The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-25
."BLUFFS" MORE TE1ANA BLUFF;
NINE. KALICH POWERFUL MARTA
ETHEL ELECTROMAGNETIC RPLAY|
NEW FARCE BY DITRICHSTEIN
TEENS WITH CLEVER SITUATIONS
The Cast in 'Blufs." "


Morse. Charles J. Greene
Araminta Taylor Kenyon Bishop
Fanny. the acIUr's wife, ...,Fola Ia Folle{le
Rose. the artists wife .-..-...--L Lowell Taylor
Florence Huntington
Miss Calvert. reporter. Alison skiPwith
Adrienue. maid. Madeleine SOrel
Mrs Borden ..-..--... J josephine Dulileld
Leo DItlfchsteln set a high standard
when he wrote that delightful farce
Before and After" but he has nothing
Of which 10 feel ashamed in Bluffs,
which was given its metropohtan prem
Iere at the Columbia Theater last night
before an audience that was kept in a
continual uprOar as situation was
added to situation and complication TO
complication m.tu the acknowledgement
threatened to tax the ingenuity Of even
SO clever a farce maker as Mr.. Dill
rlchsteIn.
BLUFFS" like most of its farcIcal p-eG-
ecessoTs. mas for its central idea a case
OF mistaken identity. A young actor
has adopted, for stage purposes. the
name o. a school chum, who he thought
had been killed Ia the Spanish-Ameri-
can war This chum appears just after
the actor rents a country place IN which
to spend his honeymoon with Texas
girl with whom he has eloped. The
chum appears as the real owner OF the
country place simultaneously with the
ID ate father OF the Texas girl and some
half dozen subsidiary characters add 10
the general confusion OF the principals
and TO the merrimenL Of the audience
All three acts take place IN the draw
ing room os che BelsIre country place
and the action extends over a period
Of twenty-fOur hours.
Although depending for its main APP
zeal upon its multiplicity OF farclcaI sit
uations. Mr.. Ditrichsteln has written n
10 his dialogue many clever and trench
ant lines. which expose some Of the
amusing foibles Of human nature. Par
ticularly effective IS the kindly saEre
which the author directs at members OF
lis own profession and their love for
newspaper notoriety or every desCrip-
ton while pretending TO abhOr all pub
/ licity-
AIcIever farce requires clever people
I for its Interpretation and AiT. Ditrich-
stein mas not depended solely upon his
/ own peculiar gifts as comedian TO take
care OF all the amusing episodes. He Is
I ably assisted by Fred Bond. who appear
as the Texas colonel and by Miss Ken.
I yOn Bishop, the sImpering daughter OF
| the colonel. These three furnish most Of
] the hilarity during the evening, while
/ the other members OF a more or les.
| capable company act as foil for the scin-
/ tilating wits and pleasing Gbsurdities Of
/ the principals.
/ Mr.. Ditrichstein Is on the stage aluosa
| continuously after the first ten minutes
| OF the play. lie makes a number o.
/ lightning changes, Disgusting himself
/ when occasion demands. as e chauffeur
/ a valet. q secretary, "A lady's maid and
| as Jack Beliair One OF the mos
/ laughable incidents In the farce IS tn,
] scene in which the colonel makes low,
to the actor while the latter IS disguises
| as the maid
Miss FOla la Toilette. as the wife O.
| the young actor. was heartily receive,
| by the audience.
Miss Alison Skipworth was interesting
l although untrue 10 life, as a news1,aue
! woman, while Miss Florence Hunting
/ ton as Miss Van Dusen was strikfngl,
handsome. The production IS satisfac
! tOrily staged, Several members of TIA
| company evinced some nervousness an,
lack OF familiarity with their lines
| which one would Imagine might hay
| been corrected during the week of one
night stands, at which the play wa
presented before coming 70 Washington
/ Bluffs possesses in a large degree
] the same elements OF fun which WOl
for such farces as 1.-THE Wrong Mr
Wright" why Jones Left Home" an
Before and After such large financia
success.