true TO nature. The other
members of the east do good work, and
Mile. Alexa. who is heard, but not seen,
atcomplishes some very gymnastic
fioritura work with her voice.
Taken altogether the performance is
a most delightful one throughout, for IL
is clean and funny as laugh
provoker cannot be surpassed. Kate
Kip, Buyer will be given this and to-
morrow evenings, and at the matinee
on Saturday.