Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-17
Entertainments.


 Tangled Lives," four act society drama l written by John W. Keller, was enacted for
 the first time on any stage here last evening | It was an instantaneous and pronounced suc- cess. Perhaps it is not stated too broadly in | asserting that when retouched and polished l Tangled Lives will be accredited one of the l leading successful modern dramas. There are one or two vital points which revision l will improve; of these we shall speak later. l The story may be briefly disclosed. Raymond Garth, wealthy scion, becomes enamored of Helen Rathboulae, woman of obscure | antecedents, and whose husband, unbeknown
 to the former, is living. Madly infatuated
 Garth leaves home and all, takes up his abode with his inamorata, with whom he leads Bohemian life. His affection soon ! wanes, hers deepens. By chance he meets l Edith Ainsly. He saves her from drowning | and each conceives an affection for the oth- l CT. The keen instincts of his mistress teach | her that his arrangement has become com 1 plete. She charges him with in l fidelity; in return he offers s'to make | legal what the world calls marriage" She disappears and news is brought of her death in a Cuban hospital. He returns to l Edith, unfolds the story of his life, and as | he is about to clasp her in his arms is con- l fronted by Helen, who is not dead but un- | suspectingly spectator to what is really one ! of the strongest scenes of the play. He is | | but through the agency of a friend the ! existence of Helen's former husband is as- | certained, she is accused by Garth of treach- | cry and leaves the house as he ! and Edith are clasped in each oth- ! CTS arms. The principal charm to MT. 1 Keller's work is the admirable way in which ! the climaxes have been wrought, especially I the second act, which is an exquisite concep- ! tion of dramatic situation. The denouement
 is simply capital. Had the action been less I ened by about ten seconds it would have been | little less than perfect The last act needs | reconstruction. Its maD9uver is excellent, but the reconciliation with Edith should have been succeeded not preceded by the unmask- 1 ing of one whom the actors, not the author, failed to make a scheming adventures. If the play had been written presented last evening it would have admitted of some scathing criticisms for it's failure to disclose Helen in her tlde light. The fact of the matter is that several important passages were omitted, according to MT. Keller, and the real delineation of the part made obscure and misleading. Too little attention has been paid to the comedy element, which, as far as it goes, is on par with the general excellent character of the rest of the play. When these matters shall have received con- sideration, and the scene in Bohemia over hauled, Tangled Lives is destined for pros porous future.
 The cast was, in the main, superb. Man. tell was slightly nervous, but played with more energy than we have ever seen him display. At times he was inclined to be a trifie stagy, but in the scene in which the supposed dead woman confronts him he acted with a degree of excellence that if he ever manifested before it must have been sparingly. He made an em- phatic hit Nelson Wheatcroft had part which fitted him like glove. There was finish to his acting, manliness to his impersonation and relish to his epigrammat- | | L. the play. He shared the honors with Man tell. Miss Eleanor Carey as Helen was emi- nently successful and certainly merited the applause that the audience bestowed. She was painstaking and sincere. Miss Fife Shannon rendered her role of Edith the rose was one of the daintiest bits of work of the evening. The audience showed good taste by discriminating several times in her favor. Miss Sheldon June Milton was inadequate. She doesn't seem to have the l proper conception of the part. If she has I the audience can't discover what that is. 1 MT. Bland's Reginald Bronze was neatly ! done and deserves more than passing word. | The rest hadn't much to do and succeeded in 1 doing that little fairly we'll. The play will ! be repeated this and tomorrow evenings I and at matinee tomorrow. It deserves crowded house at every performance.
 AMERICAN THEATER.
 
 sensational drama, draws large houses nightly.
 BUNNELLs GRAND OPERA HOUSE.
 stAcross the Atlantic is the name of the play which is drawing large houses at this place this week. The attractions in the Curio hall are also well worth seeing.
 NEW HAVEN OPERA HOUSE.
 On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings of next week at this opera house MT. Charles Werner, supported by Miss Car rie Lewis and his company, will appear in the romantic Irish drama entitled ''Shamus O'Brien," drama in five acts of Irish ad venture, love, peril, songs and dances. MT. Werner is said to be clever actor as well as good vocalist, and during the play he will introduce his Irish mountain pipe solo and Irish melodies.
 LOST IN LONDON.
 Newton Beers and his company in the play Lost in London delighted somewhat small audience in Carlls Opera House last evening. The scene of the play is located in the min ing districts of England. Gilbert Feather stone, owner of a mine, dazzles with his fine clothes and manners the wife of one of his mine bosses and entices her, partly by force and partly by promises, to go to London with him. Her husband, Job Armroyd, follows her and for six months searches for her; find ing her at last sick at the house of a humble Lancashire woman, he watches until she re- covers and then tells her they must part. Just before the final parting her overwrought nature gives way and she dies. The interest in the play from the first increases untilin the death scene it is almost breathless. Mir. Beers, in the title roll, is excellent and his support is good in every particular, especial ly the acting of Miss Jessie Lee Randolph as Nellie Armroyd. The scenery is very fine, especially the coal mine scene, where Teddy DraggIethorp is lowered into the mine and tells Armroyd of the absence of his wife. The final scene, where the soul of Nellie Armreyd leaves this earth, is particularly fine. The di- vertisements in the fourth act were very good, the singing of the Pan Pipe singers and ot Miss Kate Romaine calling out encores, as did the playing of Master Le Paige. The play will be repeated this and tomorrow evenings and tomorrow matinee.