Evening star., 1921-10-10
NATIONAL-"A Bachelors
Night"

1t will be interesting to note
whether the education of the So
phisticated theater-going public has
progressed to such a stage as to
make John Cort's presentation of "A
BACHELORS Night"-the farce comedy
l,y Wilson Collision. which opened
here at the National last night-as
great success as other bedroom
roncoctions which have trod the ways
Of the rialto to remunerative goals.
Last nights audience evidently en-
joyed the embarrassing situations re-
vealed by the developments of the
farce. AT the end of the first act
there were two curtain calls: at the
end of the second there were three.
Throughout the period between these
demonstrations those who had passed
INTO the fold gave vent almost con-
Inual1y to genuine outburtS of vocal
lied mirth
Two men comprise the sterner sex
in the cast An apparently puritani-
cal housekeeper. an innocent girl
from Mason City alone in New York.
Lilly Carnes and Trixie Moulton.
whose names match their roles; Mrs.
-Annesley. a young widow. languid
and attractive. but artful and un-
afraid to display her desire to re-
enter the connubial life: the wife of
one of the men and the mother of the
other comprise the feminine cast.
town house furnishes the locale for
all scenes. Its decoration in subdued
tones and the dark tones furnish an
ideal background. The performance
is launched successfully by Cleetie.
the housekeeper. played effectively
and capably by Amy Ongley. and
Frederica Dill. who is in a pickle be-
cause New York does not appreciate
her histrionic abilities Gas was pre-
dicted in Mason City,. Frederick is
rooming with Cleetie while. the un-
suspecting Dicky is away on a fishing
trip. and, unknown to him, she is oc-
cupying Dicky's boudoir.
Vivian Barnes, whose husband is too
unimaginative and. dull for her. enters
after a careless automobile has rip
ued her silk dress almost to the waist
she has to drop in on somebody to
ment seems to be the most convenient
ilace. Cleetie doesn't use needles
and threads. but she takes the dress
TO a tailor's while the agitated Mrs.
Barnes waits in one of the adjoining
rooms.
Lilly and Trixie. the former friend
of Dicky's and the latter a friend of
Eers. arrive for a party which Dicky
has planned without the knowledge of
his housekeeper.
Meanwhile Dicky Jarvis returns.
With him is Gildy Barnes, the bashful.
stage for Cleetie to return with
mussed-up face to make the an
nouncement apparently understood by
the audience, but not fathomed by the
ensemble, that she has been attack
ted and Mrs. Barnes dress has been
stolen from her.
The next visitor is none other than
Mrs. Jarvis, mother of Dicky, brought
to New York by a telegram sent by
the designing widow and bearing the
marry.
Ramifications continue for another
act and are gradually cleared up dur
ing the concluding act. That finale;
however. deserves mention. Picture
Dicky. at last with the girl of his
dreams" from Mason City. Iowa, en-
sconced on a davenport, while Trixie
plays a sentimental selection on the
grand piano. and his happy mother
glows on both. and then the audience
arose to leave with the remembrance
of a touch of dramatic artistry which
gave a farce novel conclusion.