Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-01-18
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liant audience than that assembled at the
National Theatre, on Wednesday evening
/ last to witness Howard CaFrolPs new play,
"The Amerieas Ce1ntess," and 30 homage
to Rhea, the ehsSming would beGi&salt TO
imagine. All Washington, at lesst all o.
note in ofzcial and fashionable circles, from
the President down, were present to con-
contribute each theiE quota to possibly the
greatest of the many triumpss she has so
deservedly achieved Had a night session
been held at the CaTitol, the Sergant-at-
Arms would not have needed to- go farther
than the National Thessre to get q quorrm.
ETsgant TSilets.
Evening dress was de rigeur; the ladies'
We'd with each other in bFilllance and els-
eanee of costume, while the men, well, the
men applauded until their gloves were but
relies of the past. From tie rising OF the
curtain to the finale, all thought and
atteation was centered on tie stage. Even
befose the curtain rose an excitement and
expectancy was markedly observable, aud
especially noticeable coming from a theatre
going public so bi,t~e as ours The scene
opens at the country seat of the Van COrt-
lands q view of the Hudson in the back
ground as seen from the palisades. The
beauty of this scene is enhanced by sun
set effect, gradually succeeded by moonlight
shimmering on the still waters ef the river,
apparently winding hundreds of feet below
the spectator.
Beautiful ISurrOUndlnGs.
Amid these beautiful surroundings is,
told the sad tale Of THE American Coun-
tess" Her mother, beautiful and wealthy
American, gave her hand where her heart
was not, to a despicable and Crsel Italian
count, Pslisni by name.
A constant witness Of the sorrow and
degradation inflicted upon her unhappy
mother, Hortense Paiano mile Rhea9,
reaches womanhood while pet 3 child, suf-
fering as only proud sympathetic ma.
ture can suffer, tte sting OF wrong and
indignity heaped upon one near and dear.
On the death of both her parents, Hortense
seeks refuge in America from scenes grown
hateful because of their unhappy associa-
ton. But even then she is pursued by q
shadow of the old life, in the person Of Bar
aga (Mr Henley, Spanish nobleman,
who hesitates at no means to procure IN
marriage the hand Of the girl countess.
Finding his advances met with scorn in
stead ofaffection, he succeeds in involving her
accepted lover Arthur Morton Mr.. Learock),
in serious difficulties through technicalities
Of the law, threatening at the same time to
denounce HortenSe as the murderess OF
Young Prince, the evidence against her rest
ing in the fact that the broken handle Of a
stil!etto fitting to the blade that pierced the
mans heart was known to belong to her.
In an intensely dramatic scene with
Baraga,
in which be produces the handle he
declares to have found in the apart
ments of the murdered man, she is
given the choice OF marrying him or being
involved in ruin, together with her lover.
To save Arthur not herself, she consents to
the union, while he, not understanding the
reason that dictates her purpose, upraids her
for unisithfulness. A scene ensues in which
Rhea runs through the whole gamut
Of passion, from pleading heartbroken
woman, 10 an outraged empress. So subtle
we're the effects 80 superb the changes, that
il would be difficult to imagine scene
more fitted to portray the vast resources
and magnificent capabilities of this artists.
She was most ably seconded in this scene
by Mr.. Learock, who played with an iu
tensity aed suppressed emotion rarely seen,
and as fully welcomed for its rarity.
Fracatelli, (Mr. Cooper, distant counec-
ton Of tie countess. whose
Picturesque RascRlity
is woven through the play, comes into pos
session Of proof conclusive implicsdag
Baraga in the murder OF the Prince, pro
duces it just as the nuptisls between the
Spauiard and Hortense are about to- be
contaminated, and union Of the separated
lovers is made possible.
The comedy characters that run like
threads Of silver through the sombre warp
OF pain and passion that make up the plot,
were admirably rendered BY Mrs. Wren as
Mrs. Van Cortland, Miss May Clark as
Emily. her daughter, and Mr.. Amory, as
Algernon Stubbs The latter was really i'm
mitable in the love scenes with Miss CLARK,
and the house was one huge smile when
ever he appeared.
The good humored satire on fashionable
society that Mr. Carroll has put into his
play, would alone be sufficient to make its
success pronounced.
Washington is usually very chsry Of its
floral offerings, but so numerous we're the
sweet tokens accorded Msdamoiselle Rhea,
| that at the close Of the third act, she looked
! like some fair Flora half smothered in an
svalsnch Of roses.
| A Triumph.
After such triumph one would naturally
have expected some evidence oi'fsEgue on
the part of MsdamOiselle, but on the con-
! trary she looked as flesh as one Of her own
roses when your correspondent saw her the
next day at noon, on the stage OF the Ma
tioual, busiiy engaged admonishing and en-
couraging the members OF her troupe at
! last rehearsal before the second perform
! ence.
Mr.. Carroll, with look Of preterustural
gravity on his jolly countenance, was
seated at a table to the front of the stage,
anxiously watching the group before him,
which was lit up only by the joint rays that
streamed in through some upper windows
Over and over again MsdGmoisslle would
| rehearse Q scene for the benefit OF those
with whom she was playing until it reached
q satisfactory point, her voice ringing out As
rich and full at the end as in The beginning.
mo; Iwould do that 90" she would say,
sweetly. after certain portion had been
gone over about six times. and the figure
you'd be taken up again and repeated until
ii pleased her critical taste. Directly a
scene came in which her presence was not
needed, and she came to the wings to accord
me
A Charming Greeting.
Looking perfectly bevitching in long seal
skin CLOAK and close-6tring bonnet, "Ohi d.
tell me an about Whselingr shs