Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-21

hens teeth; tonight's box sheet shows
| almost as severe a soaring, and ever
| the matinee, which is generally counted
! on by amateur managements as a sure
| frost, will this time contribute liberal
! quota towards the profits.
| The last touches were given at the
| final rehearsal Sunday afternoon by d.
| rector w. H. PlumGner and Stage Mana
! ger Harry F. Merritt 1t was intended
to make the occasion full dress rehear-
| sal, but the costumes, it was found,
could not be forwarded till today, and
so that part was omitted The entire
performance was gone through with,
however, down to the smallest bit of
business and the play of the entr'act
music by the orchestra, and the bitches
and rough edges that required smooth
ing, were few indeed.
1t would be unwise to anticipate mat
ters by giving individual praise to any
of the players before each wins his
spurs publicly tonight but il is safe
to say, we're it not for the program, no
one would imagine it was company of
amateurs that was playing. Judging
from yesterdays rehearsal the work Of
the characters will rank all around as
better than that of the last professional
company which gave gave ''Shenan-
doah" here, and will not fall deplorably
behind the superb cast which presented
Bronson Howards play at the opening
of the present Worcester Theatre, May
5, 1890.
At that time Rich & Harris, the lessees
of the house, casting about for the
strongest opening attraction obtainable,
fixed upon the drama as given by Chas.
Frohrnan's especial New York COM
pany. Joseph Holland was the General
Haverill, handsome Frank Carlyle the
| Kerchival West, Lewis Baker the Capt.
| Heartsease. Charles Stanley Cater ia
nous as the colonel in "A milk white
fag) the Gen. Buckthorne, while Chas
Garfield played the villainous Thornton,
and Jolly Sergt. Barket found an able
exponent in the veteran c. b. Hawkins
The ladies included Esther Lyon as
Gertrude Ellingham, pretty ana plquant
Percy Haswell as Jenny Buckthorne,
and Eleanor Tyndale as Mrs. Haverill.
In addition to the excellence OF the
present cast, dramatlcally, the pro9uc-
ton will have perfection in regard to
military detail and a completeness in
that line that it is impossible for
travelling company to secure. The
strong prestige of the City Guards as
exponents of the drill and indeed of all
military matters, is guarantee that
the war scenes of the drama, with their
pictures of military discipline, etiquette
and maneuvres, will be executed as ac-
viewing a genuine army camp. The
PLAYING of the Light Infantry Band and
Orchestra. which is to furnish the mu-
sic. is spirited and inspiring, and their
selections are to be entirely of a martial
character, ranging from Suppe's Light
Cavalry" overture, to paraphrase on
Dixie
Shenandoah is one of the principal
works of Bronson Howard, the leading
dramatist of the American stage. 1t is
generally considered by critics as a
model of what a military play should
be. The strong dramatic situations are
made sl1iHfully dependent upon the mar
tial surroundings without becoming en-
tirely eclipsed by them, as is one of the
chief faults of pieces like THE Drum
mer Boy" There is no firing or smoke
to disturb ones sensitive nerves. but the
atmosphere of battle and danger is none
the less present. for all that.
The curtain rises on ball given by
army officers stationed at Charleston, S.
C. 1t is the eve Of the bombardment
Of Fort Sumter. Kerchival West and
Robert Ellingham, lieutenants in the
regiment of Col. Haverill, discuss ma
tional issues and espouse different sides
West, the Union, Ellingham the con-
federate. West loves Ellinghams sis
ter, Gertrude, and Robert is equally en-
amored Of Vests sister. Madeline. but
as the girls have the same political sym
pathies as their brothers, the lovers
seem likely to he parted in case Of war.
Haverill. their commander. has young
wife and cast-off scapegrace son. The
wife, having an interview with this son,