The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-28
AT THE THEATERS
1lJou-"sky Farm"

Z
year are exactly Hike other crops grown
there and elsewhere In years gone by.
Edward q. Kidder, in whose name the
property stands, Isl Just q farner7--he new
er rises to the dignity Of an agricultural
list, and he does not know the value of
diversified farming. His methods are
those of his father and his fathers father
before him. The march Of progress has
passed by in the valley below and has
left him unnoted upon his hilltop. He
still reaps his grain with a sickle. His
COWS are mixers or beeves-they are
never two purpose animals. He is an old
fogy, behind the times and he has moth
ing new to show us.
But he is a kind-hearted man, this
farmer dramatist. and so he does not
overWork his audience His characters
are ali familiar, his situations conventional
and his story commonplace. His plot re-
quires no study, for Mr.. Kidder is nothing
It not obvious. He paints In primary
colors and escheWs impressionism.
10 begin with, there is the hero, a
decent young fellow, son Of a curmudgeon
father who is bent upon forcing him into
a distasteful marriage. Next comes the
heroine. blonde, unsophistieated, with
dark rings about her eyes, sister to a
lage parson. Then there is the villain.
a city chap. Of eourse,s well groomed,
suaye and handsome. Add to these sew
eral varieties Of country clown, an old
woman who innagines herself young and
an object Of admiration among the bucolic
beaux, a" tomboy girl, a matronly servant
who rules the minister's household, and
the inevitable village choir quartet, and,
VOLTA! the stage is set, the characters
ready for the play &
Now, then: The hero and heroine con
tract a sc]andestine marriage. The hero's
father seejs to force him into second
match, not knowing Of the first, and the
hero will not tell him for fear of being
cut off with a penny and out OF the fo:-
tune he has long regarded as his own
Domestic affairs, however, soon require
| that the marriage be made knoWn-evel
hear of such thing, Beforehand it is
made known, tho thru accident The city
chap hears Of It and sblabs. First, he at
ltenpts to persuade the young man to dis
avoW his wife and gets himself horse.
| whipped Then he conspires to steal the
young brides marriage certificate and is
properly fciled. But he discovers a docu-
ment which proves the$curmudgeon father
to be the real owner Of the pastors little
farm. This he shows to the man of God
| who. at once, determines to beggar him
self and his family, However, the sac
rifce proves unnecessary, for baby j
born and thru il the old mans heart Is
softened. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn'1
J. II: Yet that is the play. The company
is worthy Of better things, and is most
capable organization II. S. Lawrence.
s Lyceum-4Thef Dairy Farm."
The chicken began successful zen,
! gagement at the Iyceum last night
| This talented fowl WAS called before the
curtain at the end Of the first act, and was
received with an approval that drowned
| the rapping Of the policeman's club up In
tho gallery. The orchestra played {
cakewalk, Dat Girl Of Mine" 50 that the
| distinguished artist might hold the center
of the stage. After pecking it's way along
the footlights, the chicken hoped dowr
before the leader of the orchestra; peckee
at his violin bow; hoped back upon the
stage; f1uttered amid burst of electricity
| flew over the orchestral alighted on the
/ coy locks of a5red-headed girl; scratched
and tapped across. 4 row Of startled
/ women; and disappeared, cackling, in tn,
arms Of an usher. Tonight, it /!
.runored creased pig will be released
! from stage box.
1.-THE sDairys.F arm, 'seindeed, as not orl.
'jay Drama" unworthy of commute
that knows, reaf' farmers, but it is yer.
bad jay drama" AS the town learne,
several years ago. .DairyY tumble ha
noneof thetpoetry Of ttfss pathos of "shor
facles IL IS dt@d Grass purleSque. ~ IL
bullying hoop skirts, it's green trousers, it
! protuberante waistcoats, will never b
4 recognized by survivors Of the = middl
4 ffties. And yet beside such antic cos
tunes and a few borrowed .Witticisms
| there is nothing but situations that wer
new In the days Of the Widow Bedott. =
The lonors Of the effort went to. Charlie
Burnham as the Bluebeard villain, t
Miss aMaisie Cecil as the incredibl
"Minty,' and, more deservedly, to tn
+ chicken. H. B. Curry.