The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-29
TWO THEATRES RE0PENED.
rvs FIRST Audiences or THE NEW
SEASON LAST NIGHT

I v,,lark'S with the Introduction
,i.r, OF "A Little Ray OF sunshine"
,r.a erst Of Charles Frohman's seven New
80 ,b,atrrs to lie reopened Tor the new
..,is the Empire. That house was putinto
&c., ,gaiu last night. Tho play was His
I,,,rsr,y the Governor" which had been
.,Nnnod nj the Empire last spring before
.,Iapstirg the demand for it, There may
tn,o lc,p some other farces produced in New
Work last winter that w"re as laughter
v.g.ar as this one. but certainly it
.,cu,,I in wit The dialogue Is clever.
,,,.,st to tho extent OF making the charac-
o.. sneak unnaturaly Added to this.
,h. ,rot /. amusinGy original and its unfold
To-, 'ncludes some really comic scenes. Taken
=. Whole His Exceency the Governor
b,,Is A corresponding place in farce to that OF
"Trs,aynry OF tho Wells in comedy. tbs the
.,r, ,,t NAY that commcnds admiration as well
.slauyhter As renewed al this theatre 1t 10
enacted as before by a selection OF suitable
members OF the Empire company. Jessie
Nllyard is again the central figure. as much
through her acting as through the opportuni-
tics 81 nor part Miss Millward never permits
hsrself to drop out Of the character. even when
,b. is not speaking or in the foreground
Every movement and expression is to
somc uurIose with the result that she
,ssumes character without apparently acting
stall May Robson Is again the spinster.
mari which she plays most amusingly with a
freedom from that eXaggeration that has
narred some OF her transformations d. II.
Harkins impersonates the Cabinet Minister
with the finished touch Of an experienced
actor Others conspicuous in rendering the
"farriral romance as Mr.. Marshall classes his
work, are Grace Elliston. Guy Standing. Will
liam Morris and Richard Bennett. The last
named is the only change in the cast from the
original production. He replaces Robert
Eleson.
The first play to open the dramatic season OF
the present year was an English farce given
last night at Wallack's Theatre. English act
ors had been imported to act it Just as they did
In London. and all OF these. with the exception
civilian Elton. were new to this city. "A Liz
tie lay OF sunshine" came to New York with
the record OF London approval. Possibly its
highest endorsement was It's selection by the
actor who produced the most popular English
farce acted in a score OF years. After Char
ley's Aunt rad finally to end its career. W. s.
Pepley, who had made a fortune out OF
the play was slow to choose its successor.
When he did, A Little Ray Of Sun
shine" by Mark Ambient and Wilton Heriot,
was his choice The success OF the piece in
London was sufficient to persuade hessrs.
smythe & Rice. who have detected value in
fares before this. to bring the play here.
There was no great risk in their course nor in
Mr. Peney's 50 far as the theme OF the new
piece was concerned. 1t has established
It's comic force long ago. Just most OF
The other effectual situations in theat-
tieals have. A benevolent old gentleman re-
burns with wealth to the home of his relatives.
Intending to let them enjoy his generosity. 1t
ia moi altOVpthpr their fault that thew fail To
recognize him after long absence. especially
as his eccentricities OF dress are not OF the
zind customariiy associated with wealthy
noblemen. None Of them knows him and he is
mistaken for money lender. an applicant for
help, a tradesman, and various other person
ages. of a character completely contradictory to
his own. This variation on the old idea
of mistaken identity naturally goes
further. He is treated as if he were
one OF the persons he is taken
forand phosophically finds amusement in it
satisfied with the knowledge that all these rel
atves will be glad enough to receive him en-
thus asticay. when they once discover who he
really IS and what his powers are to help
them. 1t will be seen that Messrs. Am
bitnt and Heriot had not wandered far from
the familiar track in the selection OF their
material. The greatest novelty they supplied
was in their treatment Of Lord Markham who
returns homo with such liberal Intentions and is
received in such unexpected fashion. This CEN
trial figure. created for ". s. Penley. was acted
last night by William Elton remembered from
his association with Wailacks Theatre in its
earlier days. The variations which the authors
had made in their old material was scarcely
sufficient to give it much zest. The action
moved quickly enough. There was nothing to
object 10 on that score. more animated
farce than "A Little Ray Of. SUNSHINE
mere movement never did make h1mor. The
reappearance Of the unrecognized uncle grew
exasperatingIy HOMOGENEOUS after he had been
seen several times. II made little difference
whether he was mistaken for n money lender
or trainer the same thing always happened
There wer" not much wit and variety in the
dialogue to attract attention from the sim =,
arlty o. the cr,soies. Humor Of the kind
It's pHblia before. and future aadienses .G may
take greater enjoyment in "A Little Ray OF
Sinphshinee. than the gathering did last
assem- by while the play appeals 10 the simplest
emotions. Its righteousness is almost child
approval for it with audiences not accustomed
TO see plays at their first production here.
the performers
They were capable enough Of supplying that
william Elton seemed considerably more me-
chanlcal than he ever was in the past. But the
play i wholly mechanical in structure and
probably no other treatment of it's character
is possible or necessary.
One OF Yesterdays continuous show short
plays was first performance for this city. 1t
was seen al Keith's and bore the title THE
keptomaniacs." Herbert Hall Winslow was
the provider. John C. Rice and Sally Cohen
were the players. Theme and location were
unusual. The most conspicuous article OF fur
htture looked like both a dentists and a bar
ber's char. Behind it was huge iron tank.
from which issued rubber pipe that was
handy to the chair. This suggested dentistry.
but at the opposite corner of the stage was a
piano. As Miss Cohen is not one OF those vau-
devllle performers whose tones are as painful as
atoothache. however. the Ruesser as TO what
was to happen was excusable for being bit
confused. Furniture that might have out
, fitted a parlor was also in view. but did nc,
suggest a solution. That was offered with the
appearance Of the actor. He was bowling from
toothache and was accompanying his yells
with his most comical grimaces. Az he eX-
planned that he had run from one dentists
once because he could not be attended to al
once. shril cries issued from the next room
Since he interpreted this demonstration to be
tie shrieks of = patient, there was further
cal upon his familiar stock OF facia