The Portland daily press., 1875-10-12
THE TWO ORPHANS.
The Finest Play Ever Produced i'm Port-
land.

The romantic drama of "The Two Or.
phans" was brought out the Museum last even
ing with splendor of scenery, a richness Of
mounting. and carefulness of detail which
have never before been given to any play pro
duced in this city. The drama furnishes many
opportunities for scenic effect, and of these op
portunities Mr.. Richards, the scenic artist, has
literally awaited himself. Each of the seven af-
fords chance for handsome scenery. In the
hrst act we have an old street in Paris, with
its narrow lanes. courts and quaint houses,
the station where the Normandy coach arrives
the Place Pont Neuf with its equestrian statue
aud the towers of Notre Dame looming up in
the distance across the Seine. The second act
gives French chateau, with illuminated gar.
dens and terrace in front. On this scene much
attention has been expended, and the result is
very effective. The third act is a handsome in
terror of an apartment in the hotel of the Min
lister of Police. The fourth act embraces the
snow scene in front of the Cathedral in the
Place st. Sulpice To the left is the entrance
to the great church. In the background the
houses which bound the square stand out half
covered with snow. This act 10 some respects
furnishes the finest scenic effect Of the whole
play. The fifth act is the garrett Of Henriet.e.
The sixth act shows us the court yard of La
Saltpetriere, with the great gate in front and
the frowning walls of the prison in the back
ground. The seventh and concluding act takes
place in the old boat house of the Frochards on
the banks of the Seine. The scenery is the
richest and most effective ever seen in this city,
and certainly appears to have been gotten up
regardless" To give some idea of the cost it
may be stated that $500 yards of canvass, and
5000 feet of lumber have been used. Eight
men have been employed night and day for a
week, and have slept and taken their meals in
the building. About $4,000 have been expend-
ed in scenic effects.
The play also furnishes opportunity for fine
music Mr. Grimmer's selections for the or
chestra, which have been published, are admit
rable and were given last evening with per.
lection of execution and shading that gives
little opportunity for improvement. Indeed,
the management present a fine drama and
good concert all in one.
The Cathedral act is also taken advantage of,
and the audience hears from the interior of the
church the music of the organ and the voices
of the choir raised in one of the most beautiful
of Gottschalk's hymns.
Those who have seen the play know the strik-
ing scene with which it opens, and how the in
terest increases act by act. until lit eliminates
in the wild cry of Pierre and the appearance of
the Chevalier There is absolutely not dull
scene in it, The attention of the auditors
awakened at the first appearance of the two
girls, steadily grows until it becomes almost
painful at the approaching denoaenaent in the
boat house. The rendition, even if ordinary,
cannot fail to be pleasing. That of last night.
by the excellent Museum company, is entitled
to warm praise. The company acted with spir-
it and understanding, and the Characterization
were in the main highly successful. There
were faults, both of omission and commission,
of course; but these in most cases are to be
accounted for by the vexations and delays in
cident to first night
In speaking of the acting the "Orphans''
themselves claim the first attention. The
"Henriette'' of Miss Waldron was an excel
lent Characterization, worthy of high praise.
Lacking perhaps in the first act in that simpli.
city which is to be looked for in the unsophisti-
Gated Normandy girl, it steadily gained in pow
er and finish to the close. The fire and SD irit
displayed in the second act, where she appeals
to the manhood of the mobiles and gentlemen
about her, took the audience captive, and from
that time she had the house with her. In those
moments of supreme interest, at the close of
the fifth act, when from her garnet window she
Al, e Al.
low, and in the recognition scene of the seventh
act where the sisters are once more united she
displayed a rare command of pathos. Her
love scenes with the Chevalier were tenderly
done, and in the strong features of the role she
succeeded admirably well, portraying them
with passion and force that met the most ex-
acting conception. The part of sfLouise," the
blind girl, was taken by Miss Ulmer, is one of
peculiar diffic ulty, because Of the blindness
portrayed. Because of this and because of
some lack of pathos in the vocs the imperson-
alton gives opportunity for Improvement; but
as whole it was, taking all things into consid-
GRAFTON, marked success and won upon the
sympathes of the audience.
'La Frochard," with her cruelty heightened
by cowardce, her whining supplicatfon for
charity and her foul abuse of Louise, her dot
ing fondness for the handsome son because of
his resemblance to the Frochard whom they
crippled child, was given we'll By Miss Preston.
Miss STATIONS Countess was overdrawn.
The scene in the Hotel of the Minister of Po-
lice was open to the charge of exaggeratiop,
and there were lacking the sympathetic touches
needed in the encounters with Louise and Hen.
rette. A second performance will give an op-
portunity which will doubtless be improved, to
correct these faults. The s'Marienne'' of Miss
Graham was good rendition. The sketch is
simple, subdued rendition, as of one broken by
misfortuBe and overwhelmed by sense of
wrong doing. This apparently was the con-
cepton Of Miss Graham, and her execution
suitably carried the idea out. Miss Rainford
gave quiet but sufficiently distinct character
ization of Sister GenevIeve, the matron of La
Salpetriere. Miss Driakwater's Florette was
sufficiently vivacious.
Mr.. Snyder made decided hit as Jacques"
The cruel carelessness of the ruffian, his half
contemptuous federation of his mothers fond
ucSSj HIS uIuIdi VI LOtllSo anu 1leTre,
his rough disregard for all that conficted with
his pleasure or comfort, were wildly given.
The portraiture was forcible and carefully stnd-
ied The ''Pierre'' of Mr.. Norris was something
lacking in force, He looked sufficiently pitia-
BILE, and was indeed the very picture of help
less misery. But his voice was not sufficiently
trained for the arduous requirements of his
part The physical infirmity he had to portray
Of course rendered his task one of great diff
Guilty, and allowance should be made for it.
The "Chevalier de Vaudrey" of Mr. Arnold
was finished and effective rendition. The
picture is of noble of France, young, ardent,
with sympathies broader than
his class, with sense of justice stronger than
usually possessed by his order. The two scenes,
one where he snatches Henriette fro N her per-
secutors in the garden, the other where he tears
the leaf from the record in the chamber of
justice, were played by Mr.. Arnold with. great
dramatic fire and force. Mr.. Curtis "Pcard''
was immensely funny. At his hands the &C.
centric valet receives understanding treatment.
The part is made the most of, its peculiarities
are presented with proper and artistic exag-
geration and its capabilities are not suffered
to in, hal