Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-10-18


THEATKE.-MIss BATENAN.-This young lady ap
peared as Geraldine again last night giving US an
opportunity Of considering more maturely the
merits of the piece and Of approaching more hlSniy
the talents Of this really attractive young actress
The story of the piece is manly as follows
Geraldine, daughter of John de Lacy Is betrothed
30 Hubert de Bourg, son of Hugo de bourg.
neighboring powerful Baron. Hubert at the
time when the play opens, is absent IN tue Holy
Land and not expected home for some years.
He has however IN early youth managed to
secure the affections of the young lady. The first
act terminates with the grand betrothal feast in
which the Baron Hugo receives Geraldine as his
sons proxy During the feast an old bard is
brought in to amuse the guests who however
cites an ode in which the oppressive acts Of the De
Lacvfamily are described, and finishes by openly
denouncing the head of that house as guilty of i'm
prisOning and probably murdeEng his (the Bard's)
son. For this he is ordered off for torture and
death, and finishes the act by a curse pronounced
upon the whole race.
The son of the Bard had not been put to death
but escaped, became priest and under the assum-
ed name Of Anselmo became a chaplain in the house
Of the De Lacys for the purpose of working out
vengeance upon them. From the time of the feast
Geraldine loses her health and after years of sickness
RECEIVERS with her person deformed and her beauty
lost At last Hubert, her betrothed lover. arrives
though devotedy attached to him, she releases him
from ms vow, which however he honorably insists
upon iuihliing. After marriage, unfortunate at
tachment grows up between Hubert and Edith
younger sister of Geraldnes eagerly cherished and
abetted by the priest Anselmo, which is finally de.
teeted by Geraldine through effort producto on
Edith by Hubert's receiving 4 wound in a tourna-
ment The Jealousy Of Geraldine is henccforth the
passion Of the piece; finally, on finding that contrary
to the representation Of Ansemo, the passion has
been no more than a sentiment and has not passed
into criminal indulgence. She commits suicide in |
order to allow Hubert and Edith to enjoy life of
welded happiness.
The merit of the play consists in the opportunities
for fine acting afforded to the lady who plays Ger
aldine. OF these scenes Miss Bateman availed her:
self with ability-the dread of finding Huberts
affection destroyed by the loss OF her beauty-the
gradual and agOnzing suspicion of the alenated af-
tections Of her husband-the frenzied rage on be-
coming certain, and the tender affection with which
the sefsacrifce is finally resolved on. are all re-
presented by this gifted young actress with con-
summste ability.
The play itself, we must say, we do not like. 1t
Is written entirely TIE star system-that is to say
no part except that Ct Geraldine herself gives the
actor the slightest chance of making an impression
md the mOSt unnatural termination not to mention
he numerous improbabilities in the plot make us
egret that the really great abilities and attractive
DersOn of Miss Bateman should not be first exhibited
n some other piece.
Tonight we shall have the opportunity of seeing
Hiss Bateman as Parthenia in the beautiful drama
# Ingomar