The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-15
Lyceum-"A Temperance Town."

Charles W. Hoyt's cleverest and most
famous farce comedy, "a Temperance
Town. will give Lyceum patrons an
other laughing week with vein of
human interest and serious purpose run
ming thru the fun, which only suffices
types and situations. The Ferris COM
pany will be seen in an elaborate pro-
duction of this capital satire on the
workings Of the Vermont hquor~law,
which requires twenty-five speaking
characters to carry it's story of continu-
GUS amusement.
AS everyone knows who has laughed
the clever creations Of this leader Of
strength lay in the building Of farce
comedies, so called because they fit
more surely into that classification than
any other in the dramatic family.
But they should have a classification
by themselves, which might properly
be sailed, tho it sounds paradoxical,
farce e9 Q Tds with a purpose: uor+
started out to hold up. to the mirror Of
public ridicule the inadequacies and
absurdities of the Vermont liquor law,
and with it the half baked efforts Of
temperance cranks to regulate the LID
uor traffic. This he succeeded admir-
ably in doing, for none Of his famous
farces is funnier than this one. But
play and developing it's action and
plan, Hoyt found much that was the re-
verse of funny in the operation of the
liquor law, SO, with all the comedy
character scenes and individuals which
make the play so amusing, there stole
into it., almost, one may fancy, I'M
known to the author, vein OF serious
ness and human pathos which make it
by far the greatest OF his i;1 works: .
the temperance town is a one-armed
veteran Of the civil war; a loveable
old soldier whose sick child serves
largely to make the pathetic atmos
phere of the play. The story deals with
| the efforts Of the temperance cranks to
suppress the liquor traffic. These cranks
include the doctor and the druggist,
fill prescriptions for ''spiritus fru-
menti," which, Of course, increases
their zeal in the good cause of stamp
| ing out the demon rum traffic except
! thru the duly authorized channels.
I A sweet girl, Ruth Hardman, the
minister's daughter, whose sympathy
| is stronger than liquor regulations,
abundant fun is furnished by Mink .
Jones the town drunkard; "Bingo,'
his son and probable successor, Squire
Belcher Of the county bar; Uncle Joe
Vail, the village patriarch and many
| other amusing types.
ga Temperance Town. will be
deliberately staged, special Green noun
tain scenery having been painted to
give accordance to the settings.
The cast follows:
Rev. Earnest Hartman, the clergyman,
4 Richardson Cotton
Launcelot Jones, the town drunkard Lewis Stone
st. Julien Zones, his son. Ernest Fisher
Gentleman Jack Worth. Lawrence Grattan
i Squire Belcher leader Of the county bar. sE
Pete Raymond
Kneeland Pray, village druggist. Kraft McNeal
Frank Hardman Montana mining king,
Charles Lndholn
DIR. Caldwell Sawyer. the village ply
Uncle Joe Wall, the Oldest man in town. D'lo'
Il Charles g. Burnham
I William Putnam, Of the rum crowd,
I Harry Plymptor
Yves Perry, another OF the crowd. J. j W. Carter
Judge Graham Doe, of the Circuit court
Learned sprigg, the city lawyer. Harry Piymptos
4 Sheriff Harry Dorner
i AIRY Ayers, organist Don Manning
$ Little Susie Crossman ). Esther Brandhaven
y Will Peak, hard character. Leslie MoroscC
Ruth Hardman, the clergyman'B daugh-
s. ter s.ls Leila Shaw