The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-22
HENRY DIXEY IN A NEW FARCE
o,.CyyG THE Music" MAKES a
hit AT THE GiRRICk.
,u,l Of Familiar Waterfall. but II Is Skill
fu,ly Handled and Capitally Acted
Curtain Raiser OF Slight Texture.

uonrv f. Dixey made his fame as the
,,,ce(ul and captivating Adonis, but long
Iofore the period Of that successful bur-
,.sou.. wien he was a star in the most
x,nocrful Of all burlesque consultations.
pice. Surprise Party" he demonstrated
NJ. rare versatility and showed the know
IN, ones that he had all the indications Of
r.c,,ninp an actor Of distinction.
Tha, he has not filed higher niche
IN rho dramatic hall of fame has always
ho,n n source of wonder and regret to
,hns, who knew him in the days of -Hia-
vs,ha" He has done many good things
since that time. and he did two more last
night when he appeared at the Garrick
Theatre in two parts Of entirely different
character.
The first of these he enacted in very
brief curtain raiser called over Welsh
Rarebit." written by Clay Greene. and the
second in a three-act farce entitled Facing
tho Music" by James Henry Darnley. Mr..
Greene's little -playet,' as he calls 1t, ls
of the slightest texture. being mere matter
Of ton minutes dialogue between two old
grandfathers. one of whom il man OF the
World and the other a stiff -necked bigot:
or course, they quarrel and the rarebit
h,,rns while the worldly wise grand
father proves to the innocent one that his
good son is not as good as he should be.
The plavlet is amateurish in matter and
manner, but it would have been more eff
fertiye il Thomas Ricketts, had not been 40
preposterously stacy as the unworldly
old man. ,.,,
Mr. pixevs portraiture was faithful and
telling but he had only bowing acquaihI-
ance with some OF his lines Facing the
Music" is genuine farce loaded to the
guards with amazing improbabilites and
carried forward by people who never explain
,hings which could I've explained in jihy:
o, course if things were explained the
plav would come to an end. and so the
clearing UP of the matter is effected in two
seconds in the third act. when it is time to
make a conclusion But comments OF this
sort are made on all farces and professional
critics regard il "a their solemn duty to
look unutterably DpTeu WINE suoh d 'aIce 10
III progress .
rho have seen all these old situations 80
often and they know just what is coming
next. For the matter Of that it was evident
that the audience. recognized the trend OF
incidents in last nights farce. but the audi.
enc showed conclusively chat it was glad
LEI i, be recorded then that this farce
contains plenty Of familiar, material but
most Of II il skilfully handled. The alb
action is ludicrous. In plain English il Is
a rafting lively farce, well put together,
having plenty Of lauehable situations and
a few uncommonly bright lines. 1t was
capitally acted by the entire company. .,
MIR. Dixey, as the unhappy John smith
who found himself surrounded by net
work of complications, and was driven
almost mad BY them, was admirable from
start to finish. The part was one excel
lently suited to his methods and he made
the most of it. He had capable assist
ance from F. Newton Llndo al
the Rrp. John Smith the innocent
cause of the complications, Henry Nor.
man ia a stupid detective. John Mason as
useless friend, Katherine Grey as Smith
wife, and Grace Heyer az the wife OF the
mention for her sketch Of Miss Fotherin9di
OF tho Bijou Theatre. The farce pleasee
the audience thoroughly and at it's enc
the applause was long and loud.