St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-31

The above short sketch of the princi-
| pal members of the company shows that
i'll its every detail it will be the
Most Evenly Balanced
which has ever been gathered together,
| and it may be slated that MIR. Lift has
not hesitated on the question of expense
to give st. Paul a most remarkable at
! traction for the summer. inaSmuch that
| he is under an Indebtedness of 500. 600
| to launch forth the summer season.
| The company will alternate between ST.
| Paul and Minneapolis for a period of
| twelve weeks, and should the public de-
| mand only new plays will be given.
which have been purchased by the en-
! terprising manager out Of fifty-tWo
| plays read to him.
The opening play will be a naval
drama, from the pen of William Ha-
worth. who is engaged in writing for
the leading New York managers.
Nearly all of this class of productions
have dealt with the purely military feat
ures of the rebellion, but i'll 1.-The En-
sign" a new departure is taken in that
naval episode, and a historical one at
that, forms the groundwork of the story.
The play is founded on an occurrence
that took place in 1861, when Capt.
Wilkes, of the United States frigate,
San Jacinto, undertook to capture the
Confederate commissioners, Mason and
Slidell. OH the high seas. Lieutenants
Allen and Blythe, of II. NJ. S. Warrior,
stationed at Havana. were secretly in
stigated by the English government to
prevent Wilkes from making the
arrests. Lieut.. Blythe, in order to carry
out his orders, attacked the reputation
OF The Ensign'S" sweetheart, so
that the American officer might be
nrnN0<n6 n
him. In this way it was hoped that
Capt. Wilkes might be detained By the
Cuban authorities as a witness of the as
sault for period sufficiently long to
enable Mason and Slidell to escape.
Failing in this, Blythe tears down the
American flag over the United States
consulate, and is promptly killed by
The Ensign. For this the hero is court
martialed and sentenced to death, being
only saved by the president. who him
SELF carries the pardon, granted through
the intercesson of little child, to the
navy yard just as The Ensign is about
to be hung to the yardarm.
The play is constructed upon thel
most skillful lines, is brimfull of path0s
and thrilling situations; the comedy is
OF the most eXquiSiJely refined order,
and through it all runs strong vein of
breezy patriotism that cannot fail to
commend it to every class of playgoers.
The scenery for this production will
be most elaborate. showing in the first
act Moro castle and the Harbor of Ha-
vana, and in the third and fifth acts the
main and gun decks of the United States
war ship San JaciIto. A drill of marines
in which local militia companies appear
will be introduced in the ship scenes.
That the enterprise of Mr.. Lift will be
heartily supported goes without saving,
for he has recognized the artistic tastes
of the citizens of st. Paul, by selecting
this city as the scene of his enterprise.
His able lieutenant. Frank r. Bixby,
has by his energy and general courtesy
as resident manager of the Grand opera
house materially assisted in Mr.. Lifts
business dealings. Mr.. BIXby is forty
two years old, and is a native
of Indiana. He was educated for the
legal profession and studied law under
ex-senator Mcdonald, of Indiana, and
practiced in indianapolis, making a
specially of bankruptcy cases. When
the bankruptcy law was repealed and
his business fell off, he drifted into the
theatrical profession as manager, and
has been connected with the Madison
Square theater, New York; the Criter-
ion theater, Brooklyn. and the leading
stars of the country. In August, 1889,
he came to Minnesota to represent Mr..
Lifts interests. and says he is prepared
to end his days in st. Paul with his
ramily, including his famous dog
Jack" who is known to all patrons of
the theater. A. A. l..