The Portland daily press., 1879-11-18
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
DIPLOMACY,

DIPLOMACY:
en- Friday and Saturday next the most inter-
esting play that has been put ON the boards of
the stage in this country for years will be pre-
sented at the Portland Theatre by the Boston
Museum company, under the name of "Diplo
macy" The piece is an English adaptation OF
Sardou's "Dora." 1t was an immense success
at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London, in
1877, where the various characters were taken
by Madge Robertson, Marie Wilton, Messrs.
Bancroft, Kendall, Arthur Cecil, and John
Clayton. At Wallacks, in the spring OF 1878
Misses Rose Coghlan, Stella Boniface, Mme'
Ponisi, Messrs. Wallack, Montague, Harry
Crisp and Beckett were in the cast. In NO
yember 1878, when we saw the play at the
BOSTON Museum the cast included Misses
Annie Clarke, Marie Wainwright, Sadie Mar
tinot Mrs. Vincent, Messrs. Harry Crisp, AL
fred Hudson, Graham Haworth Fred Will
liams Geo. Wilson and James Nolan. AT the
Portland Theatre Miss Annie Clarke will
assume her old character of Countess Zicka,
in which, we are happy to say, she is excellent,
and Mr. Hudson his, that of Baron Stein.
The other parts will be filled by Charles
Barron, f1dWOTuu-WuO Will pay uiidh 1'O"u-
clerc in place of Count Orlof-Sadie Martinez,
George Tyler, Rose Temple, Clara Irving,
!. B. Mason, G.. A. Schiller, and others.
The following is the story of the play:
The Marquise de Rio-Zares and her daugh-
ter Dora are living in fashionable hotel at
Monte Carlo in very reduced circumstances.
The scene opens with an interview between
Mr.. Beauclerc-a member of the British En-
Al rI,NA ,IaA To-
duce Mr.. Beauclerc to interest himself in. the
| finding of some rifles which her late husband
| had purchased in Birmingham. The CONVEX
sation is interrupted by the arrival of Captain
| Beauclcrc, who had just been appointed an
| ottdcb6 of the Legation in Vienna-but who,
being desperately in love with Dora, postpones
| his visit in order to endeavor to win her hand
and Count Orloff, a Russian refugee. AS
Dora is enjoying her siesta the visitors retire.
| Dora enters, and tells her mother that Count
| Stramir, her lover, had made proposal to her
| at the ball the previous evening. but it is one
| of dishonor. AS she is about retiring to dress
| for the reception of her expected guests, the
| Baron Orloff enters to make his adieux, as ne
| has relying on the changed appearance which
| the loss Of his beard has made in him,
| determined to visit his mother in Russia.
| He presents Dora with new photograph
| and tells her of his intention, giving
| her his exact route. Dora retires, and the
| Countess Zicka calls upon her friend, and
| of Dora's dressing, from different rooms. Dora
relates the visit of Orloff, speaks of his jour
| new, and calls her attention to the photograph
| in the album. Zicka, who is Russian spy,
| succeeds in taking the picture from the album
before the entrance of Dora. The gentlemen
| return and the Countess is Mortified to find
| that Capt. Beauclerc, whom she loves passion
| ately, is in love with Dora, and informs the
Baron Sten-whose tool she is-of her love for
| Beauclerc, and her determination to blight
| d., ffaro !, Sc ho,, To nnro
who accepts it, and the act closes with her an
| nouncement of it to her mother and guests.
| The second act commences In Mr.. Beauclerc s
| apartment in Paris, where the Countess and
| Stein are awaiting the arrival from the church
| of the newly married couple. Stein tells the
| Countess that there is in the Captains dispatch
| box an important paper which he must have,
| and she agrees to procure it for him. Arthur
| gives his keys to his wife, and from the Mar
| Guise whom she induces to leave the room for
| a moment Zicka procures them and abstracts
| the paper from the box. She induces Dora
to write Stein a farewell letter, and places the
| paper in the envelope with the letter. Or
| loft enters almost at the moment the wedding
! party are leaving the house for Vienna, and
| congratulates the Captain ON not having been
| duped by those two adventuresses at Monte
| Carlo whom he accuses of having betrayed him
| into the hands of the Russians. Beauclerc in
| forms him that it is of his wife he is speaking
| and demands an explanation, and Orlatf at
| f1rSt enQeaVOrS 10 TotrdCG bIlo CudfSc, put
| the request of the elder Beaucerc relates the
| incident of the photograph. Upon going to his
| box he discovers the loss of the paper From
| a servant they find that letter was sent to
| Baron Stein, who has gone to Versailles, and
| upon his return home he is met and brought to
| Mr. Beauclercs apartment before he has had
| an opportunity to open his letters. Captain
| Beaucierc demands from him the letter, and
| the Baron, not imagining that it contained the
| tracing, surrenders it. The husband, finding ii
| .,,o 1att fro,, wifi
| of the theft, aud leaves her. The fourth act
| transpires in the office of the British Embassy,
| where, through the accidental recognition OF a
| perfume which the Countess uses, light dawns
| upon the elder brother as to the real culprlt.
| In an interview with Zicka, he entraps her in
| to confession, and the distracted couple are
reunited.
PARK QUARIETTE.
On Thursday evening the Park Instrument
| al Quartette will appear at City Hall in the
| Grand Army course. The quartette is COM
| posed of two lads and two misses, the eldest
| eighteen and the youngest eleven years of age.
| They are said to be excellent musicians and
| will be warmly welcomed. Mr.. Sydney Burt,
| the wei! known humorst will also appear, and
| Mr.. 7. P. Ryder officiates as accompanlst
| NOTES.
George Vandenhoff has returned to the
stage reader. =,
| Joe w neolOCk dHu NdTu hlIudy uC Will dPPOoA
at the 9Th Avenue in the new play, "Self Con-
| quest"
"Aida" was produced by Mapleson in New
| York at tho Academy Friday night with a
| magnificence never before witnessed in tina,
| city.
The tickets are selling rapidly at Stock
BRIDGES fol the performance of Fatanitza to be
| given by the Ideal Pinafore Company at City
| Hall. Dec. g.
Lima Tettenborn, the Milk-Vender of Ger
mantown, will appear at Portland Theatre,
| Thanksgiving matinee and evening, and the
evening following
The Dickens party at the New Jerusalem
vestry tonight will not only be accurately cos
| tuned but the various characters well carried
out. There shonld be a large attendance.
The Mite Society of the First Baptist church
will give a concert and three lectures at the
churchNov. 10Th, Dec. LIST, Sth and 18th, the con
cert by the Weber Quartette OF Colby Uniyer-
siuy,the lectures by Rev. DR.. Anderson of New
York, Rev. Mr.. Ladd and Rev. S. P. Merrill
| Of Biddeford.