The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-29
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
A VIRGINIA COURTsHIP.

instantaneous success, andluhis Is not to
be wondered at, for it is filed with the
charming old-fa shioned atmosphere OF
the colonial period in Virginia. 1t is
placed upon the stage as MIR. Presbrey-
whose artistic taste in staging plays
ranks second to no man in this country
would wish to see it, the plot is coherent,
straightforward, and well arranged, the
language well BELTS the times, and the
characters are forcible and human.
There is, it must be confessed, something
about the play strongly reminiscentE or
some OF England's greatest authors OF
standard works, but We do not mean
when we say this to insinuate that Mr'
Presbrey is plagiarist.
This was the cast of the play:
Major Richard Fairfax,
William FL. Crane
Captain Tom Fairfax, Walter Hale
Jack Neville, boyd Putnaln
Amos Kendall, George h. lie Vere
BerckeIey, Frederick Truesdell
Squire Fenwick, William Boag
Neal .e,ss William Dupont
sam. Percy Brooke
Juniper, Harry Odiln
Nine. Constance Robert, Miss Olive Oliver
Prudence Robert Miss Percy Haswell
Betty Fairfax. MISS kate Lester
Laura Fenwick, Miss Fran oes Stevens
Marie, LOLA DronsoA
The story of the play was published in
the PRESS few days ago and therefore
does not need repetition here.
The stellar attraction of the cast is OF
course MIR. W. II. Crane in the part of the
fiery Major Fairfax, delightful in his
courtliness. and pervaded with humor
so delicious in it's character, that he kept
up a gentle ripple of laughter in his au-
dience Every point he made was quick
Iy recognized. How regretful all were
when they discovered that the Major was
bankrupt and how they laughed when
they discovered that he had challenged
woman to fight dael and that she mad
accepted the challenge. How delightful
was his scene with Constance in the sec
ond act. where he pleads with her for
the acceptance of Toms snit to Prue.
His display of temper at jacks daring
to choose wife for himself was as anus
ing as the similarly famed scene in the
Rivals. His posing in the second act as
to how he would address the widow and
his. remarkable facial expressions con-
yulsed the audience and his final scene
where all was explained, was admirably
done.
Miss Olive Oliver was an extremely
bright and winning Constance, and she
added no little by her admirable acting
and intelligence. She told the story OF
the elopement in way that carried her
hearers along with her and brought forth
round of applause.
Miss HaswelI as Prue Roberts, was
dainty as could be and she invested the
character with great charm. How well
she told the story of her ride with the
Major, and how effective was her display
of dignity when assailed by Jack Neville
at Lovers Gate.
Mr.. Boyd Putnam was a most excel.
lent Jack Neville, the rascally nephew,
and Walter Hale as Captain Tom WAS
strong and received warm applause for
his taking up the cudgals against Ne
vile for. the latters insult to his bride
Mr.. Boag. made. an effective Squire
French, Miss Kate Lester was dignified
We're was an excellent Amos Kendall,
Mr. Truesdell most pleasing Berkely,
and the other characters were we'll taken.
The scenes representing the Oaks, Fair
fax and Lovers Gate were warmly ap-
plauaed. Ths latter was particularly ar
tistic. The music was appropriate and
as a lifting close to the play Fair Har-
ward was played. Between the acts the
orchestra gave medley of old negro mel
odies. There was splendid audience
composed of our best known people, the
curtain was called after each act, and
three times after tie second act.
AN ACTOR ITO THE MANOR
I 1@ BORN"
If the value of work must be judged
only BY it's effect, then Lewis Morrison
must certainly be making fatal fnan.
cial error in announcing this his last Wis
it to us as "Mephisto" in Faust.
Few, il any, actors have been SO LIBERAL
" reimbursed in monetary way, or
have soEindelibly imprinted themselves
in the esteem of the community, as Mr..
Morrison has in Faust, and while am
bition may suggest change OF play, yet
we never get too much of good thing.
To relinquish Morrison in Faust" for
a future uncertainty, is done with
reluctance. Endowed with q face nature
has cast in an heroic mold, physical
contour decidedly Mephistophelean and
with great evolutionary power to aid
scholarly brain, makes him espec tally
well fitted for ''Mephisto, and it is diff
cult to imagine character which could
be better adapted to him. However, we
must bow to the inevitable and chronicle