San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-15
FREDERICK WARDE.
His New and Beautiful Play and Its
Recep,ion-Entert by
the Harmony Club.

the Harmony Club.
Henry Guy Cartoons classic drama,
"The Lions Mouth" is in good hands
The soldier. iournalist- poet has written a
beautiful play destined to achieve even
greater success than already has been
achieved for it. Mr.. Wardes company
should feel honored in presenting IT, and
| the author should reciprocate the feeling
in such company presenting It,
Last night at the Grand this seemed to
| be the general verdict of the large audi
ence which assembled to Wit
ness the first production of this.
new play Iy Mr.. Wa de and company
| The scene is laid in Venice, romantic,
| passionate, bigoted Venice, in the time of
the 10th century, when the papal power
| was even greater than the despotic will
| Of the rulihg Goge; when a whisper of &C.
cusaton before the terrible inQuisitOrial
| tribunal of the Catholic church, placed in
| the Lions Month";" was enough to rack
| and tear any human frame of whatever
| station in life. The play opens in street
| scene before chapel, and the dialogue at
| once begins racy and piquant, with con-
siderable fine wit. The carnival is on
and merry maskers occupy the foreground,
| while palaces, gondolaS and the deep
| blue of the Venetian canals are seen In a
clear background, doing credit to the ar
| lists brush.
The plot of the play is in blank verse,
| very clear in expression, flowing with
beautiful sentiment and altogether gem
| OF literature. The son OF the exiled doge,
| Paul de NOvarre, returns under the alias
1 of Rinaldo to head an insurrection and
1 punish his fathers assassin, Franchesco,
whom he finally finds in the habit OF the
4 friar Angelo. power OF Rome ana the
head of the inQuIsition. He meets the
4 daughter OF the ruling doge, loves and
/ weds her secretly and himself Is caught
| in the tolls by an accusation placed In the
1 Lions Mouth under false impression, by
his wife. The insurrection develops, An
| gelo's brother friar IL revenged by accus-
ing him OF the assassination and the wretch
| meets his doom. Novarre assumes the
doge's seat and rules justly and fairly for
all the people.
| From the scene of the maskers, inter-
rupted by the frowning friars, through
the many situations the interest is un-
tagging until the denouement.
| After the Angelus has rung beautiful
piece of artistic work was given by Mr..
Warde and Miss Belgrade, as the doge's
daughter, in their love scene. Her con-
ception of the modest maiden was en-
quiSitely fine.
moonlight was quite pretty and there
were fewer false steps made than
is usually the case in a fashion
able ball room. Delightful com.
edy was thrown in by the love making OF
Marcos and Marcella. Miss Bowman is
a charming comedienne and actress.
They were assisted by Mr.. Young as
| BOnatesta.
Thus on goes the play, the third act
| containing powerful interview between
Father Angelo and Linora, in which their
splendid dramatic powers are brought
forth in pleasing and exciting action. The
| grand capstone of this castle OF romance
is reached in act 4, the terrible chamber of
the inquisition, at the very jaws OF the
| lion This was the meeting of the friars,
their decisive interview and quarrel, and
Mr.. Herman as Angelo and Mr. Barton
as Christopher, thoroughly rounded the
| sharp description of the scene and gave
| all its Evolutionary strength in magnif-
cent style.
Mr.. Warde's company has been more
carefully selected this season than ever
before. Every member is star in power,
over whom Mr.. Warde shines in his plan,
etary orb, respondent. The principal
cast was as follows:
| Paul di Novarra. ...... Frederick Warde
Julio, Doge of Venice. 80. ;Joline Butler
| Claudio ......,............Ch Charles Yining
Bonatesta. 80. .............W. Ii. Young
Marco: ...................H Harry Leighton
Gregorlo. IL ~ 'e SI S,ai
Fra Christopher ......,......H. c. Barton
Dionysio. Edward Tannar
Fabia. Miss Alice Fairbrother
| Linora NJ ISIS Adele Belgrade
Marcella. Miss Fanny Bowman
Franchetta...... ...--.'...; MISS Eyeret
| julia. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. MISS Odklhnu
Tonight Mr. Warde will present the
"Mountebank," a romantic drama in five
acts, adapted from the French play,
"Pailaisse." The action is in high emo
tioAal and delightful comedy, lines while
the story is most interesting, and pathetic.
After the play last night Mr. Warde
and Messrs: Arthur f. Warde, his son, &C
Chas. Vining and II. c. Barton, Of his
company, were escorted to the parlors OF
the Harmony club and were there met by
select company OF prominent Elks,
| Knights of Pythias, members OF the club
and newspaper men, and an impromptu,
4 though quite recherche, champagne sup
| per was rendered their distinguished
guests by the Harmony club. Mr.. Warde
| Is a delightful conversationalist and was
the center of the group in the parlor.
At the banquet table he was well
coined by Judge : M t. Ellis Insnon In
in humorous though earnest
vein, describing his cold reception in E. |
| southern climate, his hotel experience |
| where he was warmed, his previous visits
! to this city from II years past up to date, !
i his connection with the late Tragedian |
1 MCCULLOUGH, III but NdSiuo uhlIs III III
| ner hall and his reappearance as star In |
| the beautiful Grand opera house. In de-
scribing the changes time has wrought in
San Antonio he took occasion to describe
his first visit to the missions and recent 1
ride to the same place. The vandal hand
of man had decapitated the Virgin over
the doorway at the grand old mission to
which in former years he had rode over
the free and open prairie, now closed by
fences, posted and guarded by the owner
with o shot gun, very formidable to look
upon. The old Alamo now looks down on