A collection of historic reviews and articles on Sherlockian theatrical performances from contemporary newspapers.

Click on these links for publication details of editions used for indexing:

short stories | novels | children's stories

The Missing Miss Miller (Harold Asa Clarke)
1909
17 September: Celford Theater, Brownsville, Texas, USA

(Information above on performance dates is derived from newspaper archives and is therefore likely to be incomplete.)

“THE MISSING MISS MILLER”
-
AMATEUR THEATRICALS ENTERTAIN CROWDED HOUSE.
-
Audience Immensely Pleased Applauding the Efforts of the Players, Who Lent Their Talents in Behalf of Civic Improvement.
-

The “Missing Miss Miller” turned up safely last night at the Celford Theater to the great joy of a numerous company of friends who had gathered to assist in the search for that estimable young lady. For two hours she led several mere men a pretty chase and every one connected with her into a network of complications by her quest for adventure and excitement through the medium of a marriage bureau, conducted by a suave individual bearing the appropriate name of Trouble.

At times things looked pretty squally for Florence, especially when that swash buckling Scotty Buckskin from Texas began to prance about, holding a young cannon most reckless-like and threatening to shoot up the irate Col. Penuckle and any other darned city people whose presence was necessary on the stage at that moment.

Of course, neither Scotty nor the colonel knew that there really wasn’t any Florence Miller, or that that was the name assumed by the charming Gwendolyn Dashforth, when she registered at the marriage bureau, for if they had, there needn’t have been any trouble at all.

But with he fire eating colonel and Scotty, who had travelled 2,000 miles a purpose, both intent on marrying the same girl – whom neither had ever seen, and who was trying to keep out of the way of both – there were at hand all the elements for a fine mixup which was further complicated by the sudden resolve of Trouble, on seeing the supposed Miss Miller, to side track the two rivals and win the prize himself.

While the job was no easy one, long experience in finding mates for the neglected of Cupid enabled him to work out the situation to a happy conclusion, find satisfactory companions for the colonel and the cowboy and obtain the consent of the missing Miss Miller to divide with him the burden of Trouble.

The entire performance pleased  the audience immensely and the most generous applause rewarded the players throughout.

The honors of the evening were undoubtedly won by J. G. Perkins in the difficult character part of Peter D. Q. Wurdz, of the staff of the Daily Yahoo. He was especially good when the exigencies of the situation demanded his temporary assumption of female attire, and the rendering of the pathetic ballad, "Because I Love You.” Nothing quite like it was ever heard before.

As Gwendolyn Dashforth, the missing Miss Miller, and cause of all the excitement, Miss Etta Kowalski was very good, in looks and acting providing sufficient reason for the storm of which she was the center.

Miss Frances Barclay as Mrs Losta Mann, the giddy creature who kept house for Col. Penuckle, Miss Adell Reed as Tessie Tapps, a typist, and Mrs J.G. Perkins as Cassie Pauline Skidoo, an authoress, were all excellent, Miss Barclay and Mrs Perkins reading their lines especially well, while Miss Khadijah Grant in the small part of Bostonia Joughnz made a very pretty foil to Gwendolyn.

In the principal part of Hymen Trouble, manager of the San Francisco Matrimonial Agency, J.S. Rowe was thoroughly at home. With smooth manner and good presence,

Always at ease, he was convincing across the footlights. G. W. Dennett made a typical lady-killing colonel, and G. A. MacKay as Scotty Buckskin from Bar X ranch was a picturesque cowboy. The smaller parts of Dr Faunce Rhinestone and Sherlaw Combes were well taken by A.J. Biggio and A.P. Smith.

Brownsville Daily Herald, Saturday 18 September 1909