The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-20
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Gloriana.

Ldoo evening HOrIlanu luedGIe was
brilliant with an audience that filled
every seat down stairs and up, to see one
of Charles Frohman's companies in Nor
| timers screaming three-act farce of Clio
riana, which has had so long and sue
cessful a run at the Columbia Theatre,
Boston. The plot of the play has been
published at length. In brief, young
diplomat, Mr.. Fitz Jocelyn, has entang-
led himself with Mrs. Lowering (Glori-
ana), young widow, and engaged him
self to sweet young rosebud, Miss Jes-
sic Chadwick, daughter Of retired tan
ner. To get out of the scrape with Mrs.
Lowering he exchanges clothes and char
acters with his valet Spinks, who in turn
has trihed with the affections of Glori-
ana's maid Kitty. Mrs. Lowering has
caught in her meshes an invisible old
Russian count, and the complications
| that arise from the misunderstanding of
all the characters, keep the audience in a
constant roar of laughter. Of course
many of the situations, as is expected in
farce, are ridiculous, but they are all the
funnier for that.
The men, as rule. were very good.
Mr.. George W. Barnum as the irascible
Count Evitoff, was an excellent bit of
character acting, and Mr.. Otis Harlan as
Spinks, was d capital low comedian. The
scene between the Count and Spinks in
+in oat +loxr toll 10,
gether, was extremely amusing. Mr..
Charles Drake was good as the old tan
ner. Mr.. j. Herbert Leonard as Fitz
Jocelyn was hardly suited to the part.
Miss Florence Storkey was not quite
adapted to the part Of Gloriana, Miss
Helen Holland was rather pleasing as
Jessie and Miss Title Barnum was good
as Kitty. Prior to Gloriana little cur
tain raiser, called ''Twenty Minutes I'm
der an Umbrella" by A. w. Dubourg,
was very well done by Mr.. Leonard and
Miss Holland, some of the dialogue be-
ing quite bright.
As a whole, however, the company
was not what we had expected from Mr..
Frohman.
Shadows of a Great City.
Tonight and Wednesday evening this
startling melodrama will hold the
boards. An exchange says:
The play is an American one, and has
the superior merit of concise action and
directness in plot and climaxes. It is
we'll written and deals with home char
acters, and has the most desirable quail
ty of captivating the gallery as well as
interesting the dress circle. The stage
effects are remarkably effective and the
revolving scenes work like charm.
Cleveland's Minstrels.
Next Friday night Cleveland's great
ALL United Minstrels will be seen at City
Hall The tickets are selling well at
Stockbridge's. The company is very
strong this season, and Cyrene, the great
French dancer, is an immense attraction.
Spider and Fly.
Thursday evening, at Portland Thea
tire, M. B. Leavitt's company present the
spectacular, pantomime, burlesque ''Spi-
der and Fly The original city compa-
ny will appear in the vaudeville turns,
vocal and instrumental music and fine
ballet. The company bring their own
scenery. Pantomime, dancing and mag
nificent costumes prevail throughout.
The company number 40 people and thea
tre-goers will enjoy the beautiful pro-
duction.
Pat Rooney.
This inimitable Irish comedian S new
play entitled Lord Rooney will be pro-
duced at Portland Theatre Friday and
Saturday evenings. The dramatic press
says the piece is billed as ''the laughing
festival" and in the fullest sense of the
word has been the unanimous verdict of
all who have witnessed it. In building
the play its author has departed from the
well worn methods of the average farce
comedy, and in their place is found spon-
taneous humor legitimate comedy situa-
tions and myriad of entirely novel, mu-
steal and other features.