Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-01-18
GERMAN COMEDY.
Mason and Mason Coming to the Grand
Next Week Thursday Evening.

Mason & Mason who for the past
three seasons have been we'll and fav-
orably known as the leading exponents
Of German comedy will be seen at the
Grand Thursday, Jan. 26th, in an en-.
tirely new two act musical play en-
titled Fritz & Snitz'' assisted by a
company of high class artists and a
strong and efficient chorus. The pro-
duction is new throughout and Messrs.
Broadhurst & Currie, the managers,
have spared no expense in their en-
deavor to make this attraction one Of
the merriest and most popular on
the road.
Fritz, the Burglar" by Chas. A.
Mason, and "Snitz, the detective"
by Harry Lester Mason is full of
amusing complications, the manner
Of which is ingenious with dialogue
that is brisk and up-to-date, inters-
persed now and then with q musical
number which is part Of the story
and not merely put in to fill in the
time. At no time during the enter
tainment does the audience lose sight
Of the story Of the play which is
founded on a retired millionaire,
Nathaniel Coyne, with an aversion
to automobilists, trying to effect a
marriage of his daughter to a titled
foreigner in order to obtain for his
family better footing in society.
For this reason he has contracted with
a matrimonial agent to introduce a
German Baron into his home. Through
unforeseen accidents the Baron does
not arrive as expected but at this
time Fritz Sauerwein, German
burglar and Snitz Pumpernickle, a
German detective make their appear
ance. Both Fritz and Snitz are
dressed alike and look so nearly alike
as to be continually mistaken one for
the other. While the matrimonial
agent is waiting for the Baron he
sees Fritz and for o consideration
pervails upon him to disguise himself
as German baron in order to be
introduced to Penelope, Mr.. Coyne's
daughter, and try and win her. While
Fritz is dressing for the part of the
Baron, Snitz is seen by the agent and
after considerable persuasion, he is
also sent to make up as the Baron, the
agent mistaking him for Fritz. Short
ly after Fritz and Snitz meet the real
Baron on his way into the house but it
is their intention to keep him out,
therefore knowing Mr.. Coyne's objec-
tions to automobilists, they dress him
up like one, with coat, cap and goggles
complete, and send him to the house.
OF course when he nears the gate he
is set upon by the servants and driven
away and this once more leaves an
open field for Fritz and Snitz. Among
the able assistants to the merrymak-
ing are Herbert Coyne, the million
aires son, Hopper, the servant,
Miss Saphronia Coyne, the sister,
Penelope Coyne, the daughter, Nellie
Bracy, a music hall singer and Mrs.
Forme, a real aristrocrat, besides auto
fiends, messengers and policemen and
we'll gOwned show girls.
1t is impossible to tell the entire
story so as to convey to the reader
the ingenuity of the complications,
and yet when played, it is immedi-
ately apparent to the audience. The
players are in the dark but the audi
ence is fully informed hence the
amusement is unbounded at the efforts
of the actors to straighten out the
tangled state of affairs.