The herald., 1893-08-20

ticient to place his family among the
New York aristocrats by direct process,
resolves to get them there BY first bnying
recognition with the foreign aristocracy.
This scheme proves practicable in the
end, but not before enough happens to
provide matter for very interesting
and patriotic play. Mr.. Howard q
positive and emphatic view of the
subject is that the foreign aristocracy
is morally rotten through and through T;
that our high-bred exclusives are con-
trastingly decent. and that even our
folks OF rapid millionarism are just as
likely as not tosbe as good as they who
are born rich.
Ethical considerations has not led Mr..
Howard astray from the main purpose
of making play that would engrose
and entertain intellectual people. The
Californian's seemingly simple plan Of
hiring bankrupt English peer'e Lon
don house, with the peer himself in
cluded, and thus gst his family intro
duced into what he calls mot the best. !"
but the highest" English society, goes
smoothly on until his daughter is pre-
sented at the queens drawing room but
by this time the girl, through grief and
pique at the false news OF her American
lovers marriage, becomes the wife of
the despicable Austrian prince. The
Austrian titled ecoundrei cares nothing
for his bride, but sets his heart upon
her young etep-mother, and the scene in
the play in which he makes an assault
of love upon the woman, her resort to
her husband for protection, epirited
encounter between the husband and
the wife has been pronounced the most
absorbing hslf hour of intensely dra-
matte writing and acting that has ever
been seen in any American play.
The cast, notably a strong one, in
cludes such popular and skillful artists
Messrs. Maurice Barrymore, Frederick
Bond, William Faversham, s. Miller
Kent, Neil Warner, ]. G. Blackstone.
Bruce McRea, H. W. Montgomery, the
Misses Blanche Walsh, Helen Tracy,
Mary Hampton and Maud White.
So
Though it has been four years since
Mr.. Robert Mantell was seen upon this
coast, he will be we'll remembered by
theater-goers by his interesting and
powerful portrayal of Monbars, In Den
nery's great romantic drama bearing
that title. No actor in the profession
has made more rapid strides toward the
pinnacle of the dramatic art than has
Robert Mantell during his four years OF
absence from the coast. He has added
to his repertoire, until today he ia pro-
dreing no less than IL romantic dramas
and Shskespearcsn tragedies, and meet
ing with great favor in all. There is no
actor before the American public today
that is more enterprising and deter
mined that each of his productions shall
have the most complete and elaborate
representation. Not even Mr.. Henry
Irving's productions exceed those of Mr..
Mantell in every artistic detail that goes
to make up complete and satisfactory
setting in which to display the art Of his
company. With him is carried every
thing, from the most elaborate atage
settings to the smallest imperishable
prop that is used in the play. He could
60 into theater that did not possess
scene and produce any of his plays. OF
his wo:k the San Francisco Evening
Post said: "Mr. Mantell's work is
powerful piece OF acting, made the
stronger by his manly presence"
Mr.. Mantell will be seen soon at the
Los Angeles theatsr.