The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-25

has whiled away the tedium of his
watch with him, 10 the fugitive him.
self-and his kindlier instincts The
triumph OF the latter and the mainte-
nance of the comedy balance In the oh
servation from the policeman that. at
ter all. he may have been a fool to let
the hundred pounds 30, makes sus-
tanned finale which gives vivacity to
the fall Of the curtain.
Spreading the News." on the other
hand. is farce pure ct simple. but farce
in its finest sense-divorced from bur
lesque or grotesquerie. 1t all hinges up
on the deafness OF an old apple-woman
who tells different stories to different
people with a grand mix-up OF sup
posed murder. Illicit love-ma6ng and
other social discomforts, Strengthened
out in laughable climax.
The three act comedy by William
Boyle, THE Building Fund" was. how
ever. the best vehicle for the exploit
ing OF the individual talents Of those
actors who were included in it's caste.
since it was more ambitious and COM
plicated in plot and called for the de-
piction Of a more varied repertoire of
human qualities.
The story is of an old Irish woman,
Of considerable fortune for one Of her
class. who is miserly beyond compre-
hension. of her elderly bachelor son
whose cupidity is greater than that of
his mother. and Of her granddaughter
whom the old lady employs in the Ca
pacity of servant who is the child Of
a disinherited daughter and who insin'
yates herself into the household in or.
der to get share of the money.
t, The effort of two canvassers to Sc
cure a contribution to building fund
being made up to erect new church
in the parish. is the pivot upon which
the action of the play swings.
Miss Sara Allgood, as Mrs. Gro
gan" the old woman. gave a theatric
presentation which, in it's way, was alb
solutely without flaw, and was compar
able, In the writer's experience, only
with that of Mr. Richard Mansfield in
'Ivan, the Terrible. the same
shrewd senility, evasion, contradictor
mess, illuminating flashes of wise ut
terance and sardonic humour being no
table in Miss Allgoods as we'll as In
Mr.. Mansfield's Characterization.
1t was a theatric masterpiece.
The interpretation of the role o.
Shan Grogan," her son, by Mr.. Ar
thur Sinclair-who appeared with
ooIo% h, both tho O<hor nlovo- vaa In
imitable, displaying Mr.. Sinclair's yer
satility as comedian. Mr.. Fred
O'Donovan-who. by the way. takes
the part Of the "Playboy" in the play
Of that name, was exquisitely funny al
Dan Macsweeney," one of the can
vassers and the financially interested
lover of "Shelia O'Dwyer." the grand
daughter, taken by Miss Edithne Magee
of charming personality whose ar
dour waned when he found she wal
not remembered in the will. Mr.. ]. A
O'Rourke, as Michael O'Callahan,'
the elder of the two canvassers gave
an admirable impersonati0n.
The charm Of this presentation lay
for one thing, in the appeal of the
comedy, which was developed through
the action and the natural result of the
| progress of the latter rather thar
in extraneous lines or business"
| The appearance of the Irish Players
indeed, was one of the most interest
ing theatrical events of this or an,
other season and that portion OF thu
public which took advantage of theil
presence here, was fortunate.