The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-28

rant kccnIn rs Nilc-NNNihH NuVI''I'
I.ond If Moral Plailtudcs--N Melee
dramatic II raSllaccl" poc'S 'pr
r,rrand Pref Fcther" Turned 90 Farce
r,,b the shrinking modesty instructive
4, h.. kind. the programme at the Berkeley
,.,o,,n last night announced that Mt
v,sor, Keenan, and a company of competent
,i,ver.s was naugurating "A series Of
l..,ro one-act plays in triple bill, following
{, General the plan Of the Antoine Theatre,
Paris nth -
,-.,r,rats IN this little playhouse followed
succession Of job lots from the theatre
~ hs-g,in counter Last night tho worst
..e,tec,ed and behold! the best-whch
L not saving so very much, however, at
ue Berkeley lycHum
Ocly one Of the plays was bad. The
ia, other had clear artistic intentions
,,d we're in the main ably executed. An
,1i,s's i, AS far away "A ever from the
po,re-v But TO people in search Of n light
iar.ation that viii not disturb the best of
Jirnsr- the tr-,t and third plays on the bill
ynav he checrfuy recommended. IL Is
"":sible-end much TO be hoped-that Mr..
Eeenan will succeed IN reviving the vanish
inc art of the AHIlNiH' bllt u'N pay
The first piece was an adventure IN Two
.csnes hetweer a burglar who was entering
house m midnight and q gay LothGfiO
40 was leaving IL with the vito. As the
lo,Aano not inapty remarked. this lates'
psFes was q wife-saving burglar full of
moral patltGd"S. lie. himself as nc re-
marked again not iunptly was after the
ss.et- of the household, while the other
vas after It's liabilities. None the less, he
objected and held up the clippers at the
roipt of his revolver
His own career in crime had been &C
easioned by wife who he'd deserted hlmn
Tor A harlsomer fellow leaving hun with
an infant daughter He had lett the
dausiter. pur-ued tho clopes, and A.
,.ted at tho death OF both Hence the
mora pAttudes In the end IL transpired
that he clipping vito was bis daughter.
The pauiudnous burglar became emo,
ronc and having sent his repentaut child
IL bv-lows threw down his derrnger and
Jimmy and forswore all graft
The play is by jackson D. Haag, news
paper man il il said from som" lndeter-
nlnable city in the Hinterland On the
whole. II was tho most convincing piece
If the evening, in spite OF platitudes ana
somewhat conventional emotions.
Scenicay It was really impressive lhe
FIST scene represented the porch and front
door IN a downpour Of limelight rain on
gauze front drop accompanied by the
noise Of the storm BURR, how the wind
blows Think OF the poor mariner on the
eormy deepD The second act showed the
drawing room. with the trio entering from
the hall to settle matters. Judged by the
duration Of the entr' acte. the entrance hall
must have been some forty miles long
TIE interest was quickly caught up, how
ever and was sustained.
As the burglar Mr. Keenan, did n very
restrained and effective bit Of naturalistic
acting Whatever the programme may
mean by UNIQUE, he was almost, If not
quite it.
The second piece version by Arthur
Honhlow of Catulle Mendes's story on
which was founded q Pagliacci." was
mere melodrama and written in language
somewhat ford A read by Mr.. keenan,
Who played the mountehanls clown 1t
became not SO much ford "a Florida
or was il not Ike the Hon John GriGsby
whom Mr. Keenan, last interpreted here
rather the tongue OF the Hoosier2 In any
case il was very far from the romantic
Clownand of the seventeenth century,
Miss Grace Filkins was strenuous but
unconvncing FrducisouiHC pronounce it
Frances Keene. as AIr. keenan, did. and YOU
have 1t 20 the life. The way she was paved
sud muzzled by her sergeant would scarcely
have gone even 70 the accompaniment OF
n great deal If high operate music
The final piece, also by Mr., Horn blow, was
stage rendering ~ Poe's System Of Dr
Tar and Prof Tether.' il Is not to be con
founded with the grewsome French Version
Of the same story. produced some years ago
a. the Grand Guignole in Paris and after
ward IN London. That was a patent hair
raiser and exeter Of goosehesh in which
the soothing system OF The maniacs who
gain control Of the madhouse took he form
~ gouging out the eyes Of their keepers
and other Ike antics dear to the hearts Of
the horror loving boulevards
This. according 20 the hornbiowng Of
the programme is grotesQue comedy
The worst hat happens is lot Of grooming
m stage. A. the keeper Is beaten into sub
mission 10 his coat Of tar and feathers
All that occurs on the stage is provocative
Of laughter or AZ least Of the mildcst and
most endurable kind Of terror
The LAY is in fact. genuinely funny, and
kept the house in constant amusement.
The scene i, located on Long Island. and the
visitor who witnesses the soothing system
Is very modern State Senator who comes
one stormy night 10 report on the disc-
pine and communicate with his wife by
long distance telephone Az played by
George Richards the part prov oltes q good
deal Of amusement
Nr keemn plays Dr. Tcrr. and gives
very diguiiiei and convincing portrait
NJ the white bearded and frock coated
paanoiac Wlight krnmera il very anus
inS Professor Fcihor, and does his leap over
chairs aud tables 20 the mant'lpiece in
manner irreslstibly ludicrous. II is pcs
nbe tha' on a larger stage more Of the
'Ver1 horror Of the supper scene might
have boon suggested. but some atmosphere
the little play does achieve
Antolna's and the grand Gu;C 1ole we re-
Pea are sill long way from tho Bowery.
bn' " neenan has made very good
START m the way of artistic sensa tons.
--
Rt(HTEI'S tiTEE