The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-23
IN A new GUISE.
Lydia Dreams Presentation Of Ven
tTiloqulsm at Kslth's.
She Gives an Excellent Full Pledged vaude.
Vile Comedy Sketch


nothing new under the sun" cleverness
often succeeds In so effectively disguS-
ing the old, or giving To IL such a new
atmosphere and such novel surround
ings, as TO Undue II with all the pleas
ing qualities OF the new and TO mahe
IL even more attractive than ever.
No better illustration OF this fact. az
least In matters sJheatrical. could wen
be found than is afforded by the re-
markable ventriloqulal act OF LYDIA
Dreams at keith's this week. Entlrcly
aside from the startling surprise found
in the linking of a woman's name anu
wOman's presence with an act OF inns
kind. this clever performer has deinoh-
strated that the expression, "Nentrllo-
quism az played out" sometimes hsmru,
IL very far from the trufh. While IL is
true that what for many years mas
been nOwn as "Ventrloquism may
have lost its novelty and ceased 70
arouse the interest that IL did 40 years
ago, the exercise OF Intelligence,
thought and originality coupled with a
thorough knowledge Of stageCraft In
actually succeeded in presenting ven
triloquism i'm n guse SO unique ana
so attractive that IL seems something
entirely new and wins popular favor
to an extent never before attained by
such an act. even in tile palmiest days
Of the stomach speaking or voice
throwing art
Instead OF the familiar limitations of
man talking down cellar and again
upon the roof with the occasional intro
duction OF little Bobby" who is sup
posed 90 say a few bright things for the
Nentrilcquist 20 laugh at, Lyula Dreams
presents a full-ledged vaudeville COM
cdy sketch. with four talking chart-
ters and a servant and all the possible
tiles II stagecraft are so clcVerly efi-
ployed hat not for some time does the
average spectator realize that TINS ~
Nentriloauial act instead OF Naude,
vile sketch by Reginald Buskin ana
dramatic company or some other pop
ular combination of actors.
When the curtain rises, u diScloses
a handsome drawing room with all the
perfection OF detail in the setting that
one sees in the setting of the most
pretentious headline dramatic acts
Near the fire in the CRATE. casting a
ruddy glow IN the dlmly lighted room,
sits old Gen. Goodyear. a gouty veteran
OF the war whose chief hobby seems TO
be an intense dislike for, his sporty
nephew, Tom, who has Travelled eXten-
sively in search OF adventure and can
tell a yarn that would have paralyzed
Col. Sellers by it's audacious independ-
n.
daughter Lydia Dreams) enters with
dispatch announcing the coming of
Tom, which she reads to the old gentle
man and pleads in vain with him 10
permit the nephew TO remain as their
-gucEr. ~ mite yer the grrrrTrf fS rr-tfffft
threatening all kinds of things If Tom
ventures to darken his doors. crash
is heard and Tom. riding in donkey
cart, drives through the great Frencn
plate glass door into the drawing room,
only 10 be hustled back again quickly
by his cousin, while the general is Wild
with rage Despite his anger. however.
his daughter rushes out and brings I'm
the unwelcome guess, with whom sne
takes n seat sufficiently far from th,
irate uncle To renie any physical VIC
lence unlikely. Then follows brisk eN'
change OF repartce between the lady
and her cousin. who recounts some o.
/ his marvellous adventures while the
/ old gentleman occasionally gives ven
I 10 mutterings of impotent wrath 1nt
! in the midst OF the amusing dialogue
! which Is varied with songs. the nurse
! brings i'm little Mabel. the child OF tn,
J lady. who is at once introduced az 4
| feature OF the conversation and action
I FINALLY, fstfy becomes ffftat-t
that Toms visit cannot well be prolong
ed without endangering his comfort, ~
the Old gentleman evidently rs llkeA
soon To be unable 10 control himself; bu
Tom fatty refuses 20 go. A quarrel
leading GO a sharp physical encountel
follows: and amid the screams OF laugh
ter OF the audiences. the lady nnaliS
overpowers the young man ana drag
him bodily off the stage.
This is the outline of the sketch but
OF course IL affords no idea of the fuI
that II pr ovokes, nor of the remark
able skill of the performer. who oper.
VI xf,aer Fftp
IN shing a hand and arm for one o
them. and maintains a distinct indi
yiduality in tone and speech for eacl
haracter through an act lasting fully
20 minutes. 1t is admittedly the great
est ventrloquial act ever put on tn
stage: and in it's novelty of conception
and execution as well as the wonder
fui perfection OF detail seen i'm ever!
feature OF the act, IL is "A striking de
monstration of what originality an,
| clcverness can accomplish in the wa,
| OF utilizing an old principle or idea Z
! produce something altogether new. be
I SIDE wfIirtI tfIc UrfYtnat idea was so IN
| significant as 10 afford no compar
| ison.
Novelty is one of the chief qualitie
| sought by vaudeville managers in tn
acts they select for the entertainment
! of the public: and the emphatic hi
! scored by the great English ventrilo
! quist certainly proves that the publ
| is quick to respond and To appreciat
! when this desideratum is secured an
is presented in so artistic, form as i
! the present instance.
salt thrown on SCOT which has falle
ON the carpet Will prevent stain. Sal
| put ON ink when freshly spilled on
| carpet viii help i'm removing the spot
| salt in whitewash makes IL stick. Sal
! thrown ON a coal fire which is low wi
| revive II. salt used in sweeping car
| neia kcanS ont moths I,.a -. -. -