The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-15
Cbc CbeatreS
MT. Murphy in "A Te1a. steer.

Il "A Texas Steer" Not that "A Texas Steer is uplifting or that farce com edies are to be regarded as the best in stage diversion. But it is good to re- Iturn for a while to those eminent com edies of Charles H. Hoyt, who was l the American parent of pure farce and whose dozen or more burlettas on | American life and methods were so screamingly funny and yet so harmless to stamp him as one of the great dead humorists of our country.
 Hoyt's comedies are farces in the lit- eral sense. The fun is direct. It is boisterous and bold. There Is no doubt of the point The latter day comedy Is subtle. It goes to the mind. Hoi polloi must con the humor of 1t. Per haps this is more artistic but 1t Is not the most popular. No one, save per. haps Mir. Broadhurst, has approached MT. Hoyt in writing farces and it would be good for our stage If more actors as genuine and as true as MT. Murphy would take up the Hoyt come- dies and repeat them.
 There is no use consuming space to describe the Maveric:5 Brander of Tim Murphy. This was the part that made Mir. Murphy an actor and it goes with out saying that he plays it now better than everI It is about the most arus- tic bt of character portrayal one ever sees in farce comedy. He makes Bran-
  at the Nations capital he has the sympathy of provincial audiences es- pecialIy because we, of the provinces, have served our own temporary time in Washington and other cities where they do things differently.
 1 It was a distinct compliment to MT. Murphy and his leading woman, Miss Sherrod, that a fine audience went to the Montgomery Theatre on one Of the nastiest nights of the year to see them play a farce that has been done to death The audience was satisfied. IT was more than satisfied. MT Murphy and Miss Sherrod are never disappoint- ing If we did not have such posi- tive weakness for Miss Sherrod we might tell 1t abroad that she has grown too stout to give vivid portrayal or Bossy, but she was satisfying, embon- point and all.
 MT. Murphy, according to his custom, has surrounded himself with a com pany of players the equal of which mas 1 never been seen here in farce comeoy , What farce. for example mas eApioi'e1 a } such a finished character actor as Adolph Jackson who played Brassy Gaul? No doubt more than hundred actors have played this part. We have seen a dozen. MT. Jackson gave 1t . spirit, breeziness and artistic finish; IL was so clever that one realized that . GauI was a sure enough man.
 Then there were Messrs. Armstrong, Jones and Maher, playing the members { of the Farmers Alliance of Texas Tn [ Washington to visit their Congress- 5 men. there was Mir. Griffin, who. as Fishback. the Texas negro, who wanted . to he Minister to Dahomey, excelied even old Milt Barlow who played the T mart and played 1t as only veteran negro minstrel could play 1t; MT. Mc- Hugh as the Secretary, MT. Gibson: as Captain Bright, Mrs. Powell. as Mrs Brander, Miss Lytton as the demure and shy girl from Indiana who "stung the Texas Congressmen--aH or these and others in the cast were artistic pe- :. yond ones expectations when one patronizes farce comedy.
 One of the best quartettes ever near9 | here, Messrs. Dayton, Carhel, Conrad and Maher, provided the southern songs of the prologue.
 Special scenic equipment was pro vided and the audience was enthuslas- tic. It was a fine performance, per formance so genuine and so laughaole that it will not be forgotten.
 "professor Napoleon" a musical ex- trayaganza by Montgomery amateurs, is the next entertainment at the thea tre, Friday and Saturday.
 Msandy Bottom" at the BijOu.
 Indictment weather was the cause of the small audience which saw the tirst presentation of the thrilling melo- drama Sandy Bottom, by the harris- Parkinson Company at the Bijou last night. While the attendance was small, the efforts of the players were well received and warmly applauded.
 Sandy Bottom" Is romantic piece, the scenes of which are laid in the gold fields of California. Dick Aldridge, the hero, has been falsely accused Of murder. While the crime is never fastened upon him, the stain is bur den on his mind. and he devotes his l life to finding the murderer. Through his trouble, the girl he loves Is loyal l tnd they are married. He finally strikes 1t rich in the working of an old mine and Is in a position to pursue his search for the criminal, when, through the nachinations of his rival, the mine is blown up. Bruce harrington, who is guilty both of the murder and of the p1ot which caused the explosion. Is fin ally shown tip in his true light, and AIdridge is vindicated.
 Robert Harris played the role of Dick Aidridge with great spirit. Marie La | Tour as Margaret McLane. and later Aldridge's wife, was very favorably re- ceived by the audience. Charles Teaff impersonated the character of Bruce Harrington, while Charles Breckenridge and Maud LeComte, as Barney OHolli- han and Bridget O'Hough, respectively furnished much of the comedy of the piece.
 The scenery of the piece was very effective.
 l today's matinee and evening perform ances. Northern Lights" will be the bill for Friday and Saturday nights, Ca