Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-17
NEWS OF THE STAGE.
,,, PLAYS WITH soMxAMBuLIsT
CHARACTERS SUCCEED.
r,i. weeks Richmond MI, Ens-
,races Fannie Hicc, the Police Pa
troll, aud Robert Mantcii--Success-
ful Southern Touvs.

fuI Southern Tonvs.
Tho drama Of somnambullsm Is still
In IFS infancy. There ought TO be any
,nsnrty 81 inexplicable complications
md stirring situations to be got out of
The idea OK unconscious life. Midnight,
n Gtful moonheam. and a gliding figure
n white. endowed with mental and physi-
.al activity, but morally as dead as
soor- nail-here are conditions OF which
tie hare mention sets the dallest brain
81 work, pictuvng ana Gevising shud-
eorng deeds Of darkness. with never
.iue to hunt the doer down by. but
somehow. on the stage, s~nnGn'p""""'
hitherto has always had touch CT '"e
iudicrous about IL. SnakespeaTe' y.
course. saw the possibilities and snpphcu
framework !n the CHASTITY shos''
rambling OF Lazy Macbeth, ana III "a'"'
siddon's time. perhaps. The scene pr
auccd a thrill. Il was only the o''e'
dav Al any rate that MIR Bcrbohm lee'
the English actor.manager no" tod'i's
,rr,,7.b his country Ia the coetSe ca
O. oi,otent ulca tor The ohnpo'c"Sc
=. t,,.st,,atiof, IN his art toid-on the
authority Of an eyewitness now a.
sptr an audacious piece Oh stage ou''
-, v,sirh involved the sucking some
I,....i,,ry blood stains from inns mite
hand" and splitting them from her. t1I
English sarah produced an electrlcal
effect upon the house" But In our time
fhe scene has worn a curious. rather than
an IMPRESSIVE lOOk. and oownright
c,micsl erect was got when the French
sarah battered in with naked iee, IuNu-
rous!y Il fimsily draped IN a silk night
Gown and rushed out again crying In
tones that would have walked the Seven
S.ccpers, Ait! Ait. Aht!..'
Nor was the effect much sobcrer In
q more modern instance than Macbeth
j. this case. too. IL was the very wltch-
iuc time OF night. and a glorious harvest
moon fell fun upon the figure or MI
Ii.nry Neville. as in melodramatc deshA-
lEie-l. e.. sumpcuous dressing gown,
Hyronlc op~n-throsted SHIFT. ana the
aHntiest slippers ever worked Tor man
WHO was not "A curate-the poor sleep
inc gentleman. innocent "a n bape. crcpt
down what auctiOnccrS call a NOBLE starr
case to steal jewel of inestimabie price.
This was in the stage version OK Nllkle
COilinS's "MOOnstone,' thriling mystery
Of crime There, in spite OF an interest
tnE actor. a picturesque Sttllff anu A-'~
grip Of the first link in an en;hralilng
chain of intensely dramatic Incidents
We felt more inclined to litter than to
shiVcr. Nor was the feeling de@pened
An the case al ANNA. the heroine OF
LA Somnamblla," who walks in her
s,ecp across Just such a ricketty plank
bridge as brought about the death OF
I.ebecca and Eosmcr in the mil race
a. Rosmorsholm. With the exception OF
these i~stances-few and far between
the drama Of somnambuiisin has remain
Cd ia allegiance.
Fannie Rice Viii give matinee ano
evening performances on Tuesday next
M the Academy CT her new operate come
DIV. Nancy" Miss Rice's representative
describes the piece as "a verltable volcano
Of merriment and music, in which Inc
delightful Little lady has the best oppof-
turity OF her career as singer ana
lauch-makcr" Whatever Fanny Iice
does upon the stage is always interestins'
and II is safe 10 predict that the enter
tainment will be both bright and clever.
Miss Fanny Rice viii be supported by
the following people: George l.. Edeson
Eva Randolph. Herman Edrent, BECKY
liaighi. Barney McDonough, Emily
Wakeman. Car. Burton. and John Conley
Three performances Of the realistic
rnelodrama. The Police Patrol" will he
given in this city next Wednesday ana
Thursday. The action Of the play hinges
or the mysterious murder Of Millionaire
I,u. and shows b. what means the sup
posed murderer, pashcOtt, escaped the
police Incidental. and yet forming a
strong Ink in the plot. there VIII be
given a practical illustration of the Cni-
capp patrol service. The scenic enects
Include "a representation Of Haymalket
Souaro. Chicago. the West-Lake-Street
Tohce-Station and the interior of the
pollce-patrol barn. The play will be IN
terpretcd by Charles Chappelle, Harry r.
Adams. &. ". Travis, ii. w. Jones. r. Gil
puerc. +. StruVy, r.. T.. Begley. III. Clarke,
il Keeper. J. Beck, :. Russell Marie
Haynes. +. Bookman. and Blanche Boyer
Robert Mantell Will open a two-days
enCagement at the Academy. with spe'
cal matinee on Friday. when he viii
resent .Thc Marble Heart" In the eve
ming he will appear as Louis and Fabiei
del Franchi in Dumas fascinating TO
nance of THE COrsic1n Brothers. INT
PRODUCTION MIR. Mantel gives these i've
great dramas Is ACKNOWLEDGED TO he th'
finest ever given in America. At the "a
tlriay matinee Mr. Mahicl VIII be seei
g. Louis Nath8is version OF "Monhais'
q play 10y Adolphe D'Ennery, one Of th'
most prolirc and effective Of moderi
french drarnstists 1t deals with the SLOT!
O. "a scif-male man. woo fails IN low
with one 81 the arstocracy OF France
THE engagement will close with new
PLAY hy Espy williams, in four acts, en-
tuel The Husband" which was pro
duccd for the first time in this country
Et Charleston. ). g. yesterday. Mr.. Man
tells support includes Albert Brnn.hs
William Stuart, y. r. Rlnggold. +. y
loyt. G. wilson, W. ". Young. l.
Krauser. T.. MacGresor. II. Houston, {
Barton. r Emerson. W. Weston. CHAR
lotte fehrens. Mary Tmberinan. Aic
Watson. Eleanor MerIon, ana Henriett
Howard.
Sol Smith Russell says his buslnca
Through the South has been immense
Robert Nant.lTs agent announces tina
the southern tour of that star mas Dee
the most profitable he has ever know
Macon Mitchell has become leading ma
d the Po.icT-Be!lCw combination.
March 18th Is the date OF the initi'
performance at the fremont Theatre
Yoston. OF X. \. Barnet's "EXceisio
Jr" IL T. a burlesque
II s. said that at a certain theatre in Ne
York last week the Decent fees Tor IN
actors fund. collected from dead-heaf
amounted 70 more than the boN-oiice II
cclpts. j; was frosty weather.
4. 81. Palmer has Lille Langtry an
"Trllby" hooked at his theatre in Ne
York FOR the rest OF the season, foilowln
1.-THE Fatal Card
Prince Pro Ten" described as m,
f'cal fsntasle. has compet 'iy covere
TIE New England circuit. and Is about
move out upon the theatrical checker
toarl.
The Metropolitan Opera-House an
Eoster & BARS. New York. and u
Castle-Square Theatra. Boston. are r
rut-d the most beautiful theatres in u
United Statas.
Grace Kimball, who plays the heron
roles with r. n. S,thern. and katherin
CRY who soss the same thing VII
Richard Mansfield. via spend thclr Va
cation between London. Paris. and Nienn
this summer.
Ths broadsword combat on horsehac
between Joseph Grismer and CapIli
Walsh. the hroadsw ri champion. Is N
tatcst sensational novelty on the stag
Il takes p,ac. in William a. Brady's ptS
Suction az Humanity" a melodrama. b
sutton Vane. lately produced In Ne
York
Alexander Salylni has been selected
1sticate ono Of the new theatres 10 I
3Qen.d IN Kew York next fall. IN
N