THE COURIER
with customary cleverness Tuesday night.
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Edwin Milton Royle, Selena Fetter Royle
and Lucius Henderson, supported by a
company of compotent people, gave a repe
tition of "Friends" at the Lansing theatre
Monday night. Mr. Royle in "Friends" was
happily successful in opening up a new lead in
theatrical, and his play, cleverly constructed,
and containing elements not commonly found
in the modern comedy or drama, has, in the last two years and a
half, taken a strong hold on the public. Mr. Royle was not only
fortunate in his building of the play, but also in the selection of his
company. The principals have not been changed since the first per
formance, and the minor parts are in substantially the same hands.
The performance Monday night was given with much finish, and
the audience was pleasantly enthusiastic in its approval.
Mr. Royle has written a new play to be produced sometime during
the holidays. It was described to The Courier as a romantic cos
tume play.
Tuesday night at the Lansing Conroy and Fox gave "Hot Tam-ali-'s'a
conventional specialty show, its first performance here. "Hot
Tatiialies" is made up very largely of musical specialties, and if any
member of the company had been able to sing these selections might
have been more cordially appieciated. The entertainment had a
considerable amount of "go" in it, and it proceeded so rapidly that
defects in the show were to some extent obscured. Conroy and Fox
did some effective work in a comedy duet, an amusing feature being
the impromptu remarks on the election returns as read from the
stage. Miss St. George Hussey who has been seen in Lincoln on
numerous occasions, gave her usual effective Irish impersonation.
The hat trick for which Conroy and Fox are noted was worked in
Clias. A. Loders "Oh! What a Night" was given at the Lansing
Thursday night. This farce has been seen in this city twice pre
viously. It hasn't very much to commend it, but somehow seems to
hold a placo among livo attractions.
"Jane" will appear at tho Lansing theatre next Tuesday night.
"Jane" depends upon its situations very largely for the laughter it
occasions, and of these situations, there is certainly an abundai.co
Tho dialogue has had tho advantage of repeated polishing, begin
ning with its original French version, with its British adaption, and
finally with the American approbation. A characteristic featuro of
the French manuscript of course, is the dialogue, which tho English
had to discard almost in toto and what tho Britons substituted tho
Americans were forced to thoroughly overhaul and brighten up. It
is contended that the latter text showed greater care, consistency
and cleverness than either of its predecessors. The plot of "Jane
was necessarily absurd for the purpose of exciting laughter. The
fact is further suggested that the former are adepts in their respect
ive characterization. Its story is simple and its action is confined to
one day. In tho morning we are introduced into tho household of
Mr. CharleB Sbackleton, who is in a shameful state of "hard uppish
ness," as his man William expresses it. Mr. Sbackleton has repre
sented to his guardian, a Mr. Kershaw, that he is married and it is
necessary for him to be matrimonially erabarassed to enjoy a certain
income left by his aunt. Mr. Kershaw unexpectedly writes that he
will visit Mr. Shackleton, and the latter has but an hour or two to
get a wife. Ho finds this hard work, but after several ludicrous
efforts makes a bargain with his housemaid, Jane, to pretend to be
his helpmate. Jane and William are married, but are concealing it.
William's jealousy, the heart-breaks of Mies Morton, who is the
fiancee of Shackleton, and tho deceptions that ensue in every direc
tion to keep old Kershaw properly fooled combine to bring about
the most comical situations, and the play lloats along on a stream of
laughter. The cast includes Thos. Reynolds, Hugo R. Hicks, J.
Brandon Tynan, E. F. Ferry, Miss Helen Singer, Jessie F. Stevena,
Adello Nott and Miss Mamie Johnstone as "Jane." "Lady Fortune,"
Chas. Froh man's one-act comedy, will bo given as a curtain raiser
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MENDELSSOHN ORCHESTRA, to Appear in Goncert November 13, at the Gapitol.
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