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

it is q reality, and although 1t pleased
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 the world, where, as Goldsmith
says. wealth accumulates and men de-
cay" The chief character in the "Ro-
nance" is the Baron Chevrial. a man
who has made an immense fortu ne
or 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 a broken down voluptuary, with
all capacity for the grosser delights of
life dulled 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 fungus in the hotbed
of s%uperfiuous wealth, it is the most re-
markable piece Of work on the modern
stage. The Baron Chevrial plots by
means of his wealth n financial in
fuence to get possession of women who
have pleased his fancy. but he meets his
match occasionally. He meets it in Rose
Guerin, premiere danseuse at the Grand
Opera House. to whom. with a 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 a good girl and sees through
his designs. She does with his advice as
Red Wheeler did with Sharon's Oplier
| points" some years ago acts directly OPP
posite, and likeWheeler comes out ahead.
r. H. ~.,.kl --% k~-..~ - = "a
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 q sort of elegant retunda
with a distant view of Paris; soft music
fills the corridors; the board glistens
with silver and crystal; the guests are
members of the ballet at the Grand
Opera and men o town. The Baron
Is there, looking more worn than ever,
and is a sort of skeleton at an Egyptian
banquet. K He has q 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 a
| 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
pldLAd WIFI tuO Is III n, IL 4 uOtA~
ing, gentlemen; the Baron is afflicted
with too much eloquence and too much
champagne"
But suddenly there is a Shrek, the
Baron falls from her arms like a 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 Mansfield's acting in scene.
bama.,,
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 him in the front
rank of the dramatists of the country
Its success has been unqualified and 1t
has been universally accepted as a dis
tinctively American play. 1t is by an
| American, about Americans. In it's Pc
culiar features 1t has undoubtedly
created a sensation, both from a literary
and dramatic standpoint. 1t tells a story
Of post-bel1um 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
supposed to have been killed. The old
man still lives on his old plantation at
Talladega. A railroad Is to run through
the little town. and it's projection brings
to the place q Northern railroad man,
Captain Davenport, accompanied by a
young Northern surveyor. The former,
who is In reality the supposed dead son
of old Colonel Preston, conceals his iden-
tity for some time, fearing that his father
still CherfSb0S 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 cruel parents.
Young Preston has also married after
wards, but after leaving for the North,
his wife died and left q 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 a shadow upon the legality of
his sister-in-law's marriage. This
so enrages Colonel Preston that.
old as he is, he dashes a glass of water in
the villains face and challenges him to a
duel. The old Southerner's age prevents
him from being a principal. and Colonel
Moberly, aquaint but chivalricS outherner.
steps in and takes Preston's place. The
duel. however, Is prevented by the inter-
~vention of Captain Davenport. Mean
time Captain Armstrong, surveyor of 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 deftly in
terwoven and gathered up in 8 logical
and coherent way in the final scene.
! n+har nh a roo fara in tba NAV ora fha usn-
tie Mrs. Pages son, Lathrop, an impetu-
GUS Southern youth; Squire Tucker, ar
amusing, uncultured country judge. big.
burIy but chivalric; Atlanta Moberly. a
bright Southern girl, and Decatur, a
faithful colored servant of ante-bellum
DAYS.
Thatthese characters have finish ed and
truthful portrayal in the hands of Mr..
Palmer's Company can readily be be-
lieved.
the "County Fair in
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 be was
with "Widow Bedott." The piece will
be presented for three nights b at a
matinee Wednesday afternoon.
Stage Gossip.
Tomnrrnw NIGHT at the Casino will he a