The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-11-17

49, - tAlt ~ Nv AAAAA WV ffh8~
has the extraordinary potentiallty OF set
ting everybody that takes 1t I'm such good
humor that you lpvo your worst enemy
and the plainest OF women becomes AS
beautiful as a goddess so long as the infu-
ence OF a mixture endures. To a fellow
surgeon a nerve specialist he presents the
idea In vain, his friend regarding IL AS
Shaking of charlstanry. But its results
are proved when the nerve specialist takes
a dose himself, unconsciously.
Shortly after. being called 10 treat a
new patient. he compromises himself bY
too great amiability and incures the dis-
pleasure of her husband a Frenchman.
h demands that he be permitted
10 take equal privilege with the doctors
wife or else he will shoot him down. Tho
Coctcr ~ despair ships his wife oct .f
town and happily secures IN ar ahs'nn ut
whereby another woman shall figure es
his true and lawful spouse fDr the pur'
pose OF satisfy the demands of the
Frenehman.
A good many things. happen from this
beginning. Spelt out In cold type the plot
evidently sounds amazingly a~bsurd-al-
most too absurd TO ever be really funny.
II also ggests offensiveness 70 discrimi-
mating ears. AS a matter Of fact. In Be
fore and After" the thing Is made plausi-
bio and there IL not a thing about II TO
offend the most delicate sensibiltties once
the hllltIlt1 FtAAltE h0NAA " Wv 0@tNiN
ancc of the impossible scheme the rest
follows naturally with all it's ridiculous
ness-so that. in fact. you almost feel as
though Il were realism and not farce and
a veritable sympathy for situations and
characters Is created I'm the audience that
feels even though II may laugh uproar-
iously.
How far this iarce manifests strength
OF a very decided and unusua! order IN
securing the sympathy OF tbs audience,
was demonstrated at one pbint IN tho ac'
ton last evening In an extraordinary
way. The nerve specialist and his nctl'
tious wife, his fictitious motherin-law,
the Frenchman, the mutual friend
OF the nerve powders and other
characters have become pretty thoioush
~ mixed up and things gen"rdl'Y ara IN n
ccneition OF mirth provoking cnaos and
complication. q,
The stage Is clear and there IL q second
OF suspense from the strain OF increasing
~entanglement when suddenly the real
wife appears, come to join her husband
Well. that big audience last night fairly
caught it's breath at her appearance. a
murmur OF mingled surprise and despair
swept over the house-a groan almost. II
was as the Imagination Of tho spectators
quickly caught the impending possibilities
~ her annenrance on the scene. You
would have thought hat IL was a Tragedy
that was 10 eventuate. II was an extra
! ordinary tribute TO the effectiveness or
the piece up TO that point in making the
whole absurd thing plausible. in creating
an atmosphere OF reality 10 something
thas was frankly and monstrously unreal.
The spasm was quickly followed by a
general laugh that shook the house as the
audience recovered by itself sufficiently
To realize that, after all. II was only a
farce, a merry emotional plaything. that
they were witnessing and nothing 10 be
taken seriously for "A second.
Before and After was a go" witt
last nights audience from the moment OF
the appearance OF Kenyon Bishop. the de-
llghtfuliy spontaneous and exuberant ac-
tress who portrayed the character OF a
retired burlesque artist who showed the
Black Crook TO Seattle for the first time
n quarter OF a century before the action
Ep to tina point Mr. WllllamE- MI Bont-
face, Mr.. wise. who by the way received
an ovation on his entrance. Mr.. Fairchild,
who also got a friendly hand for old
times sake. and others had been Great
ing plenty OF amusement n making
sufficient Roadway with the foundation
OF the story. But the entrance OF Miss
Bishop touched of the whole business
like a illuminate TO a mass Of gun cotton.
After that the audience just loosened up
TO all the laugh that the projectors or
the piece had aimed 10 secure.
1t is a finely talented company. indeed,
that makes Before and After perhaps
the %unnies farce since Charles Aunt. +"
The piece is written with splendid sponta-
neity, It's dialogue Is clever enough 10
keep you smiling in the spaces where the
situations compel an uproar and the sit
uations themselves are marvels OF stage
manufacture In the way OF fun making
There IL a situation that makes the ell
max OF the second act where practically
every member OF the Company Is worked
In in the space OF about thirty seconds, n
rolling up of fun and folly and absurdity
that enlists the whole strength OF the
company and sets the audience into in
creasing explosions OF laughter like the
Are OF a gatling gun, In just no time. Such
capital playwriting and stage manage
ment as are demonstrated In Before and
After" requires a company OF the first
order for the simple rea son that actors
Of a secondary class could never realize
and grasp the opportunities afforded. A
glance at the cast Of the piece provided
by Mr.. Dockstader and MI. Hunter pre-
sents the cream Of mirth makers OF our
stage today. Not since the days OF the
best OF the old Charles Frohman farces
has such a company OF genuine and spon-
taneous and experienced mirth makers
been got together.