William Gillette's three-act farce, based on Alexandre Bisson's Feu Toupinel, opened at Proctor's 23rd Street Theatre on 20 March 1891 for 140 performances. The risqué French source was sanitized in Gillette's depiction of the discovery that Mrs. Dickerson and Mrs. Perrin, both recently remarried widows residing in the same boarding house, were married on the same day to the same man. Comic confusion over the situation is amplified by supporting characters, particularly Major Mallory, who labors to resolve the dilemma. Critics admired the performances of Henrietta Crosman and Louise Thorndyke Boucicault as the two confused widows.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.