The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-03
AT THE THEATER

An audience record-breaking in point
of numbers, and almost in enthusiasm,
witnessed the production last evening
of ''The Runaways' by the only orig
inal New York company. Every seat
| in the house was taken from the or
| chestra chairs to the topmost gallery,
all the boxes were filed. and many
people stood during the entire per-
| formance.
1t was easy to read, both in the re-
markable sale of seats and in the en-
| thusiasm what sort of shows the
Savannah public most enjoys. OF this
| favorite class, it got last night in
The Runaways," very good one,
though in some respects not so great
| ly superior to other musical comedies
that have been presented here this sea-
| sion.
1t is not often, however, that three
such clever comedians as Arthur Dunn,
Charles Dox and Joseph Carey, with
Dunn unappraochably at the head, are
seen in the same cast. 1t was this
point, in particular, that put "The
Runaways" above many similar pro-
| ductions that the individual parts were
so we'll done. Miss Mabel Carrier as
Dorothy Hardtack Miss Helen Lord as
| Princess Anglecake, and Miss Mae
| Montfort as Josey May, a. comic opera
| queen, We're ALL besides being exceed
ngly pleasant to look at, and exceed
/ ingly well able to sing, clever and orig
inal, so that parts that would have or
| dinarily amounted to very little We're
! given decided individuality. Miss
| Lord forte was less her acting than
| her singing, and 1t was surprising that
her melodious soprano, when heard for
| the first time in the first act was not
| accorded the encore that it received in
! the spectacular second act. The song
was not nearly as pretty as her first
| solo, but the scenic effect evidently
more taking.
| OF Arthur Dunn, who was the whole
| show as far as the Savannah audience
was concerned, it is impossible to speak
| adequately. Like all stage humorists
| he must be seen to be appreciated, and
| he is like no other. There were times
when it appeared as if the perfor-
nance would not be allowed to go on,
so 10th was the audience to have any
| body but Arthur Dunn. Even his
| graceful explanation that the others
would do the same thing if only al
| lowed chance, met with the unmis-
| taxable assurance that. in the general
opinion, nobody could do it quite as
we'll as he.
A noteworthy departure from rather
common usage was that instead Of
| numbers being cut from the programme
| several were added. among them
song or recitative by Miss Montfort,
which was exceptionally clever. There
was some beautiful ballet dancing by
the D'Arville sisters in the last act.
The performance was not a long one,
and would have ended at even a more
reasonable hour If it had been possible
to begin on time. There was great
delay in handling the large crowd at
the doors of the theater between and
$3.50. Only one entrance to the lobby
was opened, the other being securely
locked, and the crowd thus became
eongested on the stepsaleading from the
street. and in the outer vestibuie. and
experienced great annoyance and in
convenience.
The Ferguson Stock Company will be
seen at both matinee and night per-
formances to-day. Atsthe matinee "In
Arizona win be the attraction, and
tonight In Sunny Tenpessee' will be
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