The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-21
AT THE THEATERs
why Women sIn"-sllou.

Al IdE IHEAIGNb
why Women sin"-Bilou.
writer Of plays whose name appears
upon the program as Will G, Murphy, has
undertaken to show, at the Bijou, this
week. why Women Sim However, he
advances no new reasons and throws no
new light upon the problem. In fact. he
urges no reason at all for while he insinu-
ates that woman neglected by her hus-
pand might seek and find consolation else
where, he hesitates to make his heroine
the paths OF virtue thus pointing a moral
put multiplying the significance Of his title
!. To be sure there is a woman in the play
VINO has slnned, but the only reason given
Tor her misdeeds is her own jibe at her
former lover: 7 am only what you made
me. According to Mr.. Murphy. 1t Is
such men as this former lover who lead
women into sin. That is his answer to
the question. It is an adaptation Of the
Oldest Of all excuses, with the positions Of
the sexes reversed-tlle man tempted me
and did eat
There IS. then. nothing new either in
the problem or in the manner Of its solu-
ton Nor has the playwright strayed
from the beaten path In the selection of
his characters or the making OF his "situ-
atoms. He introduces to us a million
a1re, fond of his wife, In way sur
rounding her with every comfort, but too
e1lgrossed in business to make himself her
companion; wife, loving her husband,
eager for his love and wayering in her
allegiance when that love is not forth
coming; a little child, the ''tte that binds
the two together and prevents the mother
from surrendering herself to a gentlemanly
adVenturer who gives her the comradeshiI
her husband denies and seeks her love tina,
he may ACQUIRE her fortune; a woman
French, of course, and with an accent
that leads her into the atrocity Of 'Mow.
seer-r, In love with the adventurer and
the cause of much trouble; conventions
stage Jew, an impossible dude and more
impossible churchman-all Of them char
acters familiar to patrons of melodrama.
AS for the details, time honored prece-
dents are not violated. The adventures
makes her first appearance brilliantly
Sowned in scarlet, the prosecuted heroine
wears black and shivers in the snow il
front of Holy. Trinity church-Denmar
Thompson was responsible for that stage
device some twenty-five years ago, and
probably there We're others before him
the villain sports a silk hat, crime always
being modtshly clothed in society melo,
drama policeman carries the inevitable
pocket flask Of cold tea in his hip pocket
ana the dude a wears a monocle and is
more English than mutton chops.
Despite it's conventionality, however
'Why Women SIM IS rather better writ
ten than is usually the case with produc-
tions of this kind and very much better
staged. Moreover the cast is competent
tho Little Minerva albeit a, clever child
should be In the nursery and not upon the
stage. y. S. Lawrence.
Lyceum-"The Lights o. London"
London is such big city; for that rea-
son, perhaps, It's Lights were still burn
ing in the Lyceum theater last night at
midnight. The story Of their burning is
long enough at best-six acts and half a
dozen intermediate scenes; but when the
stage manager, the carpenter in chief, or
the boss electrician became so deliberate
or confused between acts, when the or
chestra played a regular program, an ex-
ira program, began "Hiawatha,' and took
refuge in "Bedelia,"} no listener could
doubt the announcement that three years
elapsed between Actss1 and g.
But If the audience felt older when it
went away, it's added experience had not
been disagreeable. ct had found in G.. r.
Sims well-tested play an interesting speci-
men of the English melodrama. Events
therein were strong enough but not too
vigorous Some acts contained no felonies
nor even a misdemeanor. The victim OF
one murder didn't die, another victim lin
sered long enough. to pass away at last
Wine the OTc1aeStfa5 WaSttryIngctOJ think UP
additional tunes.t p5&asa52 fze- - Z
The notable weakness. OF the story is the
Jack Ma boy 'appearance of various
characters whenever and Wherever they
could possibly cause trouble without re-
gard to- probabilities. Yet curiosity is
aroused, interest is maintained, the char
acters are more than name and makeup
Mr.. Sims practiced hand made good use
of old notwithstanding will, rightfu
heir dissolute but charming, country lass
deceived by wealthy hypocrite, homeless
folk starving and sleeping in city park
etc. It's not g. play to attract many per-
sons that were glad to learn What Hap.
pened to Jones'" but IT'S sufficient to rem.
pleasantly, demonstrative.
prominent performance was that Of
Charles G. Burnham as old Seth Preene
who sacrificed himself for his selfish am.
bilious daughter Hetty. Mr.. Burnhan
displayed a broad conception Of his role:
possibilities, made much OF contrasts in.
stilled temperate tho virile energy thai
gave his acting true distinction. The
lighter, lesser. part of Jarvis, the strollins
player, was managed by Ben johnson will
quaintness and lightness of touch thai
borrowed the Dickens atmosphere from
another local theater. Next to seeing how
much Miss Leslie Bingham managed t.
eat, as 'ungry Jim, was the opportunity
to observe an alarming falling off in Mis-.
Maisie CeciPs moral status. Heretofore
spotless, if noisy and affectionate, Mis-.
Cecil is now dreadful almost wicked
as the diamond -decked Hetty. Her re-
lorna ton is devoutly to be wished.
H. B: Curry.
Foyer Chat.