The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-02-10

turn TO sentiment and pathos which. for
lust a brief few minutes dips down deep
into the comedy. The house which had
been ripping and bubbling and. now and
then, bursting with laughing approval all
the evening suddenly became silent. many
IN eye moistened and. at the curtain, 1t
broke into the lCudest applause of the
night With all the temptation that such
a Jolly part offars for burlesque, had its
writing or Interpretation been on that
limo, an audience could never have ad-
lusted itself TO that sudden transition and
SO demonstrated Its acceptance as gem
uf e human type.
Now 81 ia worth noting that every one
OF Mr. AIDES types and every single por-
traiture as done by the remarkable COM
pany OF people VINO crowd THE County
Chairman" stage with human interest.
strikes the audience as just as genuine.
II only mere sketch as that Of the name
paIt Just consider Sassafras Livingstone.
tho local touch Cf color the forlorn
'rigger" who drags a game leg through
scenes and situations like a comic simili
tude OF Banquo's ghost! We know the ne
hro minstrel we know the occasional fine
type Of negro servant but never before,
We believe. with The single exception. per
maps. OF the Minister TO Dahomey" in
Hoyt'S Texas steer" have we ever had
offered the lonesome "nigger,, tn a small
American life thai Mr.. Ade and Mr..
Sweatnam have now given us In ''the
County Chairman" Wherever our Ameri
cnn dramatists have sought TO reproduce
American types they have almost invara-
bly, overlooked the possibility OF this most
imI Iortatn character. And now, here II is,
rs true as true can be 10 life. irresistibly
humorous. with Just q touch OF pathos,
never ridiculous or burlesque or exagEera
ted. And while some other fellow beside
Mr. Ade might have written IL. had he
81 ought OF ~. no one familiar with Mr..
,swCatnam's artistic performances OF the
past but will concede that no other actor
coud give II the life as Sweatnam does II.
AS a delmeator OF negro character he is a
past master, an artist OF the first class
anC not another that we can think OF now
living. in the class.
Then. there is Mr.. Book as a country
editor and a wheel horse in the political
harness. a veteran actor in a part that
would be indeed minor" in less artistic
and experienced hands And Mr.. Chap
man as a store-box orator. who is out
10 fgfr England or any old thing except
for the Interruptions oceasioned by his
spouse who insists that no split the fire.
wood II ne would have his meals cooked
for him by her hands. And Mr.. Gross.
as an old settler who IL never permitted
60 tell what they used 10 do more than 80
years back. And Miss Reaudet, the spouse
OF the truculant store-box orator. a finely
done bit Of character work. And Miss
Fisher. the sentimental millner who has
met 40 many travelling men, and gets
married at last. and goes on a honey
moon 20 Chicago--the dream OF her life.
not 20 get married. 80 much, as 10 see
And Miss Buckley, a sister Of
May Buckley, and OF the same sort of
sprightly talent and the impulses ~ a real
artist. And Mr.. Phillips. the little mil
liners newest drummer. with a nns art
expressed all through his part even 20
the tilt Of his derby hat on HIS auburn
wig. And all the younger set who have
20 do more with tho sentiment Of the play
aud NJ into the picture with rare ca
pacity for their work
The story Is clean and wholesome IN all
its parts Of politics and love and senu-
ment and fun The nearest ching % n
villain" Is the character of a lawyer,
donc by Mr.. Fisher IN capital style. And.
after all. the only thing he does IN the