"BREWSTER'S MILLIONS."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 115, 7 February 1908, Page 8

"BREWSTER'S MILLIONS."

, »- t , A' cilivEß' COMEDY.'"'. 1 Many a good and successful, drama has , bad its foundation in. the prolific tlioiiie -of l wealth. accuniiilatiou, but .last night ' the 3 Wellington' public' liad tlie other side of tlie - pioblem presented fo them—the'endeavour I of n man to dispossess himself , of huge [ 11 en lHi / i". a given 'time, and this provided ) groundwork for one of' the niost delightful [ comedies of :tbe past decade..; The idea ; strikes one immediately as full of possibiliF ties, if only for. the reason, that thp, realm , invaded j's virtually unfossicked for possi- | bilities, for' people so rarely have fortunes s they wish to throw away, 'that'the > subject oi/ bow it can he. done is by .no ; nleans a common topic. Spending , money I mav not at first- thought present. many diflii cutties, but- in .the case of Brewster's quarter or a million, it caused more . thinking and general mentaj exerciso than, falls to the, lot of most ■ ordinary, mortals. Brewster found that ho had to think in directions in which no ono had thought- before. .The play is founded ,on George Barr M'Cutcheon's wellknown story, of the samo-'title as the plav, and the'adaptation is by' Messrs. Winchell omith and Byron Ongley. It-is comedy, pufo aiicl simple,, without any suggestion of vulgarity; it sparkles with, bright witticisms from beginning to-end, and keeps the audience laughing, all the time. There is no need for tho .exaggerated type of characters to make the comedy, everything is a logical outcome of the ono main idoa. It is this naturalness, of the play, and yet originality, that .lends the- attraction. Monty Browster, tho comfortablo possessor of a fortune of a riuarter of a million, a 2,-:? n 4 .' " ootone of warm, friends, is offered by a relative a larger fortune of two millions to get nd m twelvo months of every penny of what'lio-already holds. Excesses in gambling, ' charity, gifts, and so' on-are 'i-'ic 3 P !; OVISO 'added"that ho must pio\o himself a business man'in his undertaking ,Its /a fmmy kind of business," says .Monty; Brewster, /'and"l don't' think anyone has tried'it,,before. » He made a montal calculation that £700 a ;day would requiro to, bo dissipated; then set up in business, and /got, <to .work. .Ho- exploited-Veil-Known-unpayable''ventures; " starred " an unknown,'music-hall singer,'published an will kely _novol, .speculated in wild-cat stock, and backed . the ' in.ost unlikely race-horses. , ftut tho stool? j.wenVup, tho horiso' won and paid an unwelcome 40 to 1 dividend, and one of institutions refused to go smash. But -with /.'frenzied delight, ho hit on every scheme.that, came 'along, and generally, liianaged /'Up -'tlie average.' . - Ho ordered cabs at 8 o,clock at night,for. use at 9 o'clock no.U morning-;';tautology was made a fine art m tho .dispatch:'of telegrams; and servants', wages were/doubled. His friends cng&god in his' -office,- oilt .Of the "secret, . held ■ meetr ings to.discuss ; his sanity, and ' insanity, and,..to scheme how to mako. him-tako-' a n"?- ls business of' fren/.iod finaneo; But- . Browster went ri>rht ' ahead,", every minute .was-of yaluo,, and hq • clutched', at .schemes.-for. dispossession, a? a miser -would, clutch at , 'a, 'golden / piece. The newspapers took". count of- his doings,-. and . said * nasty and; to get,-.away' and "thus ploa'so his giiir at the' Same time with aii oyo -to the,main-object,; lio announcerl his , qf; going" for-' a' cViiwr' -round < the world. 'Ho, bought a yaqht"'which burned', ii rqcord quantity, of. noal, and with a lor<r e ■ party aboard ; : set sail.. But luck wquld go against lum,: for,,at' Monte . Carlo ; he broke t.ho'/bank% , and ; won: £50,000.'; ,Theii,'v.w'.ith still :to 'he.' iipent, ' his yacji'tj caught: in a; T-toiim, became disabled, and When all .hope ,'of carrying out, final schemes in the time Innit' seemed impossible,' a Gtoamor hovo m sight,- and Browster, hoisting with his own hands tho distress' signal, gave away in a lump sum his still .roiuaiiiing posr sessions as salvage: Then, rqturning homo,lio fought away would-be practical sympathlsors.'with'him in his poverty, and: in tho " last ..three,-/minutes got. rid of £10,000-a repaid 1 loan—and, ' exhausted, won his millions, . . , -

; Tliis is the 'plot, and tho method of treatment "is. excellent. Each act has its special, feature:.;and 'tho fun is particularly great' at the faU of ■ the' second curtain;' wheria the audience, see the; strange spectacle of!a man driven almost frantic at good fortune,' in tlio' ordinary.- sense' of. tho • term,: showered upon him. The,final curtain also went down on' a : climax that' fittingly concluded this clever Pay. Scenery played an important part in the comedy. The first set showed the millionaire is - hall; the second his office of busi•ness, cleverly;fitted up; and the third'was. the great: yachting sccno. It is. here ' that' the brain, of'tho scenic artist has bepii at ■work, and lndocd the ; display is-a fine c'x- . ample of ...tho ..extent to -which realism' enters into our,, present-day theatrical "attraction', aiic curtain rises on,a complete deck,scenoj of a yacht at sea. Lights of a distant'town appear m tho distant night; clouds, silvered -W ..moonlight, pass ovor the blue skv Iheii came a ..most realistic',- representation ■°... a 1 boat heaved and rolled, {.lie wnid .blviw, . thunder, roared,'"..and IfeKtpnig flashed. ;..\J.ho display .was- undoubtedly ; a triumph 111 stagecraft, and it was long before the appreciative applause died away. • Mr. J., C.. .Williamson has sent a good aljl round company to interpret the . play, anda .worthy presentation was given. The principals had; frequently to',appear before tno curtain. . As already , stated; tho play 'is simply a clever idea, and is like ,a good story that, .only . needs, .adequate;.- .telling. Mr. Jhomas,Kingston, as v Monty. Brewster, boro tlio brmjt of the burden, and the general success was undoubtedly due to) him; '' Pre- ; viousJy Mr. .Kingston' l lias been seen princiy an( ! his .acting with Miss Tittell. Brune,will be well- remembered, but in his rolo of comedy ho ivas' signally successful.- It-, was not mere farcical comedy; us effects iwore, clover studies/ He moved tho piece along at-a ; great: pake; and yet his naturalness . was a , pleasing' feature. Airs. Urough received • the welcome of aii old favourite,; and on- first appearing 'had to how 'to lengthy applause. Her part was comparatively small, but 'die made an ■ excellent chapcrone: and, society lady. Miss Nellio UUvin vfas,. tho: principal of the remaining characters. . Of tho actors . supporting . Air. Kingston,. rMr. >M'Mahon' "was"tho pick, though nono woro prominent. .