The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-30
AT THE THRATER.
Lillian Lewis Spectacular Presenta-
ton of cleopatra"

Cleopatra was presented at the theater
last night and will be repeated tonight.
Miss Lillian Lewis has given Savannah
theater goers a dramatic and spectacular
festival, in this presentation of Cleopatra,
of unusual proportions and gorgeously
| attired.
While her support might have been bet
ter, the brilliant and startling spectacular
effects made up in measure for what
was lacking in the dramatic talent.
The audience was undoubtedly the lar
gest that has been in the theater this
| season, and sometime before the curtain
was rung up it was announced that there
were no more seats and only standing
room could be secured.
Miss Lewis seems just such a woman as
Cleopatra must have been, and if Egypt's
dusky queen was as Miss Lewis
represents and looks her, Caesar
for worshipping at her shrine,
and letting kingdoms and provinces go
by default for her smile. Whatever the
merits of other actresses who have es-
sayed Cleopatra, the fact remains that
Miss Lewis has the advantage of COM
pletely satisfying the eye, in fact all the
senses, that she looks the part of the
queen whose love affairs have become i'm
mortal.
In her conception she is also happy
Love is her motive power, and she makes
her love for Antony the predominating
power. Her parting from Antony in the
first act, her scene with Mardiau in the
third act, where is told of Antony
marriage, were efforts to be praised
Reviewed as production, Cleopatra is
an example of stage mechanism and stage
management. 1t is a Shakesperian play
enhanced by music, ballet, tableaux vi
wants and other devices Of the modern
stage. The play is worthy of the scenic
| embellishments and they in turn are
worthy Of the play.
Shakespeare's drama is a biography of
Cleopatra which no writer has ap-
preached. All the Cleopatras that have
been written are unworthy limitations Of
the Bard of Avon's creation.
The lieving pictures with which the play
was terminated were the finest ever seen
on the Savannah stage, and with the cal
cium and colored light effects they were
truly excellent. They were modest and
refined, yet the posing and arrangement
were wonderful, and they looked almost
like the masterpiece OF the authors from
I whose works they were represented.
Miss Lewis win present l. Article AZ at
the matinee this afternoon and CLEOPATRA
will be repeated tonight
The Isle of Champagne will be the at
| traction tomorrow night II viii be the
| first operate engagement Of the season.
! In American comic opera The Isle of
| Champagne by the Sea brooke opera Com
pany easily takes a lead, II is not an
| opera comique, but is comic opera
! straight-a distinction which rs not al
| ways remembered. The story-it Is n
/ quaint one; absurdly quaint, else 1t would
/ not be So funny begins, Is carried on.
and has its ending on an island where
/ champagne is the only beverage. ana
| water unknown, until a ship from New
/ Bedford, Mass with a great many hogs
/ heads Of IL is blown ashore there. after
| which the new beverage is sold az fabu-
/ lous prices, with the result Of making
| the old maid owner and future queen rich
! with all the resulting complications az
| the opera. The seabrooke opera Com
/ pany VIII produce Tho Isle OF Champarpa
/ with an the scenery and costumes which
| has gained for the production the tlflg
D of opera Par Excellence"