The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-17
AT THE THEATERs.
METROPOLITAN.


Had George Ha Broadhurst produced
his new play, 'The House That Jack
Built, for the first time in New York
instead of at the Metropolitan theater
in st. Paul, and had the author occupied
a box there as, he did at the theater last
evening, the audience would not have been
content to wepd its way homeward with
out calling the clever playwright before
the curtain. Mr. Broadhurst last even
| ing deserved some such acknowledgment
That he did not get it was due not at
all to lack of appreciation of the play,
but to Western shyneSS-out in the West,
here, we are not used to first nights.
On rather high lines has Mr.. Broad
hurst built this new farce of his, but it
| is none the less a good farce fer all
that. If the lines are high they are also
original and clean and sparkling, and 1t
is serious man indeed who cannot laugh
over the funny situations that this clever
young man has encompassed. However,
Mr.. Broadhurst has done more than write
a, funny farce IN 1.-The House That Jack
| Built. . He, has created a character
He has picked up plain American
workntan-a man who is neither better
nor worse than mis- fellow workmen, con-
tent and jolly over his work, with all the
Innate American fondness for making a
| dollar-and he has put him on the stage
the eccentrfcfties a little emphasized, GER
tafEly, the appearance a little pronounced,
but in spite of this the jovial fellow that
one might recognize any day. That there
are SO many other characters exeellently
drawn in Mr.. Broadhursts farce does
not at all detraet from Willie Slabs
interesting and convincing personality
The breath of a plot that is necessary
for aH farce is not any mere than
breath in "The House That Jack Built"
but breath as 1t is. its unity is admira-
BILE. A man, DR. Jack, builds house
and proceeds to furnish it and decorate
it in his own way. Willie Slab, a paper
hanger is employed. There are guests
in the house-some who love each other.
some who do not-and there are the usu-
al complications necessary to success
full farce A novel scene in the second
act is the paper" han ging one. OF a high
comedy order is the love making in the
third act
The play NATURALLY, ewes much Of It's
success to the admirable Interpretation
of it that was given last evening by a
well balanced company. In the cast were
some ST. Paul favorites. There were 9th
ers that were new, but they fitted into
their respective parts as neatly as the
blocks in a toy house.
Mr.. Thomas A. Wise was William Slab.
Judging by the finish that Mr. Wise gave
to his work last evening, it was difficult
to believe that the play was receiving it's
first presentation before a city audience.
Mr.. Herbert Aging was the Mr. DIR. Jack
who built the house. His conception of
the character is admirable Percy Hun
| tington, short of stature but long on ro-
nance was imrersonated and yery abIy
by Alfred Klein. Fred w. Peters, as
Bedford Madison Sr., and Roy Fairchfld.
as Bedford Madison Jr., the father that
is the son and the son that is the father
help the fun making UNNECESSARILY bv
| their skill. Charles Cherry is a very PEI
sonahle lover, and his scene with Miss
Brandon Douglas III the third act is de-
icatelY managed. Miss Douglas needed
no introduction to a st. Paul audience.
and her work last night must have sat
| 1stied her admirers. Another bit of char
acter sketching that matches Mr. Broad
hurts Willie Slab is Lily Linton, vaude-
vile artist. ircperseuated by Miss Jennie
Yeamans. So skillful is this piece of
work that it seems a pity that Miss Yea
mans appearance should be 1eetino.
| Mrs. Annie YeaInans is Just as clever in
her Interpretation of the character of the
| Irish lady, Mrs. Doeley. Miss Grace Dud
| ley was pretty and dainty Florence,
Miss Anita Bridger was kissabIe ia
| ponica.
| The play will be presented for the rest
of this week, with Wednesday and Sat-
urday nlatinees. Tonight's production
| Will be for th9 benefit Of the Galveston
flood sufferers
GRAND.
"a Young Wife which came to st.
Paul last season as an attraction at the
| Metropolitan, and which was fairly wen
received at that time, is paying another
visit to the city, opening the week at
the Grand last night to a crowded house
The piece although styled a comedy
7 drama, bepders. very much on the melo-
| drama, but 1t Is clean, and the author
has found It zneeessarys to incorporate
but enc murd& u the plot, and this one
may be forgivAsas sss it is not badly done
and is really ESSENTIAL The plot is, as
a matter of faet ian ingenious one, and
| differs from the usual run of naelodranas
although there 8 a villain, hero, who
also furnishes the comedy, and the regu-
latien gang af8eptthroaas, and. with the
exception Of one or two Characters. it Is
well presented, and was received last
night with evident appreciation.
| Frank TaHnehfiI Jr heads the cast
! again this year. He Is really an actor of
talent and merit, ard carries the part of
Horace Greengase Dohhins, of Vermont.
| in a splendid manner. He made a deefd
h;4 xxyitT4 81 utRfafEu evrty~.