The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-24
"wE-UNs OF YKNNEs SEE. !"


.'we-Uns of Tennessee" appeared at the
Jefferson last night and we-uns of lem
nessee evidently entertained the audience
which made up in enthusiasm what IL
lacked iu size. 1hs play is war drama
minus the war, inasmuch as there is no
stage battle. The scens lie laid at and
near Chickamauga Park, and this Tins
is that of the Spapis1-American war
The story tells Of the troubles of pair
OF lovers who are separated by the machi-
nations Of a bad young man who get
elected captain Of company In len
nessee regiment in place of the hero and
leads the hero's sweetheart to believe
that the man she loves has betrayed
mountsin girl. Later the hero. also
through the evil work of the bad young
man, comes to believe that his sweetheart
is untrue to him, but this is not until
after he has fought duel with bAyonets
with the mountain girls brother. whn
is mortally wounded. After this the play
ceutrss around the efforts of the heroine
and n gallant Southern colonel TO save
the hero from arrest and trial for the
murder of the mountaineer, Who dies
just ms the bad young man has called in
the hero In the hope that the dying man
will denounos him. OF course out of all
this complication there comes q happy
ending in which the hero and heroine
and most Of the minor characters except
he bad man and the mountain girl, who
has followed her brother to a Dettsr land,
are left with their love affairs nicely
Strengthened out The story. while IL IL
not strikingly original. gives opportuni-
ty for number of strong situations and
some Ct the characters are drawn in
way to make thsm of interest There
for instance is the unreoonstructed
Southerner who Is rseonciled to the broth
er who fought for the North only when
they meet. at. ChiekRmsugs where both
their sons ara serving. There Is The
charming little southern girl who is the
central figure In that scene where shs
crosses brook by boldly wading through
the waters thereof, removing her hosiery
for the purpose. pieos of stage realism
which was applsuded to the echo. The
two negro characters are deliantfuL
There Is Aunt Milly, TIE cook, VIII 3se
laugh liz as merry as the Sunshine of the
Sunny South, and whose fortune telling
and faith In the ei1ioisncy OF the rabbit
foot as an assistant In her own love
affair, are amusing. HE object of the Old
aunty's affection Ia, of course. one Of the
faithful negro servants who follows his
young master through the war and
| finally Is able to tell the truth consuming
If N.N.~
move the last danger in the path of the
hero. The play Is well staged and the
company Is a capable one. Mr.. Richard
| Lyle presents a trathful portrayal of
the courtly, II uneonstructed. Souther-
| ner. Mr.. Robert GailIard. as his son, tho
| hero of the story, plays with expressive
earnestness, MIR. Bert g. Clark as the
colonel who finds lots of trouble in shield
ing his young friends and making love
to the widow who requires sutton
with the ability to quots poetry and cook
| cake, makes the most OF a capital part,
while MIR. Mel Twombiey ia an accsp-
table villain. If II is proper to allude to
the bad young man as acceptable MIR.
w. L. Stanley looked enough like the
newspaper pictures of Major General
Brooke TO be the original slthough 1t
MAX ell his remarks with quite that de
gree of fsrocity which MIR. Stanley puts in
to the part. AS Lige Monroe, the young
mountaineer, who fights for what he be-
lieyes is right, MIR. Eliner Grandin, gave
a rendition of difficult part which Ia
deserving of more than ordinary praise.
AT ths conclusion OF the death scene he
was thrice recalled. Miss Atfis Warner
as Lucills Courtney, the sweetheart of
the hero of the tale, was acceptable In
the lighter portions of tho play and act.
ed with dignity and strength in the serf-
ous situations. 1t fell to Miss Gertrude
Liddy to take the part Of The artless
miss whose crossing Of the real water
in the stage brook has already been de-
srribed. In this and the other scenes Of
the piece sheu was charming and win
some. Mis- Eva Mountford as the noun
tain girl had the female part which gave
to advantage IN 1t. While "Ws-Una of
Tennessee" Is not a great play 1t ia a
good one and deserves TO continue In
Portland the succsss 1t has enjoyed else
where- II the applause and evident APP
prsciation of last nights audience is an
indication 1t viii give pleasure to Port
hnd audiences fer it is statement
warranted by the facts to sny that the
piece made hit. Ii Will be presented
tonight and at matinee and evening
performance tomorrow.