The record-union., 1896-02-11

| Clunie Opera house last evening wit
messed the production of H. A Rayner's
drama, 'Twixt Love and Duty" with
Mr.. Rayner in the leading role. The piece
is full of action, tableaux, spirited
! scenes, military situations, sentimental
passages and touching episodes. But it
is the rarest jumble of improbabihties
ever shaken up and ratified out of a
dramatic grab-bag. 1t is barely pos
sible that a Lieutenant, a Major-Ge
eral and a Colonel in war times would
have behaved as the playwright makes
his characters disport themselves Dur
ing the late war there were some
strange things done, some things that
may seem impossible to have been toll
Grated or enacted. But the play does
rot explain that it's events were out of
the common run; indeed, while the third
act leaves the hero in an awful fix"
the subsequent acts do not explain how
he got out of it. The third act is an
Interpolation, a simple, impressive
scene, having no relation to the plot,
Decors ton Day ceremony. BY the way,
where did Mr.. Rayner hear or learn of
a Major-GeneraI and Colonel standing
with the sword at the first motion of
salute" while a squad Of privates
moment suppose that a STRIPPING Lieu
tenant ever drew his sword upon Gen
eraI Banks, or offered to do so, and
escaped scot free of punishment?
Does Mr.. Rayner know of any practice
of superior or inferior officers drawing
the sword to salute when meeting, ex-
cept when in a line of paradeoron review,
etc? i? However, granting allowances for
dramatic license and depending upon the
spectator and auditor for lively play of
fancy to account for unaccountable
things, the play went off very well. 1t is
patriotic and martial enough, gunpoW-
er is burned in plenty, swords flash and
guns rattle; Confederate gray and
Union blue contend and mingle and
love and part and happily adjust diff
ferences and so on through five acts, in
which Miss Bridger looks pretty and
weeps nicely and appears rather lost;
in which Mr.. Hallett does an excellent
"Dutchman," and Mr.. Brewer fiery
Johnny Reb," and Mr. Rayner a very
spirited loyal Union Lieutenant, whose
love for "Kaintuck gal' gets him
into heaps of trouble, and leads him to
set free her brother, who is a spy pris-
/ oner, whereat General Banks threatens
| him with death, but never carries out
! the sentence, though the unhappy
youth pleads guilty and makes ready
to say prayers. One of the most start
/ ling effects in the play is where the
Lieutenant in freeing the spy Ga pro-
found and dangerous secret) sends
Corporal and four files to the field of
battle to bring in a dead Union soldier,
whose blue the rebel is to don that he
may escape. The men bring in the dead
soldier according to orders, bloody, stiff
and stark-a grewsome sight. But it
never occurred to the Lieutenant that
/ the five soldiers were thus let into the
secret and would give the snap away.
1t must be assumed that they did, for
presently General Banks stalks in and
/ tells the green sick lover that he is
! prisoner, for he is found out in his sin,
the only palliation for which is the fact
! that the Lieutenant made the rebel
/ promise in writing to fight no more
against the Union. This fact the Gen
eraI retires to cogitate upon, and 1t
must be assumed that his reflections
resulted in his taking the risk Of for
giving the Lieutenant his heinous Of
+ Tense, since the next seen of him he is
/ bossing things at a decoration of sol
diers graves in Shenandoah Cemetery
and next is at home and marrying his
sweetheart, when according to all
known laws of war he ought to be a
cold and dishonored corpse. Miss Pow
ers sang a pretty and dramatic song
in the third act and made a handsome
/ Goddess of Liberty, and little Miss
/ Ferriter was a charming child with a
speech in her mouth far beyond her
years. A number of the members of
! Troop B, n. c.. c., assisted in the play,
and by their bearing much enhanced
the military effects. The same piece to-
night.
Tonight at the Metropolitan Theater
/ the Frawley Company in "The Lost
Paradise" one of the strongest and
+ best plays of modern dramatization,
/ We have said so much of the Frawley
/ Company and its composition and all
around fine abilities, that really moth
/ ing more remains to be said Since the
/ company was here last year it has had
! the benefit of thorough schooling and
/ drilling by a stage manager of rare
abilities. It's recent successes in San
Francisco have surpassed anything by
a California stock company since the
days Of the old California Theater COM
bination. It will be found tonight to
be the largest stock company that has
ever appeared here. It goes from Sac
i ramento Eastward to Chicago and in
termediate cities, and its friends look
forward to fine triumphs for it there.
All the old favorites are with the COM
pany, such as Messrs. Frawley, Ar
buckle and Duffield, and Misses Bates,
Ross. Remark and McAliister. The
sale of seats yesterday was good and
full house is assured. The company
brings with it special and full scenery
and stage fittings.
Manager Todd returned from San
/ Francisco last night. He can secure
lPaderewsl1i, the pianist, for one night
provided that he can sell seats suffi-
cient. and that means nearly all Of them
at 81 for the balcony and 50 for the
dress circle and parquet. He desires to
knew if the public of Sacramento want
Paderewski at those rates. He valves
any returns for himself and partner at
all. If he is to secure Paderewsld he
must receive requests within the next
two or three days sufficient to guaran-
tee writing the contract. He asks that
nlusic-lovers communicate with him at
once on the subject. Mr.. Todd has fully
arranged for two nights of the Tavary
Grand Opera Company, and on one Of
them Dorre will sing in Carmen"
PERSONAL MENTION.
F. ". Turner of Loomis was in town
yesterday.
E.K. Jones of San Francisco is in the