The Detroit times., 1909-05-31
In the Local
Playhouses
IYcEUM.

II was a rather daring experiment
that DuSouchet made when he wrote
n comedy around a 80 days sentence
in Jail. Yet the fact that The
Man From Mexico" made people
laugh for several years when IL was
first produced and is now being re-
vived with equal success, shows tnat
the novelty took we'll
Incidental TO the main theme or
the comedy are many trlte anu
often-used materials common 10 the
farce species OF play Benjamin
Fitzhew goes out with his friend.
Majers. for an evening at gay
cafe. He Is arrested, insults the
Judge and gets 80 days. His wife
has attempted 10 follow him and Is
herself arrested. So far all is old,
but from the moment when FitZhew
energies from his bedroom with
cold towel about his head TO find
deputy warden waiting TO take
him TO Blackwell's Island, new sit
uations and funny complications fol-
low one another in a merry chase.
Vaughan CHASER takes the leading
role surprisingly we'll. Since the
play was written for Willie Collier,
who Is about hair Chaser size, the
lines have had to be altered some
what Never forgetting that 1t Is a
very serious thing for the respected
head Of a wealthy family to have to
go to Mexico" for 80 days. Chaser
brings out The fun in an able man
ner-thfough three lively acts, never
missing a chance to improve on the
fine shadings OF humor made posi-
BILE by the part.
AS Cook, the deputy warden.
James A. Hester, is perfect His
| character portrayal as the stolid,
| slangy, boorish jailer, who can never
keep his hat OFF his head for more
| than three seconds, is triumph and
kept the audience laughing as long
as he was on the stage.
Fay Courteney Is excellent as al
| ways. although the part OF Mrs.
Fitzhew does not give her the OPP
| portunities afforded In most of the
plays this company has presented
Patrick Garyn is excellent as the
district attorneys nephew, and
Messrs. Roberts and Sullivan are
successful in bringing out the lu-
dicrous points of two minor parts.
The staging of the piece is worthy
or commendation, every detail being
looked after well. A special matt
nee is given Monday afternoon.
WHITNEY.
Bordering on the melodramatic, yet
so we'll acted, and with SO many good.
wholesome situations as to removs
any sanguine tinge from the produc-
ton. THE Princess of Patches" an
interesting and exciting story of a
lost heiress, is the Chicago Stock Co.'S
offering in the Whitney theater, this
week.
From the moment that naive Clara
Bell Prae, as the heroine, enters the
stage clad only In a barrel-someon
having stolen her ragged outfit while
she was in swimming-her fortunes
cause the emotions of the audience to
run the gamut, from rollicking humor
10 deepest pathos, TO say nothing OF a
few real melodramatic thrills, most
satisfactorily executed and received
In true Whitney style.
/, Norbert f. Dorrente Is of course,
cast as the manly northerner.. who
falls in love with the little waif, and
he carries the part in the effective
manner that his new found, bu.
staunch friends at the Whitney have
learned to expect from him.
James X Dunseith, as the plotting
heir-apparent to the immense fortune
OF the missing Selma Silverton, who
OF course. turns out to be the Princess
OF Patches. gave a rarely good inter.
probation of a decidedly clever villains
part. Miss Kittie De Lorme, as Lees
naughty sister, carried her difficult
role well, and fine bit of character
work was Forrest Cummings presenta-
ton OF Judas, an intensely wicked
octoroon, who has kidnapped the little
heiress when she was baby. has muir
dered her father, and holds her secret
against her and against the arch con-
spirator, Lee Silverton.
Francis Townsend as a kindly old
colonel. the unwilling uncle OF the
real heiress, and her protector when