The Portland daily press., 1900-10-23

THE MORRISON COMEDY COMPANY
The Morrison Comedy company which
played two very successful engagements at
the Portland theatre last season opened
their weeks performance at the same
resort last night, pxesenting Mark e.
Swans piece entitled "The Princess of
Patches " 1t was tbs "banner night"
thus far for every seat was taken and
over fifty chiars were brought in and oc-
cupid, necessltating the moving of the
orchestra to a corner Of the auditorium,
The audience was not only very large
but correspondingiy enthusiastic an
received the production throughc ut with
fervent marks OF approval. The hit of
the evening was Of course, made by Allie
Gerald in the role Of Selma Silverthc rne
and called Princes Of Patches She
first appeared in a barrel, because some
one had stolen her clothes while bathing
and this episode created no END of fun.
AS the play pr ogresses she passes from
rags to some very dainty costumes max
ing a pretty stage picture A walf at
trst. in the end by the discovery of a
will she becomes the possessOr of large
Southern estate and marries a Northern
gentleman who befrlended her in her
darker days The part gave her oppor-
tunity to show her catchy soubrette quail
sties and she improved it to the utmost
atfording us a bright, viVacious por-
trayal. She was we'll supported by May
Gerald and kathleen Kinsetta, while
Marion Holcomb made most ruesome
witch. Eugene Powers was the philoso-
pher III rags and on his shoulders fell
good deal Of the comedy which was we'll
sustained and others in the male cast
who contributed to the success of the
play were Hal Clarendon, Bert Walker,
Frederick Murray, VIII E. Sheerer, Fred
E. Cooke and Arthur Denver.
This company carries special scenery
with 1t and last evening nothing was
lacking IN production, The first act
showed cotton yard, while others car
rled us to an old Southern mansion redo
lent Of magnolias and to the boat house
on the bayou, all being quite realistic.
Specialties were introduced, the spirit
of which before the raising of the curtain
japanese wonder worker, with MS tricks
of hand, etc. There were songs and
dances by Mable Leslie and Bert Walter
gave monologue and musical turn.
There viii be two performances today.
At matinee lone Night in june a
dramatization of a song by that name by
Charles K, Harris and in the evening
''We Uns Of Tennessee for the first time
in this city at popular prices. The latter
play VIII be produced in its entirety with
special scenery and other. accessories and
promises to be a genuine dramatic treat
THE EVIL EYE.
The opening performance of Charles II.
Yale's spectacular extravaganza, "The
EVIL Eye" which is billed for three
nights and matinee at the Jefferson,
was most satisfactory presentation.
There was a full house and the audience
was not at all backward in manifest
ing It's appreciation.
The play is rated as a Kaleidoscope
mechanical trick drama" 1t is sons
thing after the pattern OF the "Devil's
Auction has a little less jingle, but
an ample allotment of entertaining feat
ures. There is something of a plot, but
the songs, dances, lively dialogues.
aorobatic feats and funny scenes are
what make the play interesting.
Evil Eye, a character creditably taken
by George W. Kerr, is an emissary from
a secret organization called the "Or-
der of Poland, to locate an ancient
buried treasure. A parchment disclose
Ing the whereabouts of this treasure falls
into thu possession OF a mountebank,
Jeppe JAMS, who has three children, Gerda,
an attractive girl, and Mid and Nod,
two mischievous mutes. EVIL Eye robs
Jams, carries off his daughter and for
time is safely quartered in a castle.
The pur suit OF the robher and his final
capture complete the tale and furnish
opportunities for the Introduction of a
varied programme of novelties,
The two mutes. impersonated by Ar
thur Borani and Thomas Elliott, are
the life of the piece. Their acrobatiC
tricks and inimltable drollery keep the
audience constantly on the alert. Gus
Bruno, as the German-American tourist,
in love with a gay, rich widow, has an
Important part in the piece, and the per-
forms it we'll. Charles E. Fiynn's sweet
tenor voice is heard in several solos, the
most taking one new ballad, 'By Your
Side.''
Miss Mayme Mayo, the leading lady,
appears in numerous beautiful costumes
and sings and dances finely. Miss Lora
Lieb, who plays the part of Gerda JAMS,
whose rescue from the hands of ner ab-
ductor is the conclusion of the story, has
a delightful voice.
The play abounds in spectacular feat
ures, the most striking of which are the
ballet scenes. The electric ballet, in the
final act, is the creation Of p. G. Arm
strong, under whose direction the cleo =
trio currents are manfnufatad The