The Detroit times., 1912-02-27
IN THE LOCAL PLAY-HOUSES

The action OF the farce TAXES
place on n f'uffmun sfeTper and com
bination car of the Overland Limit
ed, leaving Chicago on Monday
-it4sAt Attd -ttt-feaeh- Reae-en-the
following Thursday morning. The
characters are the usual kind OF tolk
10 be met with on any similar tram
All are types. and Rupert Hpghes,
who wrote the piece. must be credit
ed with some excellent character
drawing. There rs the usual ram
buctious" coloIed porter; a giant OF
conductor who runs the train Win
all the authority 10 be expected from
the president OF the road, the SHY
awss" British tourist; a parson and
his Nife. from Ypsilanti, Mich; TWO
wouid-be Divorces: a hirtatlous
young man with an eye on the
Divorces; an clipping pair OF ex-
tremely youthful lovers: woman
hater: spinster from Brattleboro,
VT. on her way to China as mis-
sionary. giggling girl former
sweetheart or the clipping youth; and
n bibulous fat man on his way 10
Reno for the usual purpose that
takes people TO that town. The Incl
dents are Just the ordinary, common,
garden Variety that every traveller
has met with on a three or four-days
train trip, exaggerated OF course for
the purpose OF contrast and ready
laughter, but none the less human
and true.
che parson and his wife are hav-
ing their first vacation In 30 years,
and 10 fully enjoy themselves. de
tormine 10 leave the clerical dress
home with the good ook and pose as
Torely an ordinary pair of travellers
Tire clipping couple left Chicago in
such haste that they did not have a
chance 10 get married and much OF
the fun of the trip revolyes around
their frantic efforts TO have the knot
tied. The bibulous. fearful passenger
insists upon telling everybody his
troubles and proclaims himself as "a
broken-hearted man through the per-
fidy of women" This character Is
played by James Lackaye. that ex-
Cellent actor whose ability is too
wcll known TO need boosting and
whose work is always a pleasure. As
"litrle" Jimmy Wellington, the rotund
and large Mr.. Lackaye is a scream,
and Excuse Me" is worth going to
see Just to be with Mr.. Lackaye. On
the same trip Is Mrs. Jimmy, bound
for Reno TO divorce little Jimmy, so
the plot thickens like potato soup.
Geraldine O'Brien, as the clipping
school girl-bride-to-be gives a scream
ing,y funny presentation of the
romantic young person whose head
is filed with the way they do things
I'm novels. and whose French poodle,
Snoozleums. is a very important part
OF the fun. Harrison Ford as the
soldier-lover-husba plays the
part in the same key as Miss O'Brien,
and the pair are as clever a young
couple as the local stage has seen In
a long time. The cast Is a large one
and every member OF IL fits into his
or her part like the proverbial glove.
And they have a most strenuous time
of Ii too Farce Is not a lazy game
at any time, and Excuse Me- is
about the swiftest example or It's
kind now entertaining the public.
Among the clever people who con-
tribute their talents to the fun-mak-
ing are: Thomas Mcmahon, as Ira
Lathrop. the woman-hater who nnal-
" marries the demure little mission
airy, Anne Cattle, played by Eva I'm
sell: Harry Mills. as the Rev. Walter
Temple. and Lydia Dickson, as Mrs.
Temple: Charles Trowbridge. as
Roger Ashton. the fiirtatious youth;
]. Gunnls Davis. as Harold Wedge
wood, the British tourist: George w.
Day. in an excellent character bit as
the porter; Louis Hendricks, as the
big conductor: Jacqueline Blaney. as
Mrs. Jimmie; Ida Stanhope, as Mrs.
Whitcomb, the other divorcee-to-be;
Marguerite Skirvin, as Kathleen
Llewellyn. the former sweetheart"
and Alonzo Price, Charles Baron,
Philip White and Harry Kernell in
other parts.
The fact that Henry w. Savage
presents" the piece is a guarantee
of the ability OF the company, the
careful staging and the general ex-
cellence of the presentation. Excuse
Me" will remain in the Detroit opera
house all week with matinees on
Wednesday and Saturday Next week
Christie Macdonald In THE Spring
Maid" will play return engagement.
ELLA MAE HAWTHORNE.