The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-23
WILLIE COLLIER SUITED AGAIN
AND HIS AUDIENCE SUITED, roo.
IN "A FOOL AND HIS MONEY"
He's Back In = Role Such ~ New York
likes for m--Shakespeare More
Profitable Than Caine-Duse in London
--l:Ossip Of Some Other Theatre Folk.

There's luck in odd numbers, says Brian
OIynn! Mr.. William Collier, evidently
believing in this ancient lyric saw, made his
third dramatic attempt this season at the
Bijou last night in piece originally written
for him, but for some reason rejected. It il
called A Fool and His Money" 1t il
nv George IL. Broadhurst, and was sue
cessfuly produced last spring at tho Madi-
son Square Theatre with Jameson Lee
Finney in the chief role.
Mr.. Golfers entrance speech, Here I
am again" was signal for uproarious
laughter that seldom ceased while the star
was on the stage. This was well; il you
stop to think during the bleak many mo-
ments of this farce you are saddened as
by the scurrying leaves OF November
Luckily, Mr. Collier is very much in evidence,
and his cancellations on the First Folio
Broadhurst are literal reoreations. He
the part OF Percy Merrill. gilded youth and
philosopher.
The role suits Mr.. Collier. He does not
lend it the air of comedy distinction Of Mr.
Finney but he il more farcical, and with
his aconic, extra dry manner and monot-
onous drawl he made decided hit. After
many calls at the close Of Act III. he con-
tributed few remarks:
"Let me thank you for the third time"
said Mr.. Collier with more fervor than he
ever infused into the Broadhurstian lines
Louise Allen did not cause us to forget
MAY Vokes, yet she must be credited with
PLAYING the character of Esmerolda, the
Ice eater, in genuinely comic manner.
Her reading we say--was differ
ent. She is excellent in low comedy parts,
and she more than earned her share of the
applause. There were some familiar faces
in the cast; Mabel Dixey in her old part Of
Celeste, Anita Bridges as Eleanor, Marion
Abbott and others. George Henry Trader,
whose versatile work while a member Of
the old Murray Hill stock company is
recalled, enacted the devoted Jean with
verve and withal artistic restraint. Mr..
Collier may say Merry Christmas yet to
Nav York.
Shakespeare does not always spell r,Iin
despite popular and managerial belief.
Viola Allen is demonstrating this with her
present production of Twelfth Night.
Last season at Springfield, Mass. she ap-
peared in that ridiculous melodramatio
mess by Hall Caine, "The Eternal City"
over 1850. Last Monday night, in the
same city, Miss Allen, as Viola, drew exactly
81 ,s99 into the house. This will prove sad
news to Mr.. Caine, who, fresh from his
lecturing tour in Iceland-it was not a
frost believed that he had forever
buried Shakespeare. The "Divine Will
liam" is still over $500 to the good.
There we're all sorts of criticisms on
Buses acting in London ten days ago,
Mr.. A. b. Walkeley's in the Times being
the most intelligent and sympathetic, Max
Beerbohm's in the Saturday Rerier the
most wilfully perverse and preJudiced.
The latter is Bernhard worshipper, so
Dllse is for him dead letter. She is not
brilliant" therefore he finds her dull and
monotonous. Such criticism in the TWEEN
tieth century is like an echo from the middle
nineteenth, when all nature was banished
from the stage, painting, music, literature,
even from the home.
To find Max as a champion OF the hair
cloth sofa in art, or Of the cornet piston
virtuoso with his variations in triple tongue
ing on banal theme is, to say the least,
rather confusing. He further darkens his
Ter; perhaps he may not have read the playi
To write OF Ibsen nowadays as if the Nor
wegian master we're a schoolboy playing
naughty tricks is silly pose. No sane
reader believes in it.
If ever there was chance for big dra-
matte sensation this is the time. 1t is a
wonder that Oscar Hammersten with his
shrewd managerial eye for combinations
has not taken advantage OF the idea--for
he has surely had it in his brain. 1t is the
fusion of the Zionites with the Salvation
Army. fusion that would result in mag
nifcent dramatic clash if not confusion.
Secure the Garden for demonstrations
and counter demonstra tons; put up Gen.
Booth against Commander Dowie; let the
two rival hosts, with banners flying and
early and savage Christian war cries curd-
ling the Milky Way, march about the arena:
The faction that would yell the louder would
win Or, let there be pitched battle, Zion
Va Salvation, the Combatants in football
armor with Dowie as full back and DR.. Park
hurst as umpire.
Saving souls is strenuous matter now
adays, and there is no question that the
public might be interested to the box office
point, i. O., he persuaded to pay, money for
seats if the attraction warranted it. There
is money in OWE, but he has not been
properly exploited, that is, not in New
York Once arouse public curiosity by
conflict and the ducats will roll in.
Why couldn't DIR. Parkhurst and G. o:
Dowie wrestle as}wrestled Of old Jacob and
the Angel for spiritual stakes? The failure
of Zion here is entirely due to the fact that
the sporting and theatrical taste OF the
public was not appealed to-and this Ia
the very class Dowie wishes to lead heaven
ward Oscar Hammerstein would have
snatched victory from the jaws OF defeat,