The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-30
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Fast Mail.

MQlu0y anu QcElisty 6fChAAS
railroad melodrama, Lincoln D. oaroer
s'East MAIL which will &c gwen d
grand scenic production, that III many
respects promises to be one OIL tne ~ $50
remarkable ever ID this city. Inc play
is constructed on strictly modern primer
PIES. The interest starts az d 1Sriino
pace. and is not allowed to nag 1or al
instant. Yhe incidents arc maae oounly
thrilling by the mechanical and scshlc
afects that are employed. There is the
,sttie and clatter of a patrol wagon as IL
cares down Ike street, tie whistles,
Iells. otc.. of Mississippi steamboat
leaving Ter wharf, moonlight elects OF
the river. the glowing furnace of the
boat. ana thu explosion and breaking up
of the steamer. A gigantic piece Of real
water scenery is presented III the Niagara
Falls scene, where the enormous cataract
is represented with the roar of the water
the SETTLING foam and the rising mist
Afreight train Of fourteen oars is run
across the stage. The cabocse Is lighted
and the engine osri es the engineer and
fireman. II is everywhere acknowledged
to be an unsurpassed achievement il
laiiraad scenic effect. There seems to lie
no limit to tie possibilities of stage
mechanism, hut stThe Fast Mail seems
TO have covered all the ground up to the
present date. The Company is highly
SPOKEN of, and the pla5 is well construct
ed, with strong tinge OF comedy to Off
set the serious elements.
Jim the Penman.
Sir Charles Young's famous sensation
al drama. "Jim the Penman," that
comes TO the Portland Theatre Wednesday
and Thursday has been pronounced by
critics of both England and America to
be the strongest play of the kind ever
written. Depicting ths life of man
who has led dual existence, and finally
decides to give up the villain that has
characterized his every movement since
his first conception and act of crime, on
ly to die just as he has shaken OIL his
former life, appeals to the sympathy OF
every one. 1t is one of the few cases
where the author has conceived and per
fected the idea of villain who CAD, and
does, command tie sympathy, rather
than the aversion of all. In the hands
Of Mr.. Frank q. Bangs, the character
CT Rslstop, on thu one hand, the respect
ed and nonored citizen, and on the other,
the accomplished and facile forger, is
given the most artistic and finished rem
dition it has ever had, and this is saying
multitudes, for the role has been essayed
by some of the best English and Ameri-
can actors.
The Nina of Marie Edith Rice has
never had such q presentation since its
initial production in this country by Ag-
mes Booth. Her conception of the part is
correct in every detail, and in her most
trying scenes she riies well nigh to the
verge OF tragedy.
The balance of the company has been
selected with great care from among New
York's mcst talented theatrical colony,
ard includes Mr.. Clement st. Martin,
W. j. Ashley, Edward Emery, Edwin
Meyer, j. G. Vernon, Chas. Marriott,
Chas e. Eldridge, Fred Mesk, Bengie
Harriso and Marie Mather.
Bennett & Moulton,
The Bennett & Moulton Company pro-
duced the s'Eellemere Case at the Port
land Theatre at the matinee yesterday,
and the aud ence was delighted The
plot has for its chief figure Godfrey
Grant, who has good rea on for believ-
ing the heir of rich estate in England
is dead. Having been the young mans
companion he learned much of his home
relations, and besides the personal resem-
blance between th two is striking. Grant
conceives the idea of impersonating tbs
real heir, and in carrying out the scheme
he adroitly oyercomea a number CT OBJ
stacles. But the genuine "Claude Belle
mere finally turns up in the flesh, and
a discomtitting denouemont for the
schsmer closes a succession Of interesting
complications. There is plenty of come
dy, snd tie performance is enjoyable
throughout. In the evening the cara
Liam Nights was given again, and
proved AS mirth provoking as when seen
earlier in the season. The panorama
graph created the greatest enthusiasm
ard ELECTED great appliance. The season
will close today with McKenna's Fir
tation," given at the matinee, and "A
Struggle for Life'' in tie evening.
Haydn Festival.
Mrs. Fellows, the well known vocalist
of this city, has engaged the Haydn AS
ISOLATION to sing the cioruses in the
Oratorio, "The Creation" in City Hall
March IS, 1897. Tbs Association has won
large membership, and under ME-.
Koizschmars able management, is in
Gne condition to render this browning
work Of Haydn.
Mr.. MallenhaGer's Gfrniania Festival
Orchestra of twenty five accomplished mu-
sicians, will assist. The soloists will
include Mrs Fellows, soprano; Mr.. Geo.
j. Parker, of Boston, tenor; and MIR. j.
B Coyle, bass.
MIR. Parker is the fnvorite soloist of
the Handel and Haydn Society OF Bos-
+op and one of fine first so1nista and