The morning times., 1895-12-31
IN "RODIoN THE, STUDENT"
Mr.. Mansfald's New Play Ii
Gloomy, Tense and Masterful.
Friends nt the -Grand-Della Fox
at the New National.

1.-The Story of Rodion, the Student" was
| given its first production In this city by
Mr.. Mansfield at the Lafayette Square
| theater last evening.
The play is one OF intense gloom poverty,
| misery, vice and crime. There are few
bright patches In the picture. the few
| flashes of light being conveyed rather In
fereDtiaily than directly.
Mr.. Mansfield is the student, and from
| the time he enters uiftil he leaves the stage
there is no break in the intense nervous
strain, the cxcmpllfication of which in
his planning OF nfur.ier, and his remorse, is
the chief merit OF his role.
He is a Hamlet mad de facto, both having
n mission TO set the world and Its ways
arigh. Mr.. Mansfield was superb In the
| fourth aDds slasts scenes.
The anti,hesis iof Rodion is Sonia, quite
young girl. with a past the result of
| misfortune rather than or inclinatloa, by
which artifice of the playwright she ap-
| peais strongly 10 the best scnsibiliiies OF
| the audience. I'll the hands of Miss Beatrice
Cameron, Sonia is made, or rather develop
| cd, truly, naturally, and artistically along
| the lines OF the character or '.Crime and
Punishment" the work on which the play
| is founded.
Another character which is well conceived
and porirayedis the vladimir OF Mr.. Edmund
| d. Lyons. The minor characters are well
| played SO that on the whole the performance
| Is admirable.
Mr.. Mansfield's clientele In Washington is
very large. They did him honor last night
by being present very nuinerously at I.afay-
| ette Square Opera House.
Tonight the play win be the emperor
Napoleon" in which the fad a nd popular
actor Will meet on common ground.
II any one doubts the popularity of Mr..
| Tim Murphy in his native city. he should
have dropped into Aliens Grand Opera
House last night when tine curtain rose on
that Old favorite, IA Texas Steer"
Maverick Brander. Bossy, Mai. Yell and
| the others are almost as well known to
Washington audiences as they are to the
author, Mr.. Hoyt, himself. Season after
season this play returns to washington
and Is welcomed as an old friend.
Air. Murphy's Inimitable acting lends a
charming quaintness to the Texan cattle
| king that cndears the character to all
| who have seen It, and his experiences at
| the Capitol are just as laugh-producing
as ever.
Mr.. Murphy has pia yeG this part for
| several seasons. and II would be hard TO
| tell Just how many times tie has come to
| his Texan constituents. and yet there is
| the same freshness and spirit about his
| acting that characterized his rendition OF
| the part when he was but a member of
Mr.. Hoy;'s company and had no thought
of starring.
Miss Dorothy Sherwood as Rossy was
very clever. and especially in her scene
with the new dress on her first appear
ance in society.
The other members of the company were
all good and the negro quartet was well re-
ceived. Manager Schmeiz of baseball fame
stood by the door and beamed on his many
friends.
Della Fox in "Flcur de Lis" appeared at
the New National Theater last evening be-
fore house that. was OF the kind that is
described as crowded to the DOORS This
Is the first time this clever opera has been
seen here and the second that Miss Fox
has visited us at the head OF her own COM
paBy.
'Fleur de Lis is not original with Messrs
Goodwin and Furst, the librettist and com
poser, as TO plot, but the lyrics and music
are claimed as new. TheStory tells OF two
cd nobiemen who haveS lifelong friends,
but who have quarrcied over supposed In
heritaDoc. War is Taged and goes hard
with one OF the Spntestants, who proves 10
be the father Of Fldir de.Lis. Il
The latter is 5:sbfightly young person
who helps her psrent In his troubles and /
finally discovers-iile missing Will, which
gives flifn the ducby.-
Mr.. Goodwin -has certainly put forth
his best efforts In this opera. and the II
bretto is one of the vittiest and most pleas
ing that he has ever turned OUT Mr.
Fursts music Is bright, but exceedingly
reminiscent.
Jefferson De Angels and ALI Whelan
furnished the bulk OF the amusement and
kept the audience in an excellent humor.
Miss Fox has grown thinner since last
seen here and ia the same sprighuy young
miss who used to sing of the babbiing
brooks. etc. The supporting company is
the beet any comic opera star has brought
here this season and the opera itself viii
rank above many that have been termed the
successes of the season. Melville Stewart.
Charles J. Campbell, Charles DUNCAN, Vella
Knox. Kate Uhart. and the other members
of the cast all filled their roles accept
ably.
"Shadows of Great City, began q
week at the Academy last night, to the
enthusiastic delight of the gallery gods, and
q good audience downstairs, Dotwithstand
ing the Indictment weather.
1t is well known To theater-goers as one
Of several similar product I'm the melo-
dramatic line, which were brought for
y
with the people is fully attested by Its
favorable reception here.
In the present case IT is handled In an
able fashion by no less a company than
that which supports Mr.. Joseph jefferson
when On the road, and Is under the manage
ment of his sou, Thomas jefferson, who
has a prominent part in the piece.
The play Is replete with strong situa-
tiUns, and gives opportunity for the dis.
play of talent and Judgment in the de-
yclopment of its lines. II Ia taken full
advantage of in this respect by the pres
ent company.
Miss Annie Ward Tiffany as Biddy
Roman, j. w. Jefferson as Jim Farran,
and William Beach and Z. b. Tiiton are
excellent in their. roles, Mr. Tilton and
Miss Tiffany being especially deserving
of the applause which they received.
The play will be continued for the rest
of the week.
Weber and Fields Own Company opened
Lyceum Theater.
Lottie Gibson, the little magnet, who, |
at one time in New York City, was as |
popular as Yoette Guilbeft is now, Is !
the card OF the company. She has lost |
some of her pristine glory, but Is still |
fascinating.
Jimmy Hoey, brother OF "old Hoss" |
Hoey, did a war drama, with the assistance !
OF an efficient property man, gave an imi- |
tation OF Lord Dunrayen, told some funny |
stories, and even indulged in little |
veniriloquism. Hoey's versatility Is little |
short of wonderful.
Dick and Bob Garnella and two young |
ladies, known as the Acme -Four, did their |