Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-07


three acts, by Frank Wyatt; under di-
rection Of Walter N. Lawrence. The
cast:
Frank Fuller ............... William motifs
Wigson, a butler .............. Harry Conor
GSP1aiR ob1 Rr6 SRaP bardrssser WiS sydneV Iee
Mrs. Jack Temple .........:... Grace Reals
Mrs. Frank Fuller. r.......,Antoinette Perry
Dorothy, Mrs. Temples sister. Rose Swain
Mrs. Brown, Christian name Martina
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Carey Hastings
Mr. Wyatt has taken some familiar in
gradients and by most skillful handling
has turned them into delectable dish.
His three-act farce is a testimonial to
what may be done by cleverness. 1t has
not the fundamental originality of thought
one might expect, for the series of Incl
dents on which It is based is almost as
old in service as play-writing ITSELF yet
in the working out of the meager plot
deal OF meritorious invention has been
expended and to good purpose. The situa-
tions are laughable and natural, and the
consequences that follow in legitimate
order are as funny as anything might
well be.
A Londoner, whose young wife is in
sanely Jealous, manages to get caught over
night in the Ferris wheel, which sticks
owing to an accident to the machinery
In the car with him is young woman
He returns I'm the morning and tells his
wife where he was. suppressing the woman
The wife refuses to believe him, and the
husband invents friend, gives him a
name and an address and describes the
dinner at which ne was present. The wife
telegraphs to the friend. A genuine friend
of the husband, newly married, turns up
and telling that his wife does not expect
him till the next day, proposes to the
husband that they go out and make night
of it, The husband explains his situation,
and the friend agrees to assume the char
acter Of the fictitious friend and set mat
ters right. He answers the telegram, and
tells a most circumstantial story, and hus-
band and wife make up. Then It turns out
that the fictitious address and name given
by the husband really belong to a hair
dresser, who calls I'm response to the tele-
gram. 1t further develops that the woman
who spent the night in the car with Mr..
Temple is the wife of Frank Fuller, the
friend who lies convincingly. This pre-
sents a most interesting set Of complica-
tions. with wonderful deal OF off-hand
lying, and a most impossible butler rum
ming through It all Laughter progresses
steadily until the point is reached where
the auditor is all but exhausted, and here
the story is Strengthened out.
Harry ConOr is the loquacious butler,
impossible in real life. yet charmingly
ridiculous with his linguistic breaks and his
unfailing aptitude for saying the wrong
thing at the right time. quite So" His
creation is a distinct success and fully
deserves all the good things that have
been said of II by eastern critics. many
of whom have praised It inordinately.
William Morris is better recalled here as
a romantic actor than as a comedian. but
he is doing very clever work in the role
OF the friend who cheerfully sets about
to help out the entangled husband. The
cheerful, nOnchalant manner that marks
his entrance on a course that leads to an
infinite deal Of unforeseen complication re-
minds one very much OF Willie Collier or
the late Roland Reed. It's a leap, into
the dark. but Morris takes II with all the
confidence Of one stepping into his own
bedroom with the light turned on.
Others In the company add very ma
terially 10 the success OF the whole. which
depends entirely on the quick, snappy ac-
tion. That It has succeeded so well is
the best evidence OF the competence Of the
company presenting the play. Mrs. Tenn
pies Telegram" was enjoyed by a very
fair audience last night. and ought to see
packed houses during the rest of it's stay,
which will continue until after Friday
night.