Life, 1893-10-12 · page 10 of 18
Life — October 12, 1893 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 234 This page reviews British theatrical productions. The main focus is "Charley's Aunt" and "Erminie," praised for their comedic horse-play and humor. The text notes that English audiences appreciate such physical comedy in ways American audiences might not. The illustrations show theatrical scenes: one depicts a woman in elaborate dress (likely from the play's plot), while others illustrate comedic situations like "The Cold 'Cash!'" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade"—the latter appears to be a satirical sketch playing on the famous Crimean War cavalry charge by treating it as a comedic theatrical bit. The page essentially explains why these British plays succeed with English audiences through their blend of slapstick humor and plot-driven comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
English actor with the French name of Etienne Geradot. Mr. Geradot's personal appearance and performance fully justify the importation. He has a comedy face and goes through the humorous situations with a gravity which a tor, and we are sorry to say probably American actor, would spoil with the buf- foonery which our comedians are so apt to take for comedy. The juvenile parts are largely in the nature of background, the work assigned to the young men and women in the piece consisting mainly in keeping up a tremendous amount of bustling about to make the action go with a rush. Mr. W. J. Ferguson does Stephen Spettigue, an im- possible Oxford solicitor, with the artistic con- scientiousness which marks all his work, and HEROIC TREATMENT. “CHUCK HIM OUT INTO DE DEEP WATER, JiMMY. He's GOT TER LEARN HOW TER SWIM, AN’ DAT'S DER QUICKEST Way.” R. CHARLES FROHMAN has at last succeeded in placing salt on the tail of modern sh comedy which is Sneeouw Ucieul™ Charley's Aunt contains a good deal of the horse-play without which no British humorous play appeal to the risibles of an English audience. Still, there is comparati lite hiding in closets or dodging about screens, and the piece really has a plot. The usual pains are taken elaborately to explain and make patent to the audience—sometimes in advance—every point that is made, but the situations and com- plications are in themselves so ludicrous that an American, audience can forgive this concession to British density and be thoroughly amused by the misunderstandings arising from the dupli- cation of Charley's real aunt. To secure a satisfactory performance of the leading part, Lord Fancourt Babberley, who masquerades throughout the piece as Donna D'Alvadorez, the lady who supplies the name of the play, it was found necessary to import an THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE. comicbooks.com