Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-12
THE LOST PARADISE"
Played to Small House -"Trilby al 0'Brien's Tonight and Grau's Opera Compa-
 ny Ends the Week,

has already attained considerable repu- tation on the stage and his acting last night sustained that well earned reputa- tion.
 "The Lost Paradise" is a labor story and has to do with strike at a rolling mill. Reuben Warner is superintendent of the mill owned by Andrew Knowlton. Dr. Standish had patented an invention of Warmers unknown to the latter, who believed it to be the doctors ideas. The night before dying Dr. Standish imparted this information to Knowlton, who kept it from Warner. Years later Warner dis covered in pr. Standish's diary a story of the invention, but through his love for KnowltOn'S daughter would not attempt to recover what had been stolen from him. pr. Standish'S son was engaged to Knowlton's daughter and had been given the business management of the mill. The men made a demand for 15 per cent raise, which he refused, and strike fol- lowed
 Standish and Warner quarreled over the strike and the former threatened to discharge the latter Warner was made leader of the strikers and after fruitless conferences informed Knowlton that un- Jess the demands were granted by D. m. he would force settlement This brought the desired effect. The strike was de- clared off. Knowlton's daughter breaks her engagement with Standish and the curtain falls on her in Warmers arms, happy in each others love.
 Mr. Morris was pleasing as Reuben Warner and the audience gave him liber- al applause. The balance of the cast was very well placed-Richard Williams as Andrew Knowlton; Bingley Tales as Ralph Standish; oscar L. Figman as Bob Appleton, a hale fellow well met and who was always gushing over, to the amusement of the audience; Francis Gaunt as Margaret Knowlton; Etta Flaw ltins as Cinders, shop girl and an orig inal character.
 "Trilby" will be here tonight and at matinee this afternoon. In it's criticism of this play the Boston Traveller says:
 sTrilby" Tonight and Matinee.
 "Trilby." that idyl of the quarter Latin, that enchanting romance of artist life in Paris, wherein the truth is told and seen as only a poet and painter can see end tell it; tale, like the Greek lan- guage. as young Coleridge described it, Ito which nothing was vulgar, from which nothing was excluded;" vision of womanly gentleness, sweetness and va- ried charm, shown against a background of triviality and sensuality, wherein nought is set down in malice, and only such eXtenuation is practiced as the law of Christian charity compels; "Trilby," the gay, delghtsome, gentle pa thetic picture of a womanly soul, to whom, because of her much loving, much by the Divine com mand must be forgiven. The 'Trilby" of George Du Maurier, which concludes with the brief melancholy and obscure narrative of the subjection of a soul by hypnotic suggestion to the will of an evil tyrant. is turned by Mr. Potter into drama or melodrama of hypnotism all most altogether The single hint of the novel, during all the life of the charac- ters in the studio, of Svengalrs mesmeric power over Trilby Is enlarged into a bod ing, ominous threat. Put into actual words and frequently repeated, and the relations of Little Billee and the heroine are finally made to be determined by Svengalis exercise oft hat power. Once &C., cept this scheme-this destruction of the noveist's scheme-and you may be well satisfied with MT Potter's work. He has built excellently, for the most part, upon this foundation. And his "Trilby" may be fairly described as a very interesting and effective melodrama, In which clever use is made, with necessary theatrical breadth and excess, of some Of the phe- nomena of hypnotic suggestion. It must also be said in fairness that the spirit of most of the characters of the romance is caught and repeated in the novel. The Laird and Taffy and Gecko and Trilby herself and Zouzou and Dodor are fig- ures and souls that we have all learned to know and love. SyengaI IS made much more clean, magnificent, mephiSto- phelean and demonio than he is in the original, though just as base; and is so imposing that 1t is not easy to believe him vulgar and a blackguard. The keen touching, vibrating passion Of Little Bil- lee is not-cannot be, of course-shown at it's moments of highest stress, and his horror over the spectacle of Trilby sit ting as a model flor the altogether" is condensed into few words and little "business'' within the studio. And the anguish of her awakened shame and re- to,, xx,I,a ha1 horror t0nnhpG her spirit is indicated in a very few words.
 Grau's Opera Company.
 Grau's Opera company will open four nights engagement at O'Brien's tomor- row night in the "Tar and Tartar"
 Pretty girls, with plump and shapely forms, not too sedulously concealed, pleasing costumes in bright and har- monious array; brilliant music. snappily sung and played by good voices and first-rate |. orchestra; dialogue full of pointed hits, fine scenery and plenty of song and dance are the attractions which promise to delight the eye and ear dur ing the engagement of this company.
 As an additional garnishment to this excellent company of comedians there will be Adelaide Randall, the cleverest of all prima donnas; Fred H. Frear, the original Muley Hassan in '"Tar and Tar tar," who set New York talking for two years; J. Aldrich Libby. baritone; Miss Hattie Arnold and fine chorus.
 The programme for the engagement is as follows:
 Wednesday night, 'Tar and Tartar"
 Thursday matinee, "Black Huzzar."
 Thursday night, "Beggar Student"
 Friday night, Indiana"
 Saturday night, Grand Duchess"
 Salvini as Hamlet.
 Alexander Salvinis largest houses so far this season have been when he pre- sented Hamlet" This has been rather surprising to the actor as well to Man ager Wilkison, for "The Three Guards men, which is perhaps the most popular play in his repertoire, has heretofore al- ways drawn the most money.
 When Salvini plays Hamlet" the houses are invariably packed. This cer- tainly seems to do away with the theory that play-goers are becoming tired of the legitimate. It Is but natural that they should object to seeing the standard works of Shakespeare presented with the same stock scenery that was used the week before in a farce comedy. When Salvini is seen in Hamlet" it is in an elaborate production of the tragedy.