The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-05
ADJUSTMENTS
Metropolltan-"The Education Of MIR.
- 1890. 4. Plpp." cg.~Es -

ID +. ftPHs''-- s5
At first thought it may seem rather
remarkable that a series Of pictures
should furnish the inspiration for so brill
liant comedy as 1.-THE Education of
Mr.: fPipp." The Charles Dana Gibson
drawings, however, provide not only a
set Of distinct characters ready to- the
playwright's hand, but an admirable mo-
tive for a pure American comedy. More
over there is no definite plot already
made familiar %tand therefore sacred) in
novel form, and this gives the play
,artifcer the tremendous advantage Of a
free hand in the fashioning Of his story.
Add to these considerations the fact
that Augustus Thomas, a thoro master
In the technical side of his art, was In
trusted with the task, and the complete
success Of the experiment becomes cutie
understandable: = =. 4" ) a&2ssf''I
AS Digby Bell says In his clever lfttle
curtain speech, the purpose Of the play
seems to be to make plain the fact that
In this country the women run things.
The Pipp family is q plain, every day
American family raised to sudden az
fuence by the Pittsburg method Mr..
P1pp ren1ains the same uinassuming little
man, ttmorous, genuine, lovable; but
Mrs. Pipp is transformed from a buxom,
bustling matron into a parvenu with So
eiaf% aspirations that make her ridicu-
Ions. Yet-and here Is the art Of Mr..
Thomas--she, is at heart unspoiled, a
faithful wife from whose eyes the scales
fall: at last. When the: ardent but UNI
discriminating pursuit OF the nobility
brings her at last to, utter embarrass s.
nent: and confusion, it is from her very
heart that the cry breaks, ST want to
go home" ':Where?" says Mr.. Pipp very
gently, to New. Y ork ?'' mo :, she
weeps;' "tos Pittsburg.RsesIti3 is al great
climax :to 4as lAne r.con1edys based Gas all
! trres comedy must ebe,l in, spite OF exag-
geration and caricature) on q, true view
Of life. Thru the, crisp and witty Ida
log, thru the ingenious and, compressed
action reaching in the third. act almost
naelo dpaahatic tension, there are ifreu1eat
glinapses Of; this real, true Amercan life
ande A1nerican5 ichara cter. sa-r7xez 81
ptgbyYt Bells IL inpersonation : Of st;Mr.
Pipp Is one Of the finest contributions
to- the gallery of American stage portraits
made in many; a day. It is consistent,
restrained and; artistic to the point of
complete naturalness.. The resigned sub.
servience of the little man to his doui-
mating wife is so palliated by his love for
his daughter and by his other lovably
human traits that he never quite loses
our respect, laugh tho we may at his
uulIHity.'' LIVERY LnOC1On OF his
restless hands,, every grimace' Off his
dropping visage tells the funny, yet pa
thetic story of his unhappiness. Merely
to see him go upstairs at the imperieus
call Of his wife Is to laugh. And his
sudden ebullit1on Of anger when he
smites the pseudo count 'rouses a storm
Of approving .nerriment. T.. It u.s. in short,
a Characterization Of the highest merit
and without ablemish. 49,. :: = ,~4,>a
Scarcely less striking Is the Mrs. Pipp
Of Belle Gaffney, a picture of the ambi-
tious American parvenus with just enough
caricature to. make it delicious Her
bumptious turbulence and her wrong
headed tyranny over the family are de
picted with highly humorous unconscious
ness. Phyllis Young and Elise Scott;
who play the daughters, fill ones ideal
Of the Gibson girl"a in everything but
stature, and. besides, play we'll their
parts: Miss Scott as the recalcitrant
Julia, is especially effective. W.! s. st.
Claire, does a fine piece Of work as the
masquerading French count, who with
his duo of assistant swindlers, plans the
plucking of the foolish Americans. The
two worthy young men who are in love
with the daughters and who work the
undoing of the swindlers are well played
by Sam B. Hardy and Reginald Mason.
In brief, the lesser characters Of the play
are for the most part in competent; hands
and the whole performance moves with
gratifying ismoothness.. X III
~ 1a -W.1B. Chamberlain