The Washington herald., 1909-03-28
"The Blue Mouse -

AID let those that PLAY your clowns speak no
more than is set down for them-Hamlet
Considerable Of the success Of The
Blue Mouse" is attained by the players
therein needing the advice OF the master
dramatist given through the mouth OF
the Danish prince. BY keeping we'll with
in the limits OF the action and characters
they carry the comedy along without
horseplay and grotesqueness. thus elirnI-
mating what has grown 10 be the bane
Of modern farce. for the whole thing Is
a farce n its most comprehensive sense,
from the inprobability OF the basic con-
ception. that OF a man hiring an actress OF
notoriety TO impersonate his wife in
risQue undertaking. on through the series
OF outrageously opportune happenings
which constitute the action Of the play
Given its proper appellahon. and this is
certainly done on the programme and IN
the advertisements. no fault can be found
with the unlikely or timely nature Of the
incidents. for all this is now. and always
has been, allowable in vehicles OF a
tarcical tendency. The pleasure depends
upon their being kept within proper
bounds, and on the acting quality as
taken advantage OF by a company Of IN
telIigent and versatile comedians.
An attempt seems to have been made in
some quaSter to attract attention TO this
production by branding II as immoral.
whether emanating from overzealous
press agent or captiOus critic is not per-
fectly apparent. but II by the first named
celebrity Il clearly was unnecessary for
advertising purposes. for the play is en-
tirely able TO attract by reason OF its
laughable character. without recourse to
unholy suggestion. and II by some thin
skinned parsonage Of the latter persua-
sion. he was certainly able to discover
things which were not obstrusively pres
ent upon the presentation in this city.
Almost all the successful comedies, from
Shakespeare to the present, have some
doubtful complications. which is. perhaps.
admissible II obscured by the acute
nature OF the comedy, and the intent to
do wrong is not in evidence. and surely
in this instance no one had any such
intention except, perhaps, the old fool
Dewellyn. and his intentions are lust
about as inocuous as those Of the old
gentleman in HOyt's "A Trip 10 China
Gown" and many others which might be
enumerated. their weakness being ex-
plotted more for the purpose OF making
fools Of them than for any other reason,
and thus furnish something to laugh al.
At all events. the offense IS trifing when
compared with the bald vulgarity Of some
Of the current musical eonglomerations.
or the responsiveness accruing TO the in
cidents in some of our modern problem
plays. and even some presumably straight
dramas. notably The Easiest Way."
Paid in Full" The Unbroken Road"
and THE Geat Divide"
Turning. however, from the plays al
legged faults to its merits, It must be
said that seldom during the last decade
has light production been offered which
has been so capable of promoting enjoy
ment, and more seldom has a company.
Of comedians been assembled together
with better equipment for getting every
thing possible out OF the vehicle. They
all enter into the thing with great spirit
and perfect accord. No one seems TO
hang back or suik on account of the
superior "fatnese" Of some one eIse's
part, and each seems bent on getting out
Of his or her particular assignment all
the Fun possible. That is the proper way
TO exploit exuberant comedy; in fact. the
only way 10 make II acceptable to in
teliisent audiences. In particular. the
work OF Miss Ryan shines, for despite
the light reputation usually associated
with women Of the calling which she Is