The Portland daily press., 1897-02-01
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
Fast Mail,

Fast Mall
The Fast Mail, which comes to PORT
land theatre this and TueshRy eve
nings of this week, is said to ne the most
successful railroad and scenic n elodrama
on the road this season. Mr.. l.. j. Car
tar, the author and manager, has con-
trived to weave into a conslsteni STORY
nearly all the coed points OF the senss-
tional drama which tradition has handed
down, sfding thereto the most lngenl-
GUS mechanical effects OF the day. The
climax of each act is strong enough to
sustain whole Elay, yet 50 well graded
are the features of the piece that one
views with increasing Interest through
tbe five acts, the murder and the clever
trick with tie grandfather's clock in
the first act: the Mississippi river steam
err, its engine room showing practical
furnace, and the explosion with com.
plete change of sceno bshind curtain OF
rising smoke" behind W hich is seen the
wreck, as the curtain falls on the second
act; the Hlife-si2e" freight train with its
realistic engine and 16 box cars, with
their familiar lettering, followed at the
close Of the third act, by "The Fast
Mail;" the dago dive of the fourth act,
and the thrilling incidents and hair
breadth tscapes which take place there
and then the ''full front view of Niagara
Falls, as seen from the center of sus-
pension bridge" upon which the final
curtain descends. The dialogue is said
to be bright and clean and the company
well trained, making the piece go with
vim.
Sowing the Wind.
sSowine the Wind,'' with it's heart
appealing story, its convincing moral
Lesson, its dainty touches of comedy, its
great ''sex against sex'' duel and its
other recognized merits, will be seen at
Portland theatre next Saturday. This
information will give ali the mora gen.
uine pleasure when it is supplemented
by the statement that the company in its
entirety will bs the bsat ever seen in this
play in this city. The fame of this re-
markable drama is known to those of our
play-goers who keep posted on the no.
table theatrical news Of the day. They
are familiar with the fact that it WAS for
over 200 nights a phenomenal success at
the fashionable Empire theatre, New
York; that it set all New England talk
ing during its co nights run in Boston !;
that the strikes and riots of summer be-
fore last in Chicago did not diminish the
brillianey of its audiences during it's
management of 100 performances IN Chi
cago. Since it has feen pronounced a
play that appeals strongly to culture and
analytical mind, and since it depends
for success not on the skill of the stage
carpenter or the tricks of the calcium
men, but on the genius of the playwright
and the art of tbs actor, st is bound to
give pleasure here. Its theme is a great
and ohid one, admitted to be handled
with exceeding delioacy; but, apart from
that, it is beautiful example of dra-
matte construction, true to nature in
eve ~ line and situation, repleie with
virility and poetic clothing; and de-
light at once to the student of dramatic
expression and history.
Jim tile Pennan,
The return of that standard English
drama of society life, "Jim the Pen
man. to Portland thearte, Wednesday
and Thursday evenings, after an aD-
sence of sey eral years, should certainly
be welcomed, not alone by the devotees
of educational society plays, but by the
many who saw its initial presentation
here. There is probably DO play of
modern times that has enjoyed the pop
ularity that Sir Charles Young's dual
life story has. From the first it has
had the honor and distinction of being
prevented by cast of artists. and its re-
viyal this year, it Is said, is certainly not
an exception in that direction. One of
the sundry and divers reasons for the
neyer-ending success and popularity of
"Jim' is Psychologist alone. While the
fact is to he deprecated, there is and has
always Teen on the part of many Ieuple.
a certain curiosity regarding the crimi-
nal classes. ALI society seems to lie
facinated by the men who gathers in a
million or who fools the astute and acute
attaches of large banking institutions.
So it is with Sir Charles Young's dra-
matte creation known to the police OF
two hemispheres MS i'm the Penman,"
ana to the great world of London as
James Ralston, fnanoier, owner OF
town house and country seat and candi-
date for election to the House of Com
mons Tn tie case of Jim tine Penman
there is sentimental interest attached
which takes him above and away from
evil doors who commit crime for money
alone, These redeeming features in the
character of "Jim," thu love episode
bstaeen his daughter and young Drelin-
court and the drollery of the dude detsc-
tive tend TO Tighten up the absorbing