The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-22
Two Delightful Attractions
for PlaYgoers at the
Local Houses.
MANSFIELD AND ALABAMA
A Great American Actor and a
Great American Play-Gen-
eral News Of the Stage.

Octave Fenillet to locate the action in
Paris, you can find such incidents in
everyday life If you will in all the great
cities of.uhe world, where, as Goldsmith
says. Wealth accumulates and men de-
cay" The chief character in the stRo-
nance is the Baron Chevrial, a man
who has made an immense fortu ne
on the bourse, vino believe the accumula-
ton of money to be the chief end of ex-
istence; its use to furnish all the sensual
enjoyments body and mind can stand.
The playwright brings this Croesus be-
fore us broken down voluptuary, with
all capacity for the grosser delights of
life dnlled by excess to the point of total
extinction.
A trembling rotary of pleasure who
| lives more In the memory of the past
than in the qualification of the present.
| AS Mr.. Piebard Mansfield personates
| this not uncommon fungus in the hothed
/ OF supertluous wealth, II Is the most re-
markable piece of work on the modern
stage. The Baron Chevrial plots by
| means of his wealth and financial in
| fiuence to get possession of women who
have pleased bis fancy. but he meets his
match occasionally. He meets it in Rose
! Guefin, premiere danseuse at the Grand
Opera House. to whom. with view of
stripping her of a little moneyshe possesses
| as a safeguard, he gives points in
stock dealing because, as the sly old
| villain says to himself, when she comes
| to ruin she will come to me-
| But Rose is good girl and sees through
his designs. She does with his advice as
Fed Wheeler did with Sharon's Oplier
| points some years ago, acts directly OPP
posire, and 1ikeWheeler comes out ahead
In the fourth act Chevrial gives little
supper to celebrate Roses success on the
| bourSe, which he would fain have his par
asites believe. is due to his advice. This
is the strong scene of the play. The table
| is set in sort of elegant retunda
with distant view of Paris; soft music
4 fills the corridors; the board glistens
with silver and crystal: the guests are
members of the ballet at the Grand
Opera and men about town. The Baron
| is there, looking more worn than ever,
| and is a sort of skeleton at an Egyptian
| banquet He has a slight attack of
| paralysis before the guests arrive, and as
the supper proceeds, revives and tries to
| bear his part In the merry conversation
around him. He has risen with q
glass of wine in his hand, and proposes a
toast, the language of which is an epitome
of the sensuality of his life. Again par
alysis attacks him and the guests rise in
| alright. Rose Guerin leads him to the
piazza with the light remark, 1T is moth
Il IS
with too much eloquence aud too much
champagne.
But suddenly there is a Shrek. the
Baron falls from her arms like log and
| DR.. Chesnel, who has just come in,
hastens to his assistance A minutes
! examination and he waves his hand in
| the direction of the unseen musicians,
| saying, stop that music, the Baron Is
| dead" 1t is impossible to convey an idea
| of Mansfieid's acting in this scene.
alabama"
At the Academy of Music tomorrow
night A. M. Palmer's company will pre-.
sent Augustus Thomas great American
play, alabama. Mr.. Thomas play has
unquestionably placed htm In the front
| rank of the dramatists of the country
Its success has been unqualified and it
has been universally accepted as a dis
| tinctively American play. II is by an
| American, about Americans. In its pc
/ culiar features it has undou btedly
created a sensation, both from a literary
and dramatic standpoint. IL tells story
| of post-belum Southern life
| Colonel Preston is an old Southern err
who fifteen years after the war hates the
| North. He has double reasons, for not
only has his cause been defeated, but his
only son, Harry, gave allegiance to the
Union and fought on that side, and is
! man still lives on his old plantation at
| Taliadega. A railroad is TO run through
| the little town. and its projection brings
! to the place Northern railroad man,
| Captain Davenport, accompanied by a
| young Northern surveyor. The former,
of old Colonel Preston. conceals his iden-
tity for some time. fearing that his father
still cherishes resentment.
The play opens in the home of Mrs.
Page, who before marrying Dabney
Page. has loved Harry Preston. but they
had been separated by crnel parents.
/ Young Preston has also married after
| wards, but after leaving for the North,
his wife died and left child, Carey
Preston, of whose existence her father
has thus far been kept in ignorance. The
projection of the railroad enhances the
value Of Mrs. Pages land. which induces
her dead husbands brother. Raymond
Page, to claim the property. alleging as a
ground shadow upon the legality of
| his sister-in-law's marriage. This
SO enrages Colonel Preston that
old as he is, ne dashes glass of water in
the villains face and challenges him to a
duel The old Southerner's age prevents
him from being u principal. and Colonel
Moberly, aquaint but NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
steps Ia and takes Preston's place. The
duel, however, IS prevented by the inter-
vention OF Captain Davenport Mean
| time captain Armstrong, surveyor Oh the
projected railroad has fallen in love
with Carey Preston. Colonel Preston re-
fuses his consent, still retaining his bit
terness of feeling toward Northerners.
An elopement is planned but IS pre-
vented by Captain Davenport.
These threads of the story are deity in
terwoyen and gathered up In logical
and coherent way in the final scene.
| Other characters Ia the play are the gem
tie Mrs Pages son, Lathrop, an impetR-
Gus Southern youth; Squire Tucker, an
amusing, uucultured country judge. big,
burly but chivalric; Atlanta Moberly. q
bright Southern girl, and Decatur, a
faithful colored servant Of ante-bellnm
DAYS.
That these characters have finished and
truthful portrayal in the ha ids of Mr..
Paluer's Company can readily be be.
lieyed.
the "County Fair in Hobokeu.
The attraction at The Hoboken Theatre
tomorrow night will be the County
Fair with Neil Burgess in his original
character. The play and the actor are
too we'll known to need especial mention.
Mr.. Burgess is identified with the"Coun
ty Fair even more fully than he was
| with widow Bedott.' The piece will
be presented for three nights and at a
matinee Wednesday afternoon.
Stage Gossip.