The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-08
BUZZ SAW PLAYS
Usual Run OF Cheap Melo-
dramas Ara Launched.
seller Mad Marriage" One Of the
PrepOsterOus Plays.
"ME WIFE-ME CHILD"
Full OF Thrills, a Few Paints
and Murders.
New York Turns Out a Hundred
Such Each Season.
''ME WIFE-ME CHILD.

a scene of East Lynne was in pro-
sress in a theater on Monday evening,
says Dramio writing from New York.
The actor of Sir Francis Levison had
enuced the actress of Lady Isabel to
run away from home with him; but.
learning that she was not the heiress
he had thought she was, he put poison
in the glass from which, in her mimic
illness, she was to take some medicine.
By an accident the glass changed place
with one which ne was TO use. and on
doing SO he fell unconscious and was
carried of A stage manager asked if
there was a physician in the theater
and one went behind the scenes. Two
women in the audience screamed,
tainted and were helped out by ushers-
y man leaDed from a box to the
stage, announced himself a detective
and arrested the actress who had
shifted the glasses A woman came TO
the front of an opposite box and de-
nOunced the actress. A woman arose
from a parQuet seat. cried out that the
actress was her innocent daughter, and
made her way to the orchestra rail. A
boy in the gallery shouted that he had
the proofs to clear the actress, and he
loudly repeated it all the way down
stairs ana through the center aisle to
the stage The same thing happens
every evening this week and at two
maunees.
That is one of several things in the
new plays that are of no Importance,
yet interesting. In other respects
Her Mad Marriage" is merely one
more Of the prepoSterouS melodramaS
that are made, a hundred a year, for
the amusement of the multitude. 1t
contains, besides the old device of a
play within a play, the buzzsaW from
Blue Jeans" and the camera from
1.-The Octoroon," both brought up to
the latest practices in saving and
photographing, yet neither has any
thing like the original effect.
My boy" 1 once heard an old min
strel say to a young one, never pull
your scare wig twice"
In those days an end man would
wear a wig so contrived that, by pull
ling a string. he made his hair stand
on end as if in fright. What the vet
eran meant was that an audience
would laugh once at that, but not
again. However. I think the new saw
and the new camera fail to effect not l
SO much because they are second I
pullings of old strings, but because I
they are not pulled as adroitly- The I
circumstances of the Villains binding
of the hero where the saw seems sure
TO cut him in two are SO abruptly i'm 4
possible that, although the rescue IS !
made ingeniousIy by a chap who I
CHM BIS a pole outside the mill and cuts
the electric power wire, even the gal /
le-y doesn't respond with excitement /
The Photographic incident, too, Is /
freshened by what should be valuable !
fiashlight snapshot at an aged cashier.
who has fallen asleep over his work al /
night. and at tine same instant a bur-
glar shoots him. The Two explosions /
and illustrations are simultaneous, and |
so neither the photographer nor the |
murderer knows that evidence for 4
conviction is being made accidentally.
This might be engroSsing if it were
made reasonable. but it is presented in
credibly and therefore counts for moth
ing. Plays must be plausible il they /
are to be impressive.
OF no consequence, seeing that 1t /
doesn't count for good in the business
of Clyde Fitch's new play, The Coronet !
of the Duchess is a scene which in /
terestS theatrical experts by its futile !
ingenuity. Poor Fitch is being critical |
ly denounced. as II failure on the stage |
were a crime. So il is well to tell of |
what is cleverly contrived, even though |
II has miscarried. An American heiress /
mas married an impeCuniOus English /
duke. She is in charge Of a jewelry |
booth at a London charity fair. 1t is
so swell function that King Edwards /
queen opens it in state and titled ladies |
serve as salesgirls; but the money of
nobodies is accepted with thanks, and /
no change IS given. A disreputable crea-
tuTe wears a string of rare pearls. The
duchess sees that they match exactly Il
string lately given to her by the duke
The jeweler tells her that the two were
sold together. So she knows that she,
the lsyal wife. stands face to face with