The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-03
The Theaters of New York
Produced There Last Week..
Praise for Miss Robson

NEW YORK, Jan. L-Three plays with
a large aggregate of originality are Clyde
Fitch's Glad of It." Israel Zangwilps
Merely Mary Ann" and Augustus Thorn
ass 1.-THE other Girl" All are comedies
not farces, but comedies. The first title of
the new piece by Mr.. Thomas was THE
Parson and the Pugilist," and that was
more apropos than The Other Girl"
though less attractive in the advertise
ments. The author joked about it in his
speech on the opening night.
After my choice of a name had been an
nounced," said he, two clergymen wrote
to Mr.. Frohman in protest. OF course. we
gave no heed TO them. But when a letter
of complaint came from a prizefighter we
made the change at once"
However, Mr.. Thomas did not alter the
mix-up of the parson and the pugilist in the
play, nor save the two girls from being
overborne in interest by the two fighting
men. And an admiring friendship ensues
between the one who strikes professional
blows at sinners in the pulpit and the one
who knocks them out in the ring. Their
piety and muscularity touch elbows not
only, but get together in wrestling and
boxing, as well as in encounters OF brain
and Drawn. This singular affinity between
mind and matter comes about through the
champion of Christianity. who needs phys
ical culture, engaging the middleweight
champion of the un-Christian boxers to
exercise him at his parish residence. The
consequences are bad at first and good at
last. The Rev. DR.. Clifton Bradford is
soon so expert in pugilism that when his
insolent butler grabs him he throws the
fellow clear over a table easily. That and
other unspiritual conduct, decently human,
yet forbidden to a man whose coat is al
ways black and necktie always white, get
him into unpleasant publicity. Concurrent
ly Kid McGarvey develops a desire TO be-
come a gentleman, and his highest aspira-
ton in that direction is to elope with a
young lady whom his mu~scularity has fas-
cinated.
The model after whom Mr.. Thomas has
nodded his Kid McGarvey is Kid Mccoy,
the real champion middleweight ~slugger,
whose charm for women is so potent that
one of them has married him three times,
with divorce intervals between the we'd
dings. The author and Lionel Barrymore,
the actor of the character, seem 10 have
studied Mccoy closely, as his slang of the
ring and his manner of the barroom are
reproduced with the utmost precision. Bar
ignores imitation in speech and move
ment is faithful. very cleveriy so, but
Thomas's wit and humor are. Of course.
far and away above anything that Mccoy
is capable of. There is no reason to doubt
that the Rev. Mr.. Bradford in the play had
a progenitor in the Rev. DR.. Rainsford.
rector of st. Georges Church, and we'll
known-sometimes criticised, too-for his
promotion Of gymnastic culture for himself
and the young men of his parish, with box
ing gloves and wrestling mattresses not
barred.
Thus invited by the author of 1.-THE Other
I Girl" to look beyond the mimicry and see
actual personality, it is excusabie to write
| something about the players who represent
the two girls of the comedy, one of whom
and you are left to decide which-is meant
to be designated as 1.-The other" The ac-
tresses are Elsie De Wolfe, who was born
into the proud old New York family of De
Wolfe, and Drina De Wolfe, who married
into II. They are sisters-in-law, or were
before divorce sundered the relationship.
but il was a matter of publication, at the
time Of Drina's exploitation at Mrs. Os-
bornes peculiarly interesting playhouse.
that Elsie would not recognize Drina So
cially. BIZ. in the present play they are
brought together professionally as the most
affectionate Of chums. Drina is the i'm
pulsive maiden who consents to run away
with the ~pugilist. and Elsie is the consider
Caresses, embraces and kisses are pre-
scribed by the author, and the two De
wolfes give them with no show of dislike.
Those in the audience who know of the
family affair, which has been a town topic,
see nothing unreasonable In Drina kiting
OF to marry whimsically, OF in Elsie clev-
| erly locking up the "other girl" who would
7 elope and making of herself the ''other
girl" who wells herself TO surprise and con-
found the pugilist when they get to the
clergyman who is expected TO perform the
ceremony. But there is wonder and there
is guessing when the De Wolfe former sis
ters-in-law assume the manner OF fOnO
hate each other while Stimulating mutual
love? OF course. it is none Of the audi.
ence's business. Yet the amused curiosity
is manifest. Another actress eXtraneously
interesting is Ida Gr~eeley-Smith, daughter
of Nicholas Smith and granddaughter OF
Horace Greeley. She appears neatly in the
small part OF a maid servant.
Having gone into the clements of mere
popularity in this Thomas play, l ought
to add that it is the most ingeniousIy ar.
tistic work that the author has ever done
The complications arising from the frus.
trated elopement are so many and so in,
volved that only an expert hand could have
made them clear in the action. The char.
acterization so keen and positive as TO plac,