The sun., 1905-09-07
"BEAUTY and The BARGE"
Ar. ". JACOBS PLAY. WITH NAT
GOODWTN AS THE BARGEE.

"Nany Carg Ocs" Transpired In the
play and Received Hare uncti0n by
MIR. Goodwin's Art OF Low Comedy.
Tho news that w. W. Jacobs OF the 'Many
rargoes" had turned his attention from
Tho short tale Of seafaring humor to the
etnrc was one of the happiest items that
came last year from London, and the sue
re,. there Of Cyril Maude In "Beauty and
the Barge" promised we'll for Nat Good
wins adventure with the piece here. But
the revelation OF the play last night at the
Iyccum did not altogether fulfil expecta-
tions
1t was not without racy humors OF the
salt tides of the Thames, but somehow they
had suffered land change. In connec-
tion with this fact it may be stated that
MIR. Jacobs had chaperon in his stage
debut in the person Of Louis N. Parker
set down on the bill as collaboration.
Somebody has botched this Jacobs story.
II would be cruel heart that would lay
the blame on Mr.. Parker, who has already
so many artistic sins to account for.
Being generous and kind, we prefer to
rail- Mr.. Jacobs TO account, who has thus
far been all to the 6 ood. Mr.. Pinero once
reproved literary men for their levity In
spproaching the theater. Arguing from
the case of Stevenson and Henley, he as
serted that they were prone to believe
that the art of the theater was comprised
in stale bag of tricks.
The play last night was for the most part
too violently at variance with nature and
probability to qualify in the modest sphere
of farce to which the program assigned it,
II was certainly absurd-but not SO much
IN way to be funny a in a way to be pre-
posferOus.
To call the false and obvious methods
employed Robertsonian Ia to post date
them many generations-.or rather to as.
sign antecedents to what is too far fetched
to he related to anything that was ever
Hearty laughter from the incubus OF his
e,acecraft or was it Mr.. Parker's?
Ii Is not that the piece was wholly without
the salt of humor and of the sea. Some
But what greeted the nostrils for the most
part was an ancient and fishlike smell
This is the greatest of pities; for the stage
has sore need of genuine and racy observa-
tons of character. such as MIR, Jacobs Is
he can supply them. however, he must
study not the antique humors of Noah and
his Wyfre in the Mystery play tthey were
the first bargees), but the art Of the stage
as .practised by his contemporaries. But
IL
atrocious.
The Joyous fact remains that in the char
acter OF the Apply Bargee Mr.. Goodwin's g
genius for low comedy all but rescued 1t
from opprobrum. He was an ancient
mariner of gray white sidelocks and a
etubble brush of beard. with many heart
enthrallng tale OF perils by sea, an Othello
OF fictitious adventure and a hlrtatious
Falstaf of the ready lie and the glib en-
dearment. His sea legs were creation
that met Francis Wilson on his own ground
without fear and without reproach. -.
All he did and said exuded whih as OF
the slippers pipe, mingled wit with the S. odos e1s
and a cock of his head that betoiSened
devil of fellow with the wimmen. -Four
Edies had once arrived in pursuit OF him,
on his barge at Wapping-1My mistyke
rs he truthfully admitted.
And SO there was some laughter that was
not altogether to be attributed tothe @ friendly
second and the third nights will prove as
happv. and whether the play will weather
the besetting frosts Of the road, are matters
OF prophecy not Of theatrical reporting.
False as the farce is to the life Of happy
bargedom, it may seem doubly, out
landish in inland America or it may be ac-
cepted in good faith as matter OF conven-
iona rhantasy.
Miss Katherine Florence, as the Major'a
daughter, who fed to the barge from her
a1ianced lover, only to be besieged In
amorous encounter by the skipper. was
hopelessly hampered by preposterous
and idiotic part.
The one performance except Mr..
Goodwin's which deserved special praise
was the Mdte of Mr.. George Miller. This
also had traces of Mr.. Jacobs's homely
laconic and boisterous comedy, and yielded
moments of genuine delight.