The Portland daily press., 1879-10-30
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
THE DOUBLE MARRIAGE.

THE DOUBLE mARElAGE.
Last evening Miss Kate Claxton appeared at
Portland Theatre in "The Double Marriage,
dramatzation Of Reade's White Lies. The
salient points of the story are well preserved,
the action is rapid, the parts well sustained,
and the dialogue well written The result is a
play full of interest, holding the attention of
the audience to the close.
The drama is q tale of the Consulate under
the first Napoleon. The noble family of
Beaurepaire have become impoverished by the
Revolution. Col. Raynal. of the Republic,
buys the property. With the gallantry of q
Frenchman he refuses to turn out the Baroness
and her daughters, but offers to marry Joseph
inc, the eldest, and leave her in possession of
the property, while he goes to Egypt to fight
his country's battles. If he dies, well and
good; then Josephine will own the property,
and the family will be possessed of a home. If
he lives it will be time to claim bride. The
civil contract is performed before a magistrate
and Raynall departs. Immediately afterwards
Emile Duiardin, Josephine's former lover, ap-
pears. He has been soldier languishing. in
prison. He comprehends the situation and is
about to leave for the war when he falls sense
less from an old wound. When he RECEIVERS
health, news has come that Raynall was killed
in Egypt, and Josephine marries Dujardin.
But the news was incorrect and Dujardin
this time really departs for the army. Raynal
returns and finds Josephine fondling child.
1t is Duiardin's, but, to save sisters honor,
Beaurepaire claims it as her own, thus estrang-
ing her own lover, Edouard RIVERS. Raynal
is ordered to the army of the Rhine There he
meets Dujardn. He urges him to marry
Rose and save the family honor. Dujardin
refuses. With a rare nobility of nature-when
the officers have drawn lots to see which shall
lead forlorn hope that promises certain death
and Raynal has drawn the fatal ballot-he
leads his troops to the attack in advance, and
falls. Raynal returns and when he divulges
Dujardins death to his wife, in an agony of
remorse she tells the whole story. and is saved
from taking poison by her sister. Raynal
then informs Josephine that she is not his
wife. That it was but civil contract that
existed between them, and that if she married
Dujardin before priest that she is the latter's
wife. Then Dujardin appears on the scene
he was only wounded-and'he and Josephine
are made happy
Miss Claxton possesses certain faults of elo-
cution that are very trying to the ear. A
decidedly strained delivery is due apparently
to tongue-tie, or else to the fact that she cannot
discover herself wholly from the part of Louise
in the Two Orphans, with which she was 50
long connected. But this is not an affectation.
The naturalness of her acting forms one of its
great attractions She is exceedingly magnetic
and there is pathos in her emotional scenes
that is possessed by few actresses. Her move
ments are instinct with grace, and there were
scenes last night where she was positively
charming. Such was that with the baby in
the third act. In the last scene her emotional
acting was of the best; it was powerful, and
the power lay in its intensity.
Mr.. Stevenson was an excellent DuJardln;
manly and heroic. Mr.. Fyffe was capital
representative of the bluff French soldier, Col.
Raynal. Miss Cone proved piquant Rose
Beaurepaire, possessed of considerable emo
tional force. Miss Batchelder was pretty, |
plump and natural as the servant Jacintha,
Mr.. Gilbert very comical as Dard, and Mr..
Dustan frst-rate servant. The three latter
brought down the house in the conscrip- |
ton scene and a recall was demanded. Mr..
Phillips was good DR.. D'Aubertin and Miss
raised in response to a determined encore at the
end of the third act. We hope there will be a
large audience in attendance tonight. The
costumes were handsome and historically Cor
rect. Miss Claxton's dresses were elegant es-
pecially the white satin trimmed with white
fur in the last act.
On Friday and Saturday evenings Mr.. L. S.
Chanfrau will appear at Portland Theatre as
exit the Arkansas traveller. The play is a
drama representative of the free western life,
and Kit the free-handed. courageous, noble
minded frontiersman of the days in which
mayo uuU OUTFITS nave illGuo lOl pilOui-
selves.
On Saturday afternoon Mrs. Chanfrau will
appear in parted" An exchange says:
Mrs. Chanfrau is one Of the most womanly |
women on the American stage, and is peculiar
~ adapted to such a character as that of "Grace
Shirley the heroine of parted" AS true, |
loving, happy wife and tender mother, as a
woman faithful to the love for and memory OF
a husband whom she believed dead, as Halter
of his enemies, she is so realistic as to fairly
startle even old habitues of the Opera House.
Every act, look and tone is true to nature,
neither exaggerated or less than it should be.
1t is doubtful if another actress in the land can
equal her in the character of "Grace Shirley"
and her rendering of it leaves nothing to be de-
sired, nothing to criticse.
FIsKE's JUBILEE SINGERS.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers should draw a
large audience to City Hall tonight, for two
reasons First, on their own merits they are
entitled to a cordial recognition. They have
appeared in Portland several times before and
always with success. They possess rich .and
powerful voices. Their music is touching in
the extreme, and nothing like their plantation
songs has ever been heard in this part of the
country Secondly, they appear in the course
of the Grand Army, a charitable association
that deserves the most liberal support on the
part of our people. There are numbers of sol
diers' widows and orphans in this vicinity that
are dependant in great measure on the success
of these entertainments for necessities during
the cold winter. Let our citizens then fill City
Hall tonight.
EMMA ABBOTT OPERA co.
There is great interest in the performances
to be given by the Emma Abbott Opera Com
pany at City Hall Nov. and 6. Paul and Vir-
ginia will be given the 9TH, and Normandy
Chimes the 9th. The opera is meeting with
very large houses and great success in Boston,
Tickets should now be procured at Thomes
under Music Hall.
Prof. and Miss Anderson will give gift en-
tertainment at Music Hall tonight.
The tickets for Joe Jefferson, in his great
creation of Rip Van Wrinkle, will be sold at
Stockbridge's this morning.
By misunderstanding statement was
made in the PRESS yesterday that Mr.. Benz
Barnes, Jr., had entered the field as NOvider
of amusements for the public in addition to his
other business. Mr.. Barnes intends to devote
his time and attention to the insurance bust
ness.
The concert at Lewis Hall, Woodford's, to-
field and Mrs. Young soprani, Miss Allie
Moody and Mrs. Mosher, contralti, Mr.. Will
Stockbridge, tenor, Mr.. Wilson, pianist, Mr..
Farrell on the harmonica, Miss Valentine, the
reader, and Mrs. Shaw, accompanist. Persons
in the city may secure seats by telephone by
calling at Schlotterbeck's
The Hull Case.
1t will be remembered, speaking of the Hull
case the other morning, the PRESS said the po-
lice here thought Hull was wanted only as