Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-12
WORCESTER DAILY spy SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12 1895
MANTELL's NEW PLAY.
II Was Generally Liked by Friday Nights
Audience-Two Performances Today.

The period of the regency IN French his
tory will always stand pre-eminent as the
era of superlatively fine manners and su-
| perlatively bad morals. For both these
distinctions perhaps, it has always been a
favorite with writer's for the stage the
theatre being. according to expert testl-
mony, equally conducive to either char
acterfStic. Following in the footsteps of
many predecessors Mr.. w. A. Tremayne
has taken the times of Philippe d'Orleans
and John Laws Mississippi bank to build
his drama upon, and If he had done as
we'll with the first two acts as he has
with the last two, would have written an
nished Mr. Mantell with the best play
that actor has had since ''Monbars,' and
which will probably be included in his re-
pertoiSe secret for long time It, t. come
Beaumont, soldier of fortune, rejects
the advances of an old sweetheart, Ga
brlelle de st. Victor, now the regents
mistress, and becomes cordially hated by
her in consequence. Her father, the
Marquis de st. Victor, has arranged a
marriage for his prof1igate son, Henri.
| bourgeois; De Beaumont defends the
young lady from Henrs insults and is
challenged by the latter In order to pre-
vent the duel the marquis and Gabrielle
get letter de cachet from the regent for
the confinement of Louis in the bastile,
ana margaret, endeavoring to warn the
captain of his danger, is discovered in his
| rooms and seriously compromised. In the
last act De Beaumont, by a combination
| of skill and good luck overthrows his enc
mics, marries Margaret, and all ends hap
| PLY, except for the baffled conspirators.
As above hinted, the play Is somewhat
slow and commonplace for the first hour
or so, but improves rapidly toward the
close. The end of the third act leaves the
hero and heroine in such a deluge of diff
cuities. that II seems almost an impossi-
olllty to get them out again In one single
act, but the author does It, and with good
stirring action and strong climaxes too
The, dialogue is comfortably brisk many
of the points being due to the actor fully
as much as the author
Mr.; Mantell is at his best in the playful
mood or IN the more stirring and powerful
scenes In ordinary, quiet conversation
he is becoming-it may be sacrilege to say
so-tust a wee bit Donderous There IS
much artificialitv about his work but
nevertheless he deserves the rank he has
won as the leading romantic actor of his
time in America. His support seemed
better than he has sometimes brought
with him. Miss Minnie Radcliffe who is
substituting for Charlotte Behrens during
the latter's illness, made a winsome and
charming Margaret Beverly Turner was
excellent as the bluff, rascible goldsmith
father Marion Clifton played the portly
but kittenish spinster aunt capitaHy, and
the role OF the cynical, scheming marquis
found most adequate Interpreter I'm Har-
ry St. Maur Marie Booth Russell played
the scornful and scorned Gabrielle better
than she looked the part and Howard
iHaH Harry keenan, Albert Tavernier and
Stuart Robertson were satisfactory in the
other leading characters. There was a
large and representative audience present.
who We're kindly apprecative though not
wildly demonstrative.
BY special arrangement, Mr.. Mantell
continues his engagement in "a Secret
warrant until this evening with a mat
nee performance this afternoon