The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-07
ADJUSTMENTS
The Frnwley Company at the Net
roDOlitan in "Lord and Lady

ropOIitan in .Lord and Lady
Algy."
Daniel Frawley and his company of players
confirmed the good impression already formed
OF 1nem by their presentation last night OF
Lord and Lady Algy'' at the Metropolitan.
/ The play Is a very English comedy by r. G.
Carton, filled with the jargon of horse racing
that passes current in certain circles of high
London society. Much of this Is quite unin
|telligible to an average American audience,
and the consequence is that the first act goes
rather slowly.
! This failure to catch the drift of things at
| hrst was partly due to the stamping of late
corners down the aisles and the rustic and
confusion they made in reaching their seats
The revival of that rule Of the house which
required the ushers to seat the tardy in the
rear seats until the curtain goes down would
seem to be oPportune. The procrastinators
should certainly be prevented from marring
the pleasure of an entire audience.
| Quito aside, however, from its setting out Of
picturesque British slang, the play tells a
cleyerly complicated story and tells it we'll,
lbesides introducing a number of carefully
wrought characters. Without In the least
| impugning it's originality the comedy might
with justice be called 'school for Scandal
brought down to date. 1t exhibits all the
| cleverness of the Sheridan classic in treating
of "inconvenient'' matters with sprightly wit
/
Daniel Frawley gives capital impersona-
donation of the sporty young nobleman whose
4 good impulses outweigh his bad reputation
and reckless ways real mob, but no snob,
is this Lord Algy. Mr.. Frawley has quietly
effective method Of bringing out the good
points of this English thoroughbred. Only al
rare intervals does the real man come forth
} from his British shell, but 1t is often enough
to convince one that he is noble by nature as
we'll as by birth. A refreshingly fine COM
panion portrait is furnished by Mary Van
: Buren, of Lady Algy, who is fond Of racing
betting and other excitement, but who is also
fond of her self-respect. Miss Van Buren, in
vested the role with an indescribable air OF
buoyanCy and good comradeship The old
duke was we'll done by H. S. Dufheld, and his
| eldest son. a Joseph Surface sort of person
was made a clear-cut and suave hypocrite
) by Harrington Reynolds. Blanche Douglas
played the married woman whom he strove
to entangle, with pretty righteousness Wal
lace Shaw, an time favorite in Minneapo-
lis appeared the husband and did as well
as possible with an ungrateful If not impossi-
BILE role. Phosa McAlister, another player OF
( the stock company days in Minneapolis, but
dating back to the early eighties, has minor
) role. Among the less important characterize
tions should be mentioned the clever one Of
an English valet by J. r. Amory. The com
pany appeared to good advantage, although
the production did not move off with the speed
and smoothness that are desirable in such g
comedy. The stage setting in the first and
last acts was very pretty and effective, but
that in the second was inadequate.
l w B. Chamberlain.