New-York tribune., 1903-05-22

DIR. Direy at the GarricE..

In the oppressfve heat that prevailed last night
the efforts made BY Mr.. Dfxey and his comrades.
at the Garrick Theatre, were indeed Intrepid.
Those players came forth in a farce called Facing
the Music and out Of a confusion OF Identities
and tangIe Of names. they ELECTED conicality and
promoted mirth. No result could be more welcome.
at such a time this. The public mood Is now
attuned to sport, and serious things not de-
sired Mr.. Dfxey. long popular here, possesses
happy faculty for the maintenance OF perfect
gravity while saying Iudicrous words and deporting
himself in a IudicTous manner. and IN this new
farce old theme. he exercised that faculty
with freedom grace. and mirthfu1 effect His
pedents OF playful humor.-the grave face. the
nirnble movement the dron infection. the quick
collapse.-are not numerous. and his natural so
lcitude to comic result sometimes fmDels him
to extravagance: but he IS intrrsically funny and
that is a comfort to the auditors
In this farce the affairs OF two couples named
Smith-the first Mr.. Smith being a sap-headed cIer-
gyman. and the other Mr.. Smith being Just the
opposite-are interminged. IN a manner that at
first is 1udicrous. but at length becomes uonoton-
The wife Of the parson starts the tangIe BY
ensconciag herself. by mistake IN the dwelling o.
'the SPORT and thereafter the wife OF ''the SPORT
IS mistaken for famous swinder and all sorts o.
cross-purposes ensue.-these being Illustrated with
occasional bits OF equvoke and emphasized by Incl
dents that are variousIy ludcrous prepOsterOus-
Many words would be needed to rela4e the particu-
lars OF the story. and II they were related the
narrative would be only chronicle Of small beer
The farce is Of an old-sashioned character. and.
possibly of an ancient origin The author is James
Henry Darnley-
Abundant animal spirits are OF course. essential
to the practical presentment OF play OF this or
der. The tnterl0cUtors must carry IL at the top OF
their speed whether Of speech action Mr. Dtxey
and Mr.. John Mason. Mr. Smith OF the race
course and his friend Dick Desmond. have char
acters that are well matched in the attributes OF
social ease. bland effrOntery. and humorous aSsur-
ance and they supplied the various irrational sftu-
ation of the piece with all needfuI vitality VI fs
all fooIery and indeed it pretends 70 be that and
nothing else. There would be more fun II there
were less incident and IL the effort TO augment the
tangle did not make itself unduly conspicuous IN a
multiplicity of foIIies Miss Gertrude Gheen gave
clever travesty Of Overdressed and Over-accent
ed woman OF the theatre The detective was q
lumpish caricature and not in the least funny.
As a prelude to the farce. brief sketch. called
cover a Welsh Rarebt.' acted by Mr.. DiXey
end Mr. Thomas Ricketts, This piece the work OF
Mr. Clay NJ. Greene. should be remembered and
preserved for it is well devised well written. and
wen freighted with meaning. Two old men. crontes
of MANY years. meet annual occasiOn.-one OF
them being blum and cheerful. the other peevsh and
despondene-and they prattIe about rifles. quarrel
about their children. come TO blows and are recon
cHed The intimation of thought is in favor OF a
free generous. sympathetic human life Both
actors evinced the instinct OF character, and they
afforded sharp dramatic contrast W. W.