The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-27
AT THE THEATER.
Sporting Life at Sweeney & Coombs
Opera House.

Sporting Life at Sweeney & Coombs
Opera House.
Sporting Life the English racing play,
presented at Sweeney K Coombs opera
house at the matinee yesterday and last
night Is mclodrama Of the old fashioned
sort. The villains are very black, the weak
young man very foolish, the hero very
heroic, the heroine very sweet and the
proper amount Of foiling OF the principal
villains is thrown In at the end
Some idea Of the amount OF go" in the
play may he formed from the plot. Lord
Woodstock a sporting earl loves the sister
o. young clerk, who FORCES the noble
mans name on note for a large sum for
IN adventures who has him in her tolls.
or the girls sake Lord Woodstock pays
the note, acknowledging the forged sig
nature 10 be genuine He goes TO the ad-
ventures to make her break of with the
boy. His tnacce comes IN and finds him
being embraced by the advcnturess, who Is
trying TO Induce him by the proffer Of her
love and 10000 besides to let his horse lose
the Derby. Whercupon his iancee breaks
with him The boy. who is concealed be-
mind the curtains during Lord Woodstock's
interview with the adventures, in which
her real character Is disclosed, after he
leaves comes out and strangles her
Next Is the prize fight scene. Tho prize
Fighter whom Lord Woodstock has backed
~ nTuSEeu pN MS nNncHe IatlpT, VINO
thinks the girl has been cruelty treated.
Lord Woodstock is ruined II the fight does
not go on and II he does not win. In des-
| peratiop he determines 10 take the place
! Of the drugged pusllist he has backed him
! self. He knocks out his opponent very
| cleverly In the hrst round, although there
is some hard fighting.
| Then when the Derby race comes of he
| Is kidnapped and q rumor spread that he Is
dead so that his horse will he disqualified
under the rules. But the horse wins. Civ
ing him fortune and he by happy stroke
| OF good fortune Is able to reappenr In the
( nick Of time, Everything Is explained ia
! the girl who becomes rcconciled to hlm--the
rascnlly brother who did one good deed in
veuturcss. goes on to parts unknown-Rnd
/ the play ends happily
| All through tho play the villain de Car
| teret goes through the usual Vaccinations
! peculiar IN villains and Is, in the customary
| mclodramatic way. patty folled, usually by
! Isadore Andrcade, the benevolent money
| lender. who when he is not engaged in the
! practice Of his profession Of usury, puts
| in his time In foIlnG the villains who beset
| Lord WOOdStOcks path, partly doubtless
! out Of goodness Of heart and partly because
he has loaned his ordship money
The horses In the play were very hand
some, The actors In the company. were all
good. Lorimer Johnson as Lord Wood
! stock was very natural and easy In his net
ing Miss Lillian Lamson as, Olive dc Car,
teret the adventures, certainly succeeded
in being very dlsagreenble and wicked
| adventures.
The audience was very appreciatiye, par
ficularly the gallery gods, who In the
climaxes Of the piay and In the prize fight
scene, were uproariously enthusiastic. But
even the play goers who sit In the boxes
and the parauette. when in certain mood
enjoy good melodrama such ms this; wher
one IL exactly in the mood for It, Il Is more
! pleasing than tragedy, comedy. history
pastoral pastoral comicnl, historical'nns
toral. or any other kind Of play in the dra
matte classification Of Polonius.
The next attraction viii be Blanche
Walsh In "Janice Meredith" tonight, ant
in Forget Me Not at tomorrow's matinee