The Portland daily press., 1897-10-02
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Way Down East.

play written for Joseph Grismer and
Poebe Davies, both Of whom are well
known in Portland, where they have
many admirers. Last night, owing TO
the illness of Mr.. Grismer, in Boston,
where he is laid up with throat trouble,
his part had to be taken by Mr.. John r.
DeGez, the stage manager, who was &C.
ceptable in the character, but OF course 1t
is impossible to know what Mr.. Grlsmer
would have made of it,
''Way Down East written by Lottie
Blair Parker. The story is of girl who
wronged By the man she thought she
loved and stricken with sorrow for her
sin and grief at the loss of her child,
Wanders' out into the world and finds q
home in the household of an honest, but
narrow-minded farmer. There she finds
her betrayer paying his attentions to the
farmers niece. Despite his threats she
decides to remain in her new found
home, largely because of the friendliness
of the farmers son. 1t had been planned
the son should marry his cousin, and to
compltcate matters the father finds out
something of the past of the woman and
orders her again out into the world.
The son follows the outcast, but of course
in the last act everything is cleared up,
the william overthrown and Inundated,
love is triumphant.
There is of course nothing new in all
this 1t is the old story over again in a
little different form. But it is an inter
esting play for all that and it contains
some very strong scenes. There are places
where the dialogue seems to be somewhat
protraoted and even unnecessary, but tax
en- all together there is more to praise
than criticize. Miss Phoebe Davis is of
course the main factor in the piece. Her
manner. appearance, voice and gesture
are all effective because she is never ex-
travagent. AS Anna Moore. the outcast,
she held her audience by the intensity
of her acting ut the close of act, and more
particularly at the end of the third act
where she denounces in the presence of
the Wiggin household, before his face,
the author of her shame 1t was very
powerful scene. She was called before
the curtain with Mr.. Forrest Robinson,
who was very strong Dave, at the close
of both of these acts. The comedy part
of the drama is supplied by Miss Sadie
Stringham as, Martha Perkins. the village
gossip and busy body, and Mr.. Felix
Haney as Hi Holler, the chore boy about
the farm, jolly, NATURAL individual
with lon fbot orrio %ho Nth
him. He was really very funny. Mr..
Joseph A. Wilkes was good as the Squire,
Mrs. Sara Stevens motherly Aunt
Louisa, Miss Ethel Carpenter, pleasing
Kate, and J. Alden Bass an amusing
Professor Sterling. The play was prettily
staged and will be repeated at the matt
nee today and this evenings perform
ance.
Joseph Jefferson.
Mr. Joseph Jefferson, actor, author,
painter and genial gentleman in every
sense of the word, will begin a short
winter tour, appearing in his favorite
role of Rip Van Wrinkle. Mr.. Jefferson's
personalities are such as to invest even a
worthless scoundrel like Rip Van Wrinkle
with magnetism we cannot resist, SO
that we weep and laugh and sympathize
with the old rascal whom, should we
meet him in private life, we would only
treat with merited scorn and condem-
nation. Mr.. Joseph Jefferson is the presi-
dent of the Players Club, founded and
endowed py Edwin Booth, its first presi.
dent; and a more worthy successor to
that honor could not have been selected
in the entire profession. Mr.. jefferson
will be seen at The Jefferson on Thurs,
day evening next and the seats will be
put on sale next Tuesday at a. IN.
Robert G. IngersoII.
Ingersoll, the golden voiced orator, will
deliver his lecture on Shakespeare at The
Jefferson next Tuesday evening" and the
tickets will be put on sale at the box
office this morning. In one Of his lee
lures rpeaklng of cross man Ingersoll
said:
II hate above all things a cross man.
What right has he to 1nurder''the sunshine
OF the day? What righv has he to assassi-
nate the joy of life? When you go home.
you ought TO go like ray of light, SO
that 1t Will even in the night burst out of
the doors and windows and illuminate
the darkness. Some men think their
m lightly brains have been in turmoil.
They have been thinking about who will
be alderman from the Fifth ward. They
have been thinking about politics. Great
and mighty questions have been enqag-
ing their minds. They have bought
calico at five cents or six and want to sell
it for seven. Think of the intellectual
strain that must have been upon that
man, and when he gets home everybody
else in the house must look out for his
comfort. A woman who has only taken
care of five or six children, and one or
two of them sick, has heen nursing or
singing to them and trying to make one
yard of cloth do the work of two-she
of course, is fresh and fine to vail
upon this gentleman, the head of the
family, the boss!
The sale of seats opens this morning.
Wherever this lecture has been delivered
there have been crowded houses and there
will undoubted be big rush for seats
Portland Star Course,
5 To give such a series of entertainments
as is offered to Portland by the Boston
Star Course company involves a ra-r