"Jane."

Bruce Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 45, 7 June 1909, Page 5

"Jane."

The St, Clair Comedy Company came to Milton practically unknown to nincstenths of the audience which comfortably filled St. George's Hall on Saturday night. Now it is recognised by all who witnessed the comedy •' Jahe " that it is a highly-finished company in the art of acting. People would be inclined to be incredulous when told of the perfection which these amateurs have achieved, and one must see with one's own oyes before a full realisation can be made of the excellent standard of acting which it is possible to reach by whole-heartedly devoting time, trouble, and concerted intellectual abilities towards the accomplishment of a task such as that displayed on Saturday night. " Jane " is a farcical comedy, and comedies are rare to Milton audionces, but that was not the principal reason why the entertainment was termed by everyone "areally good show," It was the splendid acting of all the participants in the play—acting which would put many prolessionals in the shade. Even to the most shortsighted it must have been obvious that every member had thoroughly gripped the humor and meaning of the circumstances created by the playwright. The play is a brightly written one, full of comical situations, and; bright with witty dialogue. The story of " Jane " and her intricacies is this: Charles Shackleton is the conditional heir of a fortune as a married man. But this interesting young man is not .married, never was, and on ac'count of financial embarrassments ooks as if he never can be. He pretends to the trustee that he is married, gets some money, and has an uneventful spell at dodging creditors, backing horses, etc. The trustee objects to the oft-repeated requests for more of the root of all evil. Charles excuses himself on the grounds of an extravagant wife aud a son and heir to bring up. Then the trustee writes bachelor Charlie telling him that he is coming to upbraid his wife for her extravagance. What a plight! A wife will only be required for twenty-four hours or so whilst the unwelcome trustee is on the scene. It is morning when Charlie commences to search for one who will be a twenty-four hours' mistress of his hearth and home. Of the two estimable ladies whom he first asks to fill the position, one, Lucy Norton —where the exchange of certain true sentimental feelings is evidently mutual —is naturally offended; the other, Mrs Chadwick—an old woman with a red nose and grey hair—enters too heartedly into the spirit of the thing, and gives un. fortunate Charlie a bigger fright than what the impending visit of the trustee does. She- will not do ; she herself thinks she has done, and leads the confidential butler William to think so also. As a last resort Shackleton tries Jane, a very fascinating maid. That young lady has been secretly married—really married—the same morning to William. She consents, not coyly or demurely. Jane has ambitions of the joint possession with William of a milks walk, and her watchword is " Business." She means it. Shackleton finds her as cold and unapproachable as the South Pole, No others know anything about this latest arrangement. Mr Kershaw (the trustee) arrives. The self-elected Mrs Shackleton (previously Chadwick) undertakes unsuccessfully to entertain him, and there are some ridiculous misunciersiandings between the aged pair. Then Charlie appears, and introduces to the whole assembly his "wife " —the late Jane. Whew ! There are many more intensely amusing developments. Charlie forgets to tell jane how many children she was supposed to be the mother of, and their ages, therefore some of thetruslee's questions area bit of a [)U7//aq to her. To keep up the fraud a baby is loaned from a married couple called Pixtons, but these worthies' parental affections " will not stand " their olive branch being away for very ' long, and there is an awfui row. Then William, whose pangs of jealosy must have been maddening, " blows the gaff." Of course, when the curtain falls Charlie is clasping Lucy Norton, William and Jane are hieing to their milk-walk, and a delighted and benevolent old trustee is giving all sorts of good advice and promises. Mrs Chadwick is gracefully broken-hearted. The following was the caste :- Charles Shackleton, Mr H. L. Glover • Mr Kershaw, Mr T. G. Aimers; Mr William Tipson, Mr A. R. Gard'ner; Mr P/xton, Mr R, Stevenson ; Claude, Mr C, N. Baldly ; Jane, Mrs Mac Knigh t; Mrs Chadwick, Miss D. Easther; Lucy Norton, Miss M. Muir: Mis Pixton, Miss J, Eraer. The St, Clair Comedy Co. will, we understand, play again in Milton at a future date, and their performance on Saturday night, will merit for them on their return a crowded house. As a result of theentertainment the Catholic building fund has been considerably augmented,and the amateur performers must be commended for the selfsacrifice and trouble they have gone to, without any desire for gain. Mr W. Kirby (the secretary), also deserves a word for the pains he took ever since the project was mooted, as also do those others who gave assistance.