The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-19
AT THE THEATER.

Who can say hereafter that Savannah,
with all its reputation for aristocracy, is
not a democratic city! A real. live earl
of the British empire appeared at the
Theater last night as the stellar light in
a production of THE Councillors Wife,
and the audience which greeted him was
painfully small. 1t might be thought
that there would be many persons who
would have gone out of mere curiosity,
but this could hardly have been the case.
and there is little doubt that had some
unknown outsider been playing the house
would have been just as large.
Be this as it may, those who did attend
saw a clever play very we'll done. The
piece is from the pen of Jerome X. Je-
rome and is thoroughly English in it's
settings though some of the characters
are slightly American. The dialogue is
ordinary, but bright. Some of the char
acters are well drawn, particularly that
of Ben Dixon. which role was admirably
interpreted by Sumner Gard, a finished
actor.
lis lordship in the role of Ted Morris,
a medical student, is acceptable. The
part is not a particularly large one but
Mr.. Hope does it very we'll He is a call
English-looking chap and personally
seems to be clever English gentle
man. On account of the illness of Miss
Chalmers, MIR. Hope doubled in the first
act in the role of Mrs Wheedles, a lady
of tender susceptibilities
Miss Laura Clement as Mrs. Ben Dixon
was bright and buoyant. as the pro-
sramme said she was. Miss Clement
will be remembered by many as one of
the principals of the Brinkley Opera
Company which played an engagement
here two seasons ago.
Mabel Dixey, who, by the way is a
sister OF the famous Henry of Adonis
fame, was very sweet in a sympathetic
little role that called for finished acting
She shows decided ability. p c. Greene.
David Miller, Albert Doris and Grace
Dudley were others in the company.
The performance was a creditable one
and deserved a large house.
Considerable interest is manifested in
the tour of AL. II. Wilson, the clever
German dialect comedian, whose efforts
for several seasons have been confined
to the vaudeville. Mr.. Wilson is being
exploited by Chas. II. Yale and Sidney.
r. Ellis in a new German comedy The
Watch on the Rhine" written by the
latter. The piece is in four acts. and
will show Wilson in the character of
Metz Strobel, an attache in the German
legation at Washington. A complete scenic
investiture is carried. Six original songs
by Sidney II. Ellis and the music by Mr..
Wilson, are to be feature of the COM
edy. several of which ore liable to prove
popular Among them is Love Is All In
All" MY Little Frsulein." "A Song of
Home" I'm Tyrol" THE Tea Kettle
song" and when Parading." The COM
pany will hold the boards Friday matinee
and night.
The first musical comedy OF Importance
to be presented here this season will be
Miss Anna Held in "Papas Wife" to-
night The play is founded upon two
French vaudevilles by Harry b. Smith
and Reginald De Koven and II In three
acts. The first act is laid at the Convent
or st. Dorothy, near Fontainebleau,
France. where Anna. a convent-brcd girl,
while on her wedding tour visits the con-
vent. Act II. the reception room I'm the
Golden Lion Hotel, where a most gorge
Gus scene takes place TO which Anna and
her husband. the Baron attend. Here she
meets several OF his old friends and adj
mirers In THE scene Miss Held sings
'"fhe Song Of the Colonel" In French,
300 r. most fetching manner. Her voice
IS 40 sweet ana pure AS ever, and her
enunciation IL much improved. while her
Nivacious spirit A. as magnetic M ever
Act III displays the military barracks
where Anna makes friends with the