The record-union., 1893-11-21
ADJUSTMENTS

"The Nihilists" was presented at the
Clunie Opera-house last evening, with
the stock company in support of the
author of the play, Theodore Kremer,
who made his first ap pearance in
America. It is so extraordinary play,
such curiosity, that it is deserving of
more than passing notice, since it
is to run for week. Let us
premise by saying that Mr.. Kremer
is a young man of much dramatic
ability; he has in emotional
parts strength of peculiar order. He is
winning, and has the good will of the au-
dience from the outset-in short, MIR.
kremer, with just enough Of his mother
tongue tanglIng his English to give it
peculiar charm, has talent, acting abil-
ity, feeling and artistic merit Of more
than ordinary character. Miss Afitf1in has
the best role in the play-One rich in the
tragic and emotional-and in it she does
work that surprises her best friends. She
has needed something like this to prove
her mettle. Her Wanda is an artistic
piece of work that places it head and
shoulders above anything she has at
tempted here. She is to be congratulated
on her pronounced success. Mr.. Berch
was the villain of the drama and pre-
sented the character with skill. 1t is
repulsive part and he gave it full effect
Next best in the list was the work of Mr..
McCurdy in the personation of a Russian
Jewish money-lender. He is on the
stage but once and has but few lines to
speak, but he stamps the character indel-
IDLY upon the play and memory and wins
deserved commentator for his art.
Miss Miff1in and Mr.. Bacon have alb
surdly low comedy roles, grotesque
and impossible characters to draw.
That they make them Supremely,
almost offop Sivnlv ridic1lOuS iS NOT THAR
fault, and but proves their faithfulness.
Miss Powers as Olga does her best, but
lacks the experience to develop the char
acter. For beginner it is a creditable
effort; but the young lady is as yet un-
equal to the task OF sinking self in the
character assumed. She is not to be dis
cOuraged, however; she has everything
on her side, and can win If she is so
minded. Mr.. Hyland as Count Alexis
''made-up'' to strongly resemble we'll
known and distinguished citizen. The
little he had to do was done with care and
painstaking. We trust his makeup is not
purposetul. As to the play, it will draw
well, for it is a curiosity, and curioSities
draw. The author has certainly vivid
imagination and right rowing fancy.
He has conjured up impossible situations
and unreal characters; such seeming of
truth as now and then attaches to them
he Immediately proceeds to destroy by
making them do the most unnatural
things. The passage from mood to mood
is invariably sudden; the reason for
action is invariably no reason that
rational being would entertain, except in
the Single instance where the rascal plots
to involve his bosom friend in nihilistic
plot in order to win from him his sweet
heart and supplant him in his heirship to
fortune. That is probable, and it is the
only probable thing in the play 1t is
0olln6 q On1pdU-1 ra hnr "a oCTT
is burlesque of the rawest order. 1t is
lined into the tragic like streaks of fat in
lean, and these alternate with such rapid
ity that it is difficult to tell where one be-
gin and the other leaves off. The tragic
OF the play, the melodramatic and the
emotional is all strong, and all well
acted. Some of the melodramatic siJua-
tions are remarkable for their strength
and originality, and these drew deserved
and thundrous applause and calls
Tor actors and authors three times to come
before the curtain. The Russian prison
scene is at once ridiculously absurd and
wonderfully tragic and moving. 1t is
the strangest inassing of contrasts ever
seen upon any stage. The betrayal scene
is remarkably powerful and moving in
Its emotional quality. The story is that
OF two Russian students-friends. One is
loyal, one nihilist. The latter uses his
friend to forward a dynamite scheme
and then betrays him to the police. The
innocent man suffers arrest rather than
betray his roommate, believing that
he is doing manly duty, when he
is in reality furthering a plot for
his own undoing with his affianced.
Woven into this story is the burlesque
upon Russian Countess whose affec-
tions are centered upon cats, and the
trials of fun-loving servant who essays
to do her bidding in the hope of becom-
ing her husband. Mr.. Kremer has
managed TO make all these people do the
most ridiculous things and make the
most absurd speeches; he has made som
of them do heroic things and breathe the
noblest sentiments, and some others do
the most cruel things and plot the most
devilish vil3ainy in the interest OF vice.