The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-16
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE.

At the Providence Opera House for the
balance Of the week. with matinee to-
morrow. Charles Frohman presents Fran
els Wilson in the farce in three acts, "The
Mountain Climber" by c. Kraatz and NJ.
Neal authors OF Are You a Maeon?"
Any one familiar with the traditions of
Mr.. Wilson would jump TO the conclusion,
from the title OF his new farce that there
would be uneXampled opportunity for the
demonstration OF this Comedians most
moving talent--his legs. But this is not
80. for Mr.. Wilson as appears is a noun
tain climber only by PROFESSIONALS own
protesting that is--ra ther than as a mat
ter Of fact. or legs. The mountains that
he clain1bc must. SO to speak. come to
him-he will not go to them II he can help
It. He is as mase and funny a hypocrite
as ever strode through farce exploiting
his hypocrisy, at least since Pistol
claimed To he fighter.
And yet such Is the fellow feeling in a
world where everybody Is more or less
gentle and harmless hypocrite that the
audience was glad last evening that Mr..
Wilson was not uncovered i'm his true
colors as a mountainous fraud al the
close OF the new farce. but remained the
hero Of the occasion and OF the play when
the final curtain fell on n drop scene
representing the exterior Of the noun
tain climbers residence. at the windows
OF which the characters appeared in re-
sponse TO a serenade from the worship
fuling Alpine club-the audience being re-
solved into the applauding club members
by one OF those stage tricks OF the general
nature Of the scene in The Toast Of the
Town" or The ROYAL Box" where the
audience Is made n part Of the play and
does duty as a mob" without receiving
the usual stipend allotted TO the super
numersries. For after all. did he not lie
that others dear TO him, az well as him
self might be happy Wife and step
daughters gloried in the heroic deeds that
were copied from the narrative of a real
mountain climber for the purpose Of COW
ering certain Bohemian weeks spent IN
Paris The supposiutious adventures
served their purpose all too well for his
proud family heralded them 10 the world.
one OF his daughters came near throwing
over a decent young suitor because he had
no taste to display similar prowess AZ her
stepfather and Mr. Montague sibley came
perilously near having TO make good his
abominable lying and deceit at great per-
so1al inconvenience. TO say nothing of the
risk Of his life. which no valued. on the
whole. quite as much as his reputation as
a man Of mountain climbing prowess.
The Mountain Climber, is extraya-
gantly. absurdly. funny There y hardly
one sano character or situation IN ~ IL
rollics with aggravated irresponsibility.
The soberest thing that happened last
evening was when the Opera Houses
black cat. Warwick. stalked through the
first scene at a critical moment and seated
himself. o. y. side. 1st entrance, blinking
across the footlghts at the audience.
Here was chance for the press agent.
and Miss May Robson rose 10 ~. She
was I'm the midst of some lines that were
vitality important to-the audience as In
troductory 10 the theme of the play. Now
adays it h an advantageous theme for the