The Washington times., 1906-07-01
A Revival of Jane
at the Columbia Tneater.

Tommorrow evening Guy Standing
and the Columbia Theater Company Will
enter upon the tenth week Of their sue
cessfui summer season AT the Columbia
Theater. with an adequate revival OF
Jane" the clever and amusing comedy
from the pens OF william LestOca and
Harry Nichols which has taken rank
as one OF the dramatic success OF the
generation. John Mason viii be seen
In an entirely new line OF business. in
the role OF the bewiIdered butler, which
opportunity for decidedly humorous
sketch and Miss Jessie Busley, long
member OF Charles Frohman's forces.
he's been specially engaged 10 enact the
tile role OF the sDrightly housemaid.
around whose personality the thread
OF the plot is so largely woven. Jane
was originally produced at the Comedy
Theater. London. December IS. 1880. by
Charles Hawtrey and company. End haJ
a long run in the metropolis. Ia the
original cast on that occasion Charles
HaWtTey was seen as Charley Shackls-
ton, the reckless young English heir.
who VIII be interpreted AT the Columbia
by Mr.. Standing: Miss Lottie Venne
was the original Jane. and Charles
Brookneld created the character OF VIII
lam TipSOn. the butler, that has been
intrusted TO John Mason. The part OF
Michael Nershaw, the guardian. was
created ~ the original production BY
Henry kemble, Mr. Pixton. by E NJ.
Robson. Claude. by Master X. Saker.
Mrs. Chadwick. by Miss c. EweH: Lucy
Sorton. by Miss Ethel Matthews; Mrs
Pixton, By Miss Ada Murray. In the
original American production, which
was made shortly afterward by Charles
Frohman. the part Of Jane was created
by the late Miss Johnstone Bennett. and
afterward played by Jennie Yeamans.
ton; Tom Burns was the Michael Ker-
shaw. Amelia SummerviIle was the Mrs
Fixton: Robert Cotton was the butler;
Snitz Edwards was the PixtOn. and sue
cess OF the British premiere was re-
peated.
Jane is another version OF ''Prete
moi Ia femme" French piece which
mas been more than once adapted into
me English In their version Messrs.
LestocQ and Nichols have been able 10
DO what the adapter seldom does-iu-
prove upon end strengthen the original,
and the story as told by them has de-
VelOpcd continuous laughter from many
successive audiences. In August 1880
Roland Reed presented at the Boston
VIE, which vas the late Ernest War
ren's adaptation Of Maurice Desvallier's
Prete moi ia femme" which latter was
originally acted IN September. 1883. at
the Palais Royal, IN Paris. Warren's
version was known also as Borrowed. "
under which title IL was first acted at
New Cross Hall. London. In September,
lsNo, but II was somewhat revised for
cault- Another English version, not Yet
seen IN this country. IS that Of J. H
Mccarthy. entitled Your Wife" as
Originally presented I'm January. 1890. al
the 81. James Theater, London but
Jane is the only version OF the central
idea that has OUtlived the decade Of its
production The idea Of "Prete moi "a
femme which was sought by so many
dramatists before II was finally develop
ed BY LestocQ and Nichols into the in
genioGs and amusing comedy OF Jane
Is this; A young fellow OF reckless
habits plays upon the feelings OF his
guardian. who lives in a distant part
OF Cornwall by representing that he is
married, and obtained by this means an
unduiy large allowance. keeping up the
deception with great success until ore
day the old gentleman comes TO town
and 4 friends wife has 10 be borrowed
Tor the occasion. which results many
fun provoking Observation-Disclosures The
hero bOrrows his buffers wife. who IS
no other than Jane. the housemaid. and
as this sprightly young person imports
into the drawing room the manners OF
the Kitchen, ordering her real husband
out Of the room at critical moments. and
thereby arOUsing his jealousy. the inter
est is Unfiagging- The dialogue Is bright
and the story is cleverly worked out by
the adap-ers- The usual matinees will
be held on Thursday and Saturday