The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-13

given 90 understand. because Lazy liz
accused Houston Street Mol OF trying
70 steal her man: while Mol. e was az
firmed. though habitually drunk. was
invunerab,y virtuous. To keep her thus
the wealthy 'young settlement worker
TOOK her 20 her heart. and advised "a
little soap and water. the latter infl-
ence proving. presently. 70 be o. dubious
value. as Aou when scrubbed excited
the opportunities OF the young fortune
hunter Who was engaged - wed the
wealthy pliianthropist.
u became clear almost Immediately,
that the plot was out Of Nellie. die
Beautiful Cloak Model" by The Gay
Lord Quex.' IL had the form OF the
former (Which shall describe I'm this
letter. and the substance n tho latter.
Mch. total a5stainer and the nancee OF
the bartender in whose saloon she had
got lighting drunk plans to lure the
IMthless wooer TO fatal indiscrction.
The spectacle OF this meeting forms the
great scene Of the play. OF which every
detail IS foreseon by the most mex
perienced person. II one were inclined
90 take tho writer seriously. objection
might be made TO tho revolving details
Of the meeting OF the young cad. al
most on the eve OF his wedding. and
Houston Street Non IN the Iatter's bed
room, and certainly the cheap veneer ~
Christian reverence over the vicious fall
sity Is reprehensible
The frst-nighters in the parquet did not
conceal their rdicule OF this slurn drama
although those in the gallery acclaimed
II With cheers SO there. probably. IS a
prosperous future for t. in the proper
place AIolFs trick 10 be discovered with
the br1degroom-elect by his fiancee as
was 10 be expected. brought down that
wealthy angels scorn upon her while
~ brought down more humping OF the
husky bartenders fists on the young
rake. The hght caused the smashing into
bits or lamp, the mussing up OF q very
eood-loolSing young actor. and other mis-
haps. It was a right lively scrap .~rhc
straight Road" certainly Is one OF the
most active OF pugilstic dramas Mol.
having been cursed by half or tho cast.
declares there Is no use IN being virtuous
and announces her devotion 10 q lie OF
crime. The pugilstio spirit Selling her.
when she Is without even a punchir g-hag
TO work Il on on she begins landing
upDer-cuts 20 chiffonniers and Knockout
blows TO weil-meaning Morris chairs In
her outbreak OF violence she rips a win
dow-shade from It's roller. whereupor
blue moonlight streams upon n picture
OF the Virgin and Child. and Mol Is
bathed again IN religious virtue-to stay
so. so far rs Fitch let's US know.
Puzzle for Fitch.
Fitch had "A puzzling night with the
simultaneousness OF The Truth" and
The Straight Road" He directs the
productions or his plays. from the selec-
ton OF the actors 70 the smallest point
In their acting But that work was done.
and he had merely 10 wait for the audi
ences' verdict. Those audiences however.
swould expect him to respond 70 their
demands for a thank-you speech. Miss
[, Walsh would get TO the end OF the
second OF her three acts at just about
10 o'clock and Miss Bloodgood to the
end OF the third OF her FOUR at close to
lo:l5. But would the two perform
ances run on schedule time? They did.
and tho author was able to get his
reception" at both theatres.
The phenomena OF audiences are pc
culiar. especially as to laughter
studied the merriment at Matilda" be-
cause three-folHts OF the people didn't
laugh at all, while the other quarter
laughed necessarily. OF the row OF twelve
where sat nine regarded the farce with
faint smiles and once in while a
smoker. but never with a laugh or
the three others. a boy gave out a sue
cession OF outlaws. a man roared bois-
terously. and woman became so hys-
terical with her giee that her companion
had to take her out. This uneven eject
or l. n. AIorris's farce Is due 70 the
>
Aunt used Cd all tho fun possible in a
man disguised a woman. and others
ind it as funny as ever. In the new play
q fellow and girl swap trousers and
skirts. and fool the master OF a yacht
and his guests. They sing and dance.
too for this Is a musical farce. although
there IS no chorus. ballet or extravagan-
"a sights The actor OF the bogus woman
ISN'T a grotesQue comedian. Ike FJtienaa
GirardOt IN "Charleys Aunt" but the
rood-iooking young Alfred Hickman. who
was Blanche Walsh's husband with mono
hut themselves knowing II. until Blan, "e
showed tho marriage certificate aloqS
with a decree Of divorce.
Camille D'Arvllle and Paula Edwardes
have como into New York with corn
operas-''The Belle OF London Town" and
The Princess BeRgar" The curtain
had hardly more than risen or ''rhe Relic
Of London Town" before I saw that it
was The School for Husbands" which
ALICE Fischer had used year as
plain comedy; and that play had been
put on the stage still earlier as "Belin-
da." with Sarah Coweu Lemoyne. To
Stanislaus STANCES prose he he's added
verses. set To music by Julian Edwards.
tins evolving a very good comic opera.
with dashy sort Of role for the spec
tacular Miss D'Arvlie. But isn't STANCE
a lucky chap. 90 he able TO save
play from failure under its first TITLE
when 10 was rather serious. and carry IL
along through very moderate success
under a second title. when II was made
altogether iocuiar. u finally land Il with
considerable triumph under n third title.
when It has become a comic opera?