The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-02

aver new Iorh city. The play was indus
triousfy doomed in advance of its prodhc.
ton by means Of ingenious paragraphs In
the newspapers. and majority Of New
York theater goys fully believed that Rob
ert Mantell had at last found O medium
exactly suited to his remarkable If some.
what limited powers. And Mantell reilly
does possess great abfltty-ina certain line
The claim Of his friends that he Is Richani
Mansfleld's equal Of course can have DO
effect save TO excite the disabilities of care.
tul students Of actors methods, but Mr..
Mattel is nevertheless one OF the greatest
living portrayers Of robust heroic charao-
tiers, for which he Is peculiarly fitted by
reason Of his magnificent physique and
full, resonant voice.
Mr.. Mantell once had the misfortune to
make an emphatic hit in 'The Corsican
Brothers" ! use the word .misfortuneu
adviscdly, for ever since, he has appeared
to feel that his boet work Is done 10 dual
roles This vagary perhape IL was that
induced him to use 1.-The Face In the Moon
light" during bis New York season.
The Face IN the, Moonlightn was writ
ten by Mp. Charles Osborne, and the whole
plot, or rather tho vague nothing which
does duty rs a plot, hinges upon the re-.
semblauce Of rufIlan and murderer.
jacques Ferrand, to Victor Ambrose, q
monnrchist. who Is condemned TO die for
having Threatened to shoot some of his
soldiers who attempted to desert TO No
poleon Bonnperoe. Mr. Name Of course
concts these two characters, which afford
him ample opportunity for displaying his
ability as "lightning change artist" but
| aside from that nrc as destitute OF posi-
i biiiticS as can we'll he imagined
Nj. Mantell makes the insipid officer
sotnewsgs interesting at times, despite tho
nlAWN ISl RPNtiTnonf mi to -
the lines which are put into his mouth,
and the firecracker heroics which he Is
compelled to Orc OF as the climax OF each
act Ia approached Tho ruffian, under Mr..
MantelPs ridiculous Interpretation Of the
scnseiess character, becomes clown, pure
and simple. nslu n horribly bad clown at
that
The Face IN the Moonlight" attempts
TO tell story which is so old that IL is
frnyed ON the edges, and the laborous eff
forts OF the uthor TO unravel the fabric OF
doubt which has not been woven serve
only to excite amusement Tho denoue-
ment is so poorly wrought that it Is posi-.
lively puerile in its lack of color and bald
anticipation Of the final result.
There is ono character in 1.-THE Faos in
the Moonlight" which deserves especial
mention on account of the sublimely in
discriminate manner in which the author
| mas used IL. In order apparently TO avoid
adding to the cast. Mime. Pique Is in turn
the servant OF almost every one of the i'm
portant personagee- Wherever the scene
Is laid OF course "domestique" is needed
and Mime. PiQue is invariably rushed in to
supply the want This serves TO illustrate
fairly the thoroughly stupid manner In
which "rhe Face in the Moonlight" is
pastel together Its only partially redeem
ing feature in the dialogue, which In come
of the scenes Is bright and crisp Tho semi
humorous character of the play is perhaps
less bad than the others, and the fact that
it was admirably portrayed by Frank
Lander caused it to appear better even
than it really ia On the whole .'"Tho Face
In the Moonlight" is the most pronounced
Successful failure Of the present New
York secson from an artistic standpoint
not even excepting the overdrawn and
undeNlono Kentucky Colonel"
The revival OF the BLACK Crook" at the
New York Academy Of Music hae created
| little short Of sensation among theater
goers generally, and especially among
those who aae sufficiently we'll advanced
In years to remember the original presenta-