Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-29
Columbia.

Outside the Columbia Theatcr last even
ing it rained fiercely. Inside. too, 1.-The
rains descended and the floods came
floods of laughter and shower after
shower of spontaneous applause. The
long hook with the big curve was applied
most forcibly to the neck Of Mr.. In
clement Weather. and the audience con-
signed him to ignominious oblivion in
its enjoyment of the irresistibly CHEEKY
new comedy Of William Golfers, 1.-The
Patriot
1t really carried the audience by storm.
With lines that fairly effervesce with
clever repartee and with Mr.. Collier
quiet, droll Interpretation OF them. the
appreciation of the audience was mate
rally manifest from the rise of the cur
tain to its fall. At the end OF the second
act Mr.. Collier responded five times to
curtain calls but refrained from speak
spasm n did SO most oloqaenti t.S '"A'
THE Patriot is strictly farce COM
edy. At times 1t becomes perilousy near
the ridiculous. but somehow there is
something in every situation of that sort
that saves it. 1T was meant to entertain,
and 1t does.
. The play. which is the work of Mr. Col
Tier and J. Hartley Manners, has just
sufficient plot to afford the proper vehicle
for the quips and auirks. Sir Augustus
Plantagenet Armitage !Mr. Collier) is the
search for wealth invested his patrimony
in a gold mine at Bull Frog. New. After
mis- fathers death Sir Augustus fnds
himself ,i,s the boss" of the mine which has
ton ito get gold out of that mine if I
have to put it in it first he keeps the
miners at work. though he owes them
arrives suddenly and settles his predica-
ment by informing the boss that a
wealthy uncle of his in England has died
I'D IL -; LIT. 10 4, 60
condition that he live in England and
marry certain English girl whom the
uncle has selected.
Sir Augustus needs the money. and ac-
cepts. but leaves Nell. a little mountain
lass, who has become his pal" with
strange misgivings as to why he hates
to leave her. He takes with him two of
his friends from the mine. Mr.. and
Mrs BijOu Strong. both social climbers,
who try to take the London society lad
der three steps at a time. Under the
despotic tutelagc OF a valet. who has so
many manners that he will never get a
chance to use them ALL" and the exact
ing code of the English drawing room
the trio manage to do everything to Of
fend good usage but walk on the mantel-
piece and poke the king in the ribs. And
the way they do it is a-a-a-is a scream
When the time comes to marry the girl
one glimpse of mother and the unfor-
tunate maids sincere love for another
man gives the boss cold feet, and he
declines the ten thousand pounds per
year with lavish Indifference. But there
has also come into his heart the knowl-
edge that he loves little Nell. way back
in lonely Bull Frog. and she looks a
whole lot better to him than do the
English pounds-with mother-in-laW
thrown in for keeps OF course he mar
ries Nell. OF course the mine pans out
in big pay streaks. and of course Mr.
Collier settles 1t all. especially his pro-
posal. with that original conception of
the humorous of his that is really eX-
circulating.
And why is the show called THE Pa
triOt?" Because. in the beginning. the
boss loves the land of his birth. and
his one ambition is to return there But
when he gets there he finds himself "a
stranger in strange land and. in the
end. little. old Bull Frog. N-e-v., looks
mighty good to him. He's done with pa
triotism.'
Helen Hale. as Nell. is most convnc-
inGly more attractive than 10000 pounds
and an English wife whom the boss"