Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1898-12-17
"TONY, THE CONVICT
A Crowded House and Q Successful
Performance By Eureka Am


Performance By Eureka Ann
ateurs.
A full house greeted the raising Of She
curtain 81 the Performance Of The melo.
drama OF "Tony, the Convict" 81 the
Opera House last Saturday evening. Many
who went there . little skeptical as 10 the
success Of home talent In such an enter.
prise went home convinced that Eureka
has an amount Of dramatic talent hitherto
unsupported.
The frst act introduces the escape Of
Tony Warren, convicted OF forgery, from
Sing Sing prison. and assuming the char.
scter Of 9 tramp he wanders In the grounds
OF Judge Van Gruger. where Lena, the he.
roine, has just ~reconciled herself to her
lover. Philip wsrburton. Here At the in
ssigation OF Barclay, Q rejected sutton,
who holds the secret Of his escape from
prison. Tony impersonstes Lens's father,
Is she Is only the adopted child Of
the judge, and finally carries her
away with him. Lena goes with her sup
posed father 10 his humble home followed
BY Wayside, q fellow-tourist Of Tony when
the latter was 9 tramp, and later employed
% butler in the Van Cruger household,
Barclay renews his suit without success,
and when he threatens 10 make Tony suf-
fer the consequences Of Lena's refusal Of
bis offer, the convict allows himself 70 be
~recsptufed By the prison authorities rather
than to allow his daughter 70 sacrifice her.
self. The fifth act, which opens two years
later, shows the villain exposed as 9 de-
%faulter, and his attempt TO murder Tony,
who saves himself and 10 able to show that
he 10 innocent Of the forgery for which he
was convicted. Everybody gets married
who wants to do 30, and the curtain falls
on general congratulations and applause.
Mr.. Des Marais, who played the par. Of
Tony exceedingly we'll, surprised his
friends By his talent, and carried through
several dramatic situations with great
eleverness. He had q proper appreciation
OF the needs Of his part, and threw q great
deal Of esrnestness into his action and de-
livery.
Bert Henderson had o character comedy
part as tramp and brtler, and made q great
deal OF fun by his amusing actions. DR..
Keen as the villain, Barclay, gave q good
rendering OF a difficult part, and while the
character was what is called a " straight /"
part, he showed much dramatic skill In
carrying the expression through to the
end. Charley HUI made q hit IS q digni-
fed and impressive judge, and sustained
his part throughout so as to make a very
favorable impression. Leonard McGarry
as Philip, the favored lover, carried the
sympsthies OF the ladies in the audience,
and August Maxwell put on the burnt
cork and danced q breakdown in q way
that delighted the gallery. Mrs. Keen, the
leading lady, dressed and looked the part
OF Lena, and furnished some charming
music between acts, assisted in part by
Miss Anna Williams Of Ruby Hill, who
represented the old maid, Miss Sedley, in
a way that furnished much amusement.
Mrs. Knight had the soubrstte part Of
Sally. the maid, which she carried out
with grace and vivscity. and Miss Mulcoy
as the dignifed Mrs. Van Cruger, made a
favorable impression.
The company spenta good deal Of money
and trouble in preparation and especially
in getting Q good makeup, and they gave
the play complete in all its details Of COS
tune and scenery. They were practically
perfect In memorizing their lines, an In.
usual circumstance at q first performances.
The company speak in the highest terms
Of their stage manager, Doctor Keen, TO
whose tact and good nature much Of the
success Of the play is due.