The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-06-06
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
THE GEM.

mer play house on Peaks island, will
open it's doors for the first time to the
public on tonight. That there will
The opening play, Sardou's great society
drama Diplomacy will give the COM
pany Mr.. Douglas has selected an op-
portunity to display their abilities and
| the ladies of the company will wear
some elegant gowns. The first act of
Diplomacy shows the apartment of the
Maruuise de Rio Lares, att Monte Carlo. "
The Marquise and her daughter Dora are
at this point of the action in financial
straits. The Marquise is ambitious for
rich alliance for her daughter. 1t
| comes in the form of young diplomat,
Julian Beauclerc, who has fallen in love
with Dora. Julian's brother Henry
| Beauclerc. who arrives on the scene.
| learns OF the doubtful connections of the
| Marquise with an agent of the Russian
government, one Baron Stein, an intrigu-
| ing old fox, and his accomplice the Coun.
| tess Zicka, Of whom the world knows lit
tie. Henry endeavors to save his brother
| from an ENHANCEMENT with the Marquise
and her daughter, but is too late, and the
| first act ends with the announcement of
Julian's determination to make Dora This
wife.
The second act is in the apartment of
Henry Beauolero in Paris The wedding
party arsireturning from church. The
Countess Zicka, who has loved Julian and
bitterly resents his marriage to Dora, is
| urged by Baron Stein to steal the tracings
of certain Notifications entrusted to
Julian from his dispatch box. She does
SO, and causes the suspicion of the theft
co rest on Dora, Julian's wife. 1t Is in
this act that the famous scene between
the three men, Henry Beauclerc, his
brother Julian and the Count Orloff oc-
ours, and it is said to be one of the most
perfect scenes ever written and has al
| ways been considered master stroke of
Sardous The act ends with the discovery
of the theft of the tracings from Julian s
| dispatcn box.
| The third act is again in henry
Beauclerc's apartment and 1t is in this
| act that the superb diplomacy Of Henry
and Julian outwits the intriguing old
Baron Stein, and RECEIVERS from him the
stolen tracings, the act ends with Julian s
denunciation of Dora for her supposed
plot to ruin him.
The fourth act is in the official room of
the British embassy at Paris. In this act
Henry Beauclerc undertakes to unravel
the ENHANCEMENT and prove the inno-
cence of his brothers. wife. Nothing ever
written has approached the delicacy
treatment Of this act, especially the scene
in which Henry Beauclerc by master
stroke of diplomacy draws from the
Countess Zicka a confession of her own
guilt in stealing the tracings and thereby
clears the good name of Dora and restores
her to his brothers. love and confidence
again.
Sardou's superb conception of human
nature is so perfectly shown in Diplomacy
that every character stands out clear and
defined. They are men and women Of the
world. They are born of it and deport
themselves likewise. A great play is
Diplomacy.
Tickets can be secured at the ticket
office of the Casco Bay Steamboat COM
pany. Performances will be given every
evening this week with 1uatinees Tues
day, Thursday and Saturday.
The following is the cast of characters:
Henry Beauclerc, Mr.. Byron Douglas
Julian Beauolerc, Mr.. Francis Byrne
Count OrloR, Mr.. Robert Lone
Baron Stein, Mr.. Scott Cooper
Algie Fairfax Mr.. Walter Thomas
Markham, Mr.. Louis II. Morrison
Mr.. Shepherd, MIR. J. Lester Wallack
Anton, MIR. Charles Giblyn
Marquise de Rio zares,
Miss Virginia johnson
Dora, her daughter, Miss Lansing Roman
Countess Zicka, Miss Agnes Proctor
Lady Henry Fairfax, Miss Myrtle May
Minon, Miss Blanche Hall
THE JEFFERSON.
1t is the purpose of the management
of The Jefferson to place upon the boards
a popular priced light opera company
and Manager Fay is now in New York
witnessing some of the presentations with
a view of determining which is the best
company available. 1t is proposed to
present all the popular comic operas and
they will be staged with special atten-
ton to scenic details. Such prices will
prevail as have been in vogue during the
Corse Payton run. 1t is expected that
Mr.. Fay will return to Portland today
prepared to announce the name Of the
operatic attraction, but whether it will
open up next week or a week from Mon
day, is not yet determined.
M'CULLUM'S THEATRE.
The sale of reserved seats
for the opening performances of the
season, will open at Steinert & Sons
music store, 5l7 Congress street, today,
at twelve O'Clock. Round trip
tickets with coupon admitting to the
theatre will be only twenty cents, while
the best reserved seats will be but ten
and twenty cents, with seats in the
private boxes at thirty cents. Thousands
of applications for seats have been re-
ceived and all mail and telephone orders
will be filled in the order of their receipt,
alton +boeo xrhn ore waiting at the Open-