The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1896-05-23

Rhea played 10 a fairly good house at
the Funke on Wednesday night, though
the play, the company and the star de-
served better. Travelling companies
have fallen on evil times. The best Of
them have learned to accept meager
appreciation.
Edmund O'Connor played Charles H.,
''the king that never said a foolish thing
nor ever did a wise one" trifie heavi-
ly. Charles took the world lightly. He
was ironical. witty and ever irresponsi-
BILE. His business was amusement. At
rare moments, for recreation or to keep
his mind In training, he lifted the bur-
dens of state, exercised with them for
a while-as a beau plays with dumb
bells-found them too heavy and quick
ly laid them down. Green says: THE
one thing he seemed in earnest about
was pleasure. The royal
bastards were set among English no
bles. The ducal house Of Grafton, the
dukes of st. Adams, are the descend
ants of Nell Gwynne. Louise de Que
rouaille is ancestress of the house Of
Richmond and the dukes of Buccleuch
trace their origin to Lucy Walters.
In his earlier days when his throne was
to gain. Prince Charlie showed ability,
courage, persistence and "a presence of
InlnQ WHICH never IIfIl III the
many perilous moments of his reign"
But in the English court were some
in rags and some in jags, and some in
velvet gowns" on Wednesday night
at the Funke. Rochester's white satin
doublet and hose were white only be-
cause the audience knew from expert
ence that white turns an ashes of roses
streaked with ecru when il is very.
..ll tar
wore his sheen with the opulent grace
and hautier of feudal lord. The king
had only one suit which he wore on the
street. in the theatre. at court and in
his wife's ante-chamber. 1 thought for
the last place he might have worn a
smoking jacket, especially as the satin
coat begins to show wear and Nell
Gwynn was giving away his money
f3 1900 pounds at a time. The lord chief
Justices long red plush robe that is sup
posed to be an historical garment,
which judicial intriguants wore when
they sentenced their enemies to death
with s'blood and s'death and Odds fish
/ can believe was the real one that
Jeffries wore about the year 1850. The
players wore their garments with a
courtly grace and Inconsistencies that
was a moral lesson In itself. Rhea's
Nell Gwynn is q creature all fire and
flame, impulse and tact. She Is beau
tiful. graceful, and would be fascinat-
ing IL she did not shrek so loud. A
woman cannot be seductive and ca
ressing with her lungs inflated like q
bellows. Go to Barnhardt Rhea, and
learn Of her. Her voice carries to the
furthermost parts of the room-yet 1t
is soft and scented as a summer night,
caressing. and reminding all who hear
II. Rhea's voice. in itself is of a pleas
ant quality, but she does not use the
loud pedal with discretion. Her in
complete control Of English consonants
prevents some from understanding her.
Others enjoy her broken English. Her
this. sw's and chs were interesting to
me.
am always grateful to a foreign ac-
tress IL she tries to speak in English
No two brogues are quite alike and the
expedient of every new experimenter
Is amusing and Is ever after an unfail-
ing means of Identification. I know I
have failed to do justice TO Rhea's grace,
sweetness and magnetism, but that Is
one of the faults of criticism-it exag-
gerates the faults and takes for granted
the merits.
The play is a good one, but most con-
ventional. 1t contains no new or unex-
pected situations. More than all it lacks
the atmosphere Of the Seventeenth CEN
fury. To live in time past is the privil-
eye Of those who go TO see The
Rivals" or Beau Brummel" Nell
Gwynne" lacks mustiness, remoteness.
The courtiers were modern gentlemen
ia masquerade and the king a player Of
king. Nell Gwynner herself was a
hundred years behind them. but she
did not take me as far back as his
torical accuracy and roaming inclina-
ton demanded. A fault in construction
is the non-reappearance Of Nelrs player
friends after the second act.
S. B. H.