, 1884-10-12
FELICIA"
A Regulation French Play Produced
Last Night.
Some Idea Of What Causes the
Agony In 1t.
How Things are at Last CheerfuIIy
Terminated.

called Felicia, and was presented by a
company at the head of which is Miss
Rose Eytinge. The play is mathematic-
ally divided into four acts. and is of the
pronounced French school Unlike
American and English plays there is very
little action and a very great deal of
dialogue, punctured here and there with
pithy sentences, but usually devoid Of
snap and sparkle. The entire plot of the
play hinges on a question of social ethics.
A socially ostracised woman has a son who
grows up to a ereditable manhood. With
her money he is brilliantly educated, and
finally achieves distinction and the Cross of
the Legion on the battle field. He is
aware that he does not bear his fathers
name and imagines that his mother
is dead, Felicia, now reformed,
being merely his aunt. He falls
in love, as most young men are apt TO do,
and he raves over the adorable creature
on whom he has bestowed his affections,
with the vigor and persistence of many
other warm-blooded and healthy adolf
escents. Very conveniently the maiden re-
ciprocates his affection and dotes upon
her "Cal tain John with a too utterly
far-away idolatry that IS manifestly de-
hghtful to a man in the gallant Cap
tain's peculiar frame of mind The
aged PARENT, of the young lady gives
his full and free consent to the union.
-
Everything moves along quite merrily
and even gushily until the marriage con-
tracts are about to be signed. A lawyer
then puts some questions to "Felcia,
the Captains supposed aunt but real
mother. As these delve into the past
she Is clustered and in a roundabout way
the story of her shame ultimately comes
out. Of course a good deal of incidental
misery follows. The young lady,
Dolores, positively and emphaticaly
refuses to give up her beloved
"Je-on. They tell her his fortune has
vanished In thin AIR. The ~poble-hearted
maiden says that money IS only dross and
makes other sentimental reflections OF the
same character hat lead to the belief
that she has had very little experience IN
commercial transactions. Money or no
money, sne must nave her Je-on' OF
me VIII De nothlng Du' a planA anu
dreary waste o.range rumors rs 10 .he
mystery 'he mae progeni'or
Oh captain 'Ohn' nave no enec' upon
tne sentimental maiden crime Is mul7
wauai ana more philosoPny oI 'n"' son-
Inc Vl,lan sun Pursues her, pu' AL .ne
same she must nave ner 'e-on' ns
guiulhg s.ar oi her EXISTENCE, VINO WI
ieau her through no"eIy meaus' meanuer
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There Is a good Zeal oil cerulean i
morality, some tinges and several sugges-
tons OF crimson. Pretty nearly every
body is happy about the time the curtain
is finally rung down. except Felicia
who IN a paroxysm OF tears banishes her
self into obscure retirement.
There are not many opportunities pre-
sented IN the play for really effective act
ing and there we're fewer created last
evening. Even In the character OF
Felicia ssumed by Miss Eytinge' there
are few things to thrill an audience. Ot
course it is intended that symathy should
be aroused, but 1t Is only a measurable
quantity after all that come forth spon-
t%aneously from the auditory.
John I. Malone is by all odds the best
man in the cast. Until a few years ago