The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-11-22
LAST NIGHTS PLAYS.
"a Fair Rebel" at the Academy
Gus Hills Vaudevilles at the
Opera House.

Patriotism ran high at the New
Academy of Music last night. when "A
Fair Rebel" opened a weeks engagement.
There were soldiers in the play, and
drums and flies and firing. aud real bat
tle-flags. all shot to tatters-and when the
American audience sets its eyes on the
battle-1ag. it just goes out of its head.
"a Fair ReUel," is the only war play
with a prison-Libby Prison-exterior,
interior. rat hell" and all. The hero,
Col. Ezra Mason, q. S. A. is here on
ined, making, his escape by means of the
famous tunnel whereby lO9 Union soldiers
gained their liberty. THIS scene is
good to look at. 1t represents a
section OF the two-story prison, the
soldiers packed in The dingy rooms. Then
Colonel Mason begins his journey through
the tunnel. The wall grows transparent,
SO one may see him go. The stage grows
Observation-Disclosures is a rumbling noise,
lights up. and the exterior of the prison
is on view. The sky effect. representing
the gray haze of a foggY night, is particu-
larry good. Then the Colonel begins TO
burrow his way out of the tunnel, half
way across the stage, until finally you see
him thrust up his arm Il shoulders,
like the CHASTITY picture that is all over
town. Then his Southern sweetheart,
the "Fair Rebel" who has followed him
to Richmond in soldiers dress, changes
coats with him, sees him safely of. and is
shot for her pains by the officer of the
day. who is, incidentally, her cousin.
guardian and would-be fiance.
But not fatally. Leading ladies never
die in the next to the last act. The
cousin goes off and shoots himself, out of
remorse. which is very considerable OF
him.. Then Clairette, the rebel, and
Mason fall into each others arms and
everything is lovely.
Besides all this, there is a courtmartial,
a military execution, and best of all, a
heart-stopping scene when the last sur
vlvor of a terrible engagement bursts
upon the quiet manor house lawn. one
mass of bleeding wounds. grasping a
broken sword, able only to thrust for
ward the flag, torn to glorious rags.
When that flag came out the house, gal
Iery, orchestra. musicians and all just
owled end howled. 1t was more than a
war drama. 1t was war.
Then he climbed to the top of a tele-
graph pole to send a dispatch, and the
rebel sharpshooter killed him there, so
that he fell straight down to the ground.
His name in the play is Watkins, his
name on the programme is j. Hooker
Wright, and he deserves to be written
down a success.
Edward r. Mawson, as Colonel Mason,
was one of the best leading men we have
seen here. Just to see him laugh is a
liberal education. j. P. Keefe. as Major
Stillman, a surgeon, and Ernest Foster,
as Captain lie Vicomte Savarie de Perrin,
tied for second place. The former played
a bluff old soldier who is led a matrimon-
ial slave to Miss Margaretta Wyeth (KaJe
Oesterle). a dear little doll of a Southern
ante-bellum lady. The latter is too
handsome. too graceful and generally too
good an actor to satisfy the traditions of
a stage villain. People can't consistently
hiss such work, and if one can't hiss the
villain, pray. what is the good of going to
the theairep
Miss Fanny Gillette, the star, is one of
the actresses for whom the adjectives
sweet and womanly" remain in the
language. And in her soldiers coat she
looked like a Southern angel. Jennie
Elberts was a vigorous "Nuth C'rling
woodswoman, Sally Wood; and Belle
pretty, and with a voice like a bird, ap-
peared as Joan Fitzhugh. 1t is only fair
to the cast to say that from leading lady
to the smallest speaking part, every
man did his duty" The other characters
were Bill Bronson, z. S. A., j. w. Kings
ley; Major Monteith, G. S. A., M. L..
Alsop; Nelse. Thomas Dunn; Captain
Henderson, Z. w. Miller; Lieutenant
Wilson; Robert Thorne; Captain Harding,
]. w! Martin; Sergeant Thompson, Frank
Glenn, Sergeant Bernheim, Herman
Meyer; Bill Wood, 'trhe Guerilla" Frank
Collins; Orderly, U. S. A, c. L. Van
Dake.
"a Fair Rebel" will continue through
the week with usual matinees. Extra
matinee Thanksgiving Day.