Evening star., 1895-04-17
AMUsEMENTs.

peated her excellent performance OF Nine.
Sans Gene at the Grand Opera House last
night to a critical and enthusiastic audi
ence. Tonight will be the last opportunity
of seeing her in this character. as tomor-
row night she will appear in ma Cousine."
New National Theater.-The production Of
''Gismonda" at the New National Theater
last night was all that was promised for
dramatic power and spectacular glory. The
large audience which greeted the perform
ance paid tribute in hearty applause to the
craftsmanship of Sardou, the skill of the
scenic painters and coStumers, the abilities
of the remarkably meritorious cast, and
especially to the enterprise and artistic
spirit displayed by Miss Fanny Davenport
in putting a work of this magnitude be-
fore the American public in SO finished a
manner Gismonda has not a strong liter
airy quality. The sentence success is al
ways right Is about the only noteworthy
effort to crystalline a thought. Sardou
merely makes the most of the material
which his story affords for the purpose of
stirring the emotions of his audience and
seeks to impress no broad lesson. In Gis-
monda he draws a picture of an utterly
cruel and selfish woman. In the hero, AL
merio, SO ably impersonated by Melbourne
Mcdowell, he shows man whose life is
absorbed in passion for one whom he
should despise; passion whose reasonless
intensity would be sublime were its object
worthier. Yet these traits are necessary
for the development of situation in which
Gismonda, bound by oath to marry a man
of the lowest social rank, barters her honor
to him in exchange for her release from the
fulfillment of the ceremony. This is not
sufficient for the French dramatist's appe-
tte for intensities. AS Gismonda is leaving
Almerio's hut, where she has met him
clandestinely, she discovers that her fance
the wickedest character in the play next
to Gismonda-is about to slay her lover,
and she fells him with the very ak which
was to have murdered Almerio. The bleed
~ h. Iyyip Inn ~so h1 lr
overwhelmed with the taunts and re-
proaches of Gismonda, makes a scene which
Is hardly surpassed in dramatic horror.
The wedding of these two In the denoue-
ment is a natural elimination of the plot,
yet the better nature of the audience would
haye been more strongly appealed to could
the courage and devotion of AlmeriO have
found better reward then than the hand
of so debased a heroine. There is no halt
ing In the excitement of the story, and no
one who had not the mastery Of effect
possessed by the great playwright could
have handled the subject without a lapse
into absurdity somewhere. Nor could even
Sardou's abilities prevent this without a
most skillful presentation of the characters
In the play. The unostentatious but ef-
fective manner in which Theodore Roberts
played the part of the villain Zaccaria was
delight to the appetite which has been
surfeited with conventional stage villainy.
The stage settings were, without exception,
wonders Of scenic magnifcence, and the
cast of uniform degree of efficiency,
which is the more remarkable when the
unusually large number of people in the
production is considered.
Stuart Robson.-Stuart Robson, a come
dian whose fame was not the making of
night, nor of week, nor a year, but the
gradual and sure building up of q long
career of conscientious effort in the ad-
Varcement of the stage during period of
years, will be the attraction at the Grand
Opera House next week. Mr.. Robson's
repertoire of this class of plays, which has
been steadily growing with the advent of
each new season, for many years past,
fas been recently enlarged by the addition
of John Baldwin Buckstone's broadly
humorous farcial comedy, Leap Year, or
the Ladies' Privilege" which is one of the
many hundreds of ancient plays. written
during the history of the English stage
prior to the last half century, that has
preserved its vitality and can afford more
genuine amusement than most of the best
WORKS OF modern authors in the same line.
In the leading comedy role Mr.. Robson Is
fortunate in having exceptional opportun-
ities for that eccentric and droll form of
character delineation that has made him
eminent in his generation. The repertoire
for the week is as follows: Monday, Tues
day, Wednesday and Thursday nights and
Wednesday matinee, Leap Year." Friday
night and Saturday matinee, "She Stoops
to Conquer" Saturday night ''The Henri
eta. The sale of seats begins tomorrow.
Sam. T. Jacks Burlesque Company
Sam. 7, Jacks latest burlesque, "The Bull
fighters, will be given at the Lyceum dur
ing the coming week with an unusual array
of vocal talent In addition to the bur-
lesque. which Is said to be gorgeously
mounted, there is an entertaining olio, en-
bracing all the newest specialties, and a
series of attractive living pictures. There
are thirty members in the company. and
every one contributes his or her share to
the pleasure of the entertainment.
Ordway Rifles Fair.-A large crowd at
tended the second evening of the Ordway
Rifles fair at Naval Lodge Hall, 4th street
diamond ring is offered by the candy booth
to be disposed of by drawing. Every pur-
chaser of one-half pound of candy Is en-
titled to vote. the one holding the lucky
number at the end of the fair getting the
ring. Miss Margarita Weller danced with
her usual amount of skill, her efforts being
very much appreciated. Tonight the Camp
bell Rifles will attend the fair in full uni
form. The competition in the egg-rolliny
contest and in the shooting contest for the
handsome magazine rifle is progressing
lapidly, and already some high scores have
been made in the latter.
Olmo Mandolin Club Concert.-One of the
features of the concert by the Olmo Man
dolin Orchestra at Carroll Institute Hall
this evening will be the mammoth orchestra
which appeared at the Tuxedo Quartet
benefit, under the direction of Mr.. A. V.
Holmes the leader of the Olmo Orchestra.
equally pleasing, and the whole concert
will be thoroughly enjoyed by the lovers
of good music on string instruments.
Old Folks Singing School.-The Old
Folks Singing School was given benefit
at Odd Fellows Hail. on 7th street, last
night by Douglas, Trinity, North Capitol
and Wesley Churches. The school has
been singing at entertainments in these
churches, and they, in turn, rcciprocated
by benefit last evening. The program
proved to be very entertaining and the
costumes which the performers wore were
very pretty, while the old-fashioned songs
were rendered with expression and spirit.
The conductor was Mr.. William ]. Palmer,
and the accompanies were Miss Bischoff
and Miss Palmer. The proceeds will net
quite q good sum for the singers.
Miss May Blossoms Beneft.--The friends
of May Blossom tested the seating ca
pacity of Willard Hall last night at her
testimonial benefit The first number was
one-act drama, I'm Honor Bound" pre-
sented by pupils of the New National
Tkeater School of Acting. May Blossoms
songs and dances were repeatedly encored.
her dancing being graceful and difficult.
Ed Bowman's umbrella dance made one
of the hits of the evening. Miss Fannie
AtLee sang, as did also Mr.. ]. ]. Fisher,
who gave the Toreador Song from Car
men," Miss Helena Chalmers gave two