The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-21
Wise Is A DELIGHT
As THE FAT KNIGHT
Miss Allen and Miss CrOsman
Win Applause as Two
Merry Wives.
ALL THANKS TO HACkETT

Anne IdE ....ss s..s tcatriCe Bct kicy /
! Mistress Vuichly........ Annie Hughes
TN, hearty humor of Thomas A. Wise
has sweetcued the digestion OF pla, goers
flo more years than Mr.. WIS. himself
ca. O. t. recall. II may bc,' but surely he
never rcudercd d more delightful service
;isn last night at the Criterion Theatre
when he substituted for James II.
uacnc,; as the pot valiant FdistdD in
"The Merry wives of Windsor
HIS iuterpt citation of the Fat knight,
So robustious ard rotund. so swollen with
r.Iiculou~ vanity, so boastful among the
mid d.d 80 mild among the gentl. men
o. quick anGer-thc guzzling. ~swigglinG
blbbling Sir John-was. all things con-
siuerci. entirely delightful. And first
eupig the matters to be considered was
the iac> Of preparation that an actor Of
slyh sincerity of purpose. AS Mr.. Wise
would have desired.
Mr.. Hickctt. who is offering with Miss
Viola Allcn a selection Of S~hakespearian
plays IS his art.stic contribution to the
,e centenary of Master VIII. Was pre-
vented by sudden illness from realizing
ctc ~ the great ambitions of his life
90 appear as Fdlsidg, a part which his
father. James Henry Hackett. adorned
Wien our grsndfa,hcrs ,who appear to
nave found Shakespeare quite as enjoy
abe IN the PLAY houses as In Their ~ n
A5rar!,s) were young. lie cast about
f1- a player whom nature had dow
WITH Falstaflian e!rth and with natural
duff humur. Ills choice fell upon Mr..
N.c. and certainly none save the most
,,piivus in the first night audience would
Their Is pcrcritical asidcs-that MT. use
The, ny pertltical asidcs-that Mr.. Wise
-. - .NSnkl. ..Ash had mt
1aufuliy reproduced Elizahethan at
mosph.ic-aere silenced by eiggles and
gurrles and gusts OF mcrrinent. Why
s1ouldut one venture that Queen Bess
herself. who was something OF a con-
no,sseur in Fuistu6s II assumed to
advise Master VIII as to the points OF
This particular character. would nave
laughed IN "A manner considered quite
urI,dylike in these days and would a v
Tom Wise to supper to top on the eve
ninS?
ComicaI In Orange tEhts
Nj. Wise was most amusing IN those
ar.n.s which gave his natural fun maxi
,ng abilities full rein. His tremendous
somach. receptacle OF ~uncouhtauie
aagons OF sack. was encased IN a douo-
ie; Of bright orange. Bright orange were
ilN tslltS 1ndt US
and jackboots of fawn decorated MS
Substantial feet. lie rolled from scene
10 scene. aulvering like a mountain OF
reilly, as he boozed and guzzled ana
toasted aud entangled himself IN the
snare, set by those ~jcstful wives, Mrs
Ford ind Mrs, Pdgc.
His best work was done, perhaps. IN
The scene ia which he conftded TO the
Jealous Ford his intention to use Mrs
- -, =. N.. It4JSnu nn'G gtSh.
boz. IN the scene IN which he is sur
p-ised h4 the husbands and is crainmed
ITO q clothes basket OF soiled linen, ~
,ao scene at the duck pond. and mail!
a. the last, when. with vanity shredded
INTO rags. he stili attempts TO explain
ard justify his ridiculous plight.
= were not quite fair to emphasize
oyer'y the Importance OF Mr.. Wise y
last ni.ht's production for there arr
many pleasant things to be- said or MIS-.
N.p'. Allen, who playel Mistress Ford
I'd II Miss henrietta crosInan, wh'
VS. the Mistress Page OF the piece. IL
;lc ue|uctration of SIR Johns most ma
t,-ia. ama,ivencss and in the plotting %
D., Pc Wumen's revenge they we're ~
rau.aflv vivacious about II all tha
trru with q certain snciking lihliIG io'
'aI' AT rascal FdistdU ,as most me
hsy, and as Shakespeare no doubt IN
'.-a,I Tor us TO have) one quite agreeS
49, th" artful minNcs that old Joh'
nu~' .c soundly punished-though no
10" much.
CO. jitlr good loo,;s there Vas pleasan
,uutri~'--Mis Alien dark OF hair an'
st1trrc of cour. Miss crosman Will
no lt- sold and face almost too pale
T1,s Nor' never dull. these compt, ten
women. and fairly shared with Mr.. Wis
IT, ho.uis Of a try.ng evening.
East Exceptionally Good.
-.
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".N'' 90 'hc1r sincere pen. nn
.','s ."' ""th written Oh WE ',,..an
80 ~ i"s',s IL, ''ta pa,,Icua'' ~"