The times., 1899-04-11
AT THE THEATRES.
'Iumbia-.The Charity Ball,

chuh'ptN-"lnc 0huruy HAIL.
II the performance of "Trlby" given
at the Columbia left in town single
theatregosr who remained doubtful of the
success to be won here by the Frawley
Company that individual could have found
no better way OF dropping his skepticism
than by witnessing yesterday evening"
rendering of THE Charity Ball" The token
Of triumph was not SO much in the excel
lent way in which the piece was presented.
though that was most notable. and hardly
more in the curtain calls literally be-
slowed after each act, but in the hearth
ness with which the players were received
upon the occasion OF their first
entrances and in the fact that
audience present seemed then TO
turn to his or her neighbor for the purpose
Of explaining what the newcomer had done
before. Resident organizations only become
profitable when the community in which
they are located begins to pick favorites,
and the interest taken last night in the
people of Mr. Frawley's cast augurs well
for his next years bank account.
The Charity Ball." as everyone knows.
is the work of David Belasco and Henry
De Mile, who first staged the drama at
bring into prominence several people
whose names are now known to every
amusement lover, among them Daniel
Frohman. The Offering is just a trifle
antiquated in its construction and a bit
inclined to what modern managers call
talkiness, but its comedy is wholesome
and refreshing, its personages human and
sympathetic, its love tales convincing and
its episodes strong No one who has seen
"The Charity Ball. can ever forget its
story-the story of two brothers and Of
their different regards for the same wom-
an; of the unselfish manner in which one
interferes to save the other from wrong
ing that woman, and so gives her up h m
self; of the ses-sacrifcfng affection of a
second girl for the man who deserves her
care. All this formed and still forms a
plot which calls for all ones attention. or,
at least, for that portion of the attention
not claimed by the amusing courtships OF
Judge Peter Gurney Knox and Alec Rob-
inson, whose great ambition is to be
known on change as Alexander the
Great"
This rather remarkable play is admirably
cast at the Columbia and in most cases ad-
mirably acted. There are one or two glaring
exceptions to this rule, but the performers
responsible for them do not affect the
general ensemble Interest last night CEN
tered in the portrayals of the comparative
strangers who were not in the preceding
bill. and, oddly enough, it was from this
qintette that the honor bearers came.
The three surprises of the offer
ing were undoubtedly Harry Cor
son Clark, Georgia Welles, and
Little Mildred Coons. Mr.. Clark was seen
as Judge Knox, and contributed one of the
most consistent and humorous impersona-
fnr,c los f,,,
mediately established herself in the favor
of the house by her daintiness and charm.
and Miss Coons is a mite of five years old
who speaks her lines like a veteran and
wears her trousers with all the grace Of a
Vesta Tilley or Mary Marble The trio
is really worthy of unlimited praise. Selene
Johnson and Ada Levick are the other ar
rivals and both of them are entirely ade-
quate. Miss Johnson is a graceful and
subtle Ann Cruger and Miss Levick is
good as the Widow De Peyster.
OF the people seen last week. John Kel-
lerd makes the most favorable impression
by his straightforwardness and naturalness
in a role that might be made maudiinly he
roic. while Alfred Hickman's Alec is nota-
bly, enjoyable and Godfrey Stein appears 10
advantage in the small part Of Creighton.
Mrs. F. NJ. Bates is also commendable as
the blind mother, George CASTOR woes well
as the organist of st. Mildred's and no
complaint can be made of the sketches
contributed by Frank Mathieu, Thomas
Phillips and Marie Barringer. But the
Dick Van Buren of Myron Calice is heart
rending in its stiltedness and affectedness
the Franklin Cruger of Harry Gwynette is
not at all adequate, and Mary Van Buren,,
though the best of the three, is a bit ANA
teurish in her assumption of the role of
Phyllis Lee. With these exceptions the
company is notably creditable and its mem
bers deserve all their success.
The piece is well costumed and well put
on. but Fred Schaeder, who was adver-
tised 10 have painted settings for the pro-
duction. must have been seized at the last
moment with paralysis in the right arm.
House scenery is used in the presentation.
and while that is handsome and good to
look upon. it is hardly fair of Mr.. Fraw-
ley TO attempt TO convince his patrons that
the interior of the Metropolitan Opera
House is exactly like the foyer of the
Cirque des Bashi Bazouks in Paris.