The Detroit times., 1911-01-25
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.


Minister Bedloe," new COMEDY
written to order by George AIDE. VIII
liam II. Crane has given the stage
another OF those delightful characters
which, for the nonce, enable the work
a day world TO forget its trials and us
worries and make the old sphere look
little Tighter and little better. IL
one is disposed to take out ones spy
glass and go into the Analysing ousl-
ness, IL Is a sure guess one Is goins
TO find a few flaws. You will say, TOT
instance, that no United states min
ister in real life ever conducted him.
self as does the make-believe diplomat
OF the latest AIDE farce, but that neeu
not deter you from settling back IN
your seat for series OF chuckles tnat
will keep you in good humor for the
rest of the week.
Col. Jackson Bedloe, Of Springfield
(any old Springfield, whether IL De
| Massachusetts. Illinois or Olio), Is
not mere stage type. There are
many men like him in the world. You
will find him In every community OF
any consequence, but he Is not, as a
rule in the diplomatic service. he Is
the type Of man who, as MI crane
explained in his curtain speech, Is
| willing to shatter few rules or con-
duct to help a friend. Anyway, IN
this case, 1t is the character rather
| than the play that counts most III
you are in need of good laugh, just
drop into the Detroit opera house ana
Billy" Crane will do the rest.
Col. Jackson Bedloe Is editor or the
only daily in Springfield and as such,
Is regarded as one of the city's In
fuential citizens. When the curtain
rises the colonel has just received
news of his appointment and Is out
celebrating the occasion. He Is the
hero OF the hour and his good wife, a
| dear old soul. is immensely proud or
him. Ii Is winter and the family wei
comes the prospect or a sojourn In
! the tropical cline of Caribay, which
might be Nicaragua, Honduras or any
one OF score Of little South Ameri-
can Republics.
In the next act, the family has ar
rived in Caribay. The tropical at
mosphere Is impaired with much real
ISM Col. Bedloe has been minister
1 two weeks and Is already sick OF his
! job. It is too hot even for the thin
blooded Mrs. Bedloe and the monot-
ony OF IL all has begun to get on the
| colonels nerves. But there soon
comes a change. The coloneis resig-
nation is scarcely In the mails before
dire threats and rumblings break into
full-f1edged revolution and tho
colonel finds plenty to do The close
OF the third act finds the revolution
] In full swing and Minister Bedloe is
/ having the time of his life trying 10
r~main neutral. His good resolutions
| desert him when word comes that his
prospective son-ln-law Robert Deans,
Fan American boy who has allied HIM
| self with the rebels, is about to be
shot as a spy The colonel then be-
comes a rank partisan and shows the
insurgents how, by strategic move
ment, they can take the palace by sur
prise. His plans work out to perfec-
| ton. The final curtain leaves the
rebels in full control and the lovers
/ reunited.
! II George AIDE intended any part
OF the play to be serious he missed
his mark Even with the hour NJ
execution only six minutes away and
the success of the flank movement,
on which the young mans life de-
ponds, in grave doubt, the audience
refuses to be thrilled. The fun
| throughout has been so rampant that
II is impossible TO take the situation
seriously. But we still insist that It's
good show, Notwithstanding.
As in all the Crane plays, there
arc little human touches here and
there that add greatly to ones en-
| joyment of the piece. There is, for
instance, Col Bedloe's tender solicj.
tude for his good wife. who, through
out the three days bombardment Is
made to believe that the natives are
celebrating the presidents birthday.
| And even when one of the cannon
balls takes a chunk out Of the le-
cation, satisfactory explanation is
forthcoming.
| Mr. Crane has surrounded himself
with a cast that is In most respects
adequate, though IL must be borne
in mind that the play is only in It's
/ fifth week and allowances made ac.
cordingly Mrs. Thomas Whiffen has
had better opportunities than are af
| forded her in the character OF the
minister's wife, but, such as they
are. she makes the most OF them.
Macy Harlan, as Juan Lautaro, an
ardent young revolutionist, gives a
very satisfactory account OF himself.
Harrison Ford, who was one of the
= BOYS in Father and the Boys" is
| the Robert Deane of the new play.
/ The other characters do not matter.