Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1908 — At the Illinois Theatre. [ARTICLE]

At the Illinois Theatre.

A musical play with a bucolic, theme, a comedy fairly redolent of. the sweet lanes of Old England—that is what "The Dairymaids” is, and it comes to the Illinois Theatre, Chicago, for a two weeks’ engagement beginning Sunday evening, April 5. Chas. Frohman found the piece in London,, and was so struck' by its charming rural simplicity that he at once arranged for its importation, and New York, Boston and several other cities have already placed their stamp of approval upon his taste. As its title indicates, "The Dairymaids” is decidedly rural in character. It tells an interesting story of how a titled English lady undertakes to establish a model dairy farm with the assistance of her two pretty nieces who volunteer their services as dairymaids. But aunty hasn’t taken into consideration that girls will be girls and has entirely overlooked the fact that her two nieces are in love with her two nephews. The two nephews, who are naval officers, return from a' long cruise in foreign parts aad at once proceed to make things interest- 1 ing down on the farm. They even go so far as to make love to the dairymaids right in front of the pump—this is a real model dairy farm and, of course, there Is a pump—and aunty' catches them at It. Naturally she ■ doesn’t approve of such carryings on and the nieces are banished to a younj ladies’ seminary.

There are at least twenty songs scattered through the two acts and fully a dozen of them have made genuine hits on account of their catchlness and whlstleableness. Harry Fulger, who is the leading comedian, has one song entitled, "I’m the Man Who Wrote the ‘Merry Widow’ Waltz,” that has made a great success. Performances will be given every evening during the engagement, which is limited to two weeks, and there will be the usual matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Special attention will be given to orders for seats from out of town patrons.