The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-29
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
IN PARADISE.

The doors Of the jefferson were thrown
open last evening for the fret time the
coming dramatic season, and under CIR
cumstAnces which were indeed notable.
It IS not often that our theatre-gosrs
havsl the privilege Of passing verdict
cn 1rst production, but such an ocoa-
zion was afforded them when the Doris
AmuEemen5 company presented for the
first time in this country purely fsrce
comedy in three acts entitled ''In Para
else !" The piece is an adaptation from
ths French by Louis Harrison aud .. b.
Valentine, and the original was in vogue
at the Palais Royal where it had most
successful. run. Itj initial production
was given under most favorable circum.
stances, for no better cast could have boon
gathered together and the audience
first nightsrs was "a large aud diserimi-
mating one.
As the curtain is rung up on the first
act we are introduced to the home CT
Monsieur and Madame Pontbiohot, who
have taken up their residence in Paris
and the old man is possssed with burn
ing desire to dive into the swirls of a gay
Partisan life. rs has a daughter with
whom young artist falls in Iowa and
Pontbiohot has determined to exact as a
condition that any aspirant to her hand
must be familiar with the lively side Of
Paris and as "slne Qua non'' so TO
speak, must have had SONS feminine
entanglements. Not that Pontbionos
wishes his future son-in-law to a disso-
Lutte character, but rather that he him
self may he able to make the acquain-
tanoe of the kind of lady calculated to
relieve the dull monotony of quiet mar
rled life
The artist is rather proper sort Of
young man and is willing to do some-
thing to secure the, hand of. Pontbiohot's
daughter. so he promises to present the
''gay old man" to a lady whom he,
Raphael. processes to have formerly adj
mired, but is Mt his wits ends to find
such an individual He goss, however,
to the apartments of Claire Paupol. who
is an actress, an artists model and
modiste. Here is the scene of the second
act, and approaching her, Raphael asks
If she will pretend to be engaged to him.
Indignant at first, she promises to do so,
whereupon the young artist proceeds TO
make himself psrfectlyIat:hone aud tell
ing Claire what TO say awaits the arrival
of Pontbiohot who on entering begins
to apologize for Raphael's heartlessness
and to hreRk off the engagement thus
making place for himself. Claire pre-
tends to be heartbroksn and by her as
sumed grief gets out of Pontbichat a
large amount of money. The act closes
with Pon5bichot in possession of the
apartment with many ingenious comrIi-
cations in which the entire cast are in
voised. Pontbichot, however, fares worst,
as he is dumped into wardrobe and
carried off to his own home by an ex-
pressman against his viii.
The last act is at the home of Madame
Pontbichot, who Is alarmed at the old
mans absence from home. She had not
seen him at the home of the fair actress,
but she had discovered her prospective
son-in-law and is determined that he is
not u proper husband for her daughter.
Pontbichot suddenly is brought homs
in wardrobe and appearing herefrom
in pajamas tells ridiculous story about
his having been attacked by footpads and
the wife hurries to the police station.
Raphael returns aud threatens to ex-
pose Pontbichot unless he consents to the
marriage with the daughter and this the
would-be gay Lotnario consents to do
and concludes that he has had enodgh
of Paris and sighs for the quiet of his
country home to which he is only too
willing to return.
Such is the story of play with pecu-
liar French atmosphere of course, and
which abounds in funny situations, is
replete with bright dialogue and we
think is destined to be a metropolitan
success. NO stronger case could have
been selected and not weak spot was
discoverable in 1t. Miss Minnie Selig-
mans work in the second act was truly
artistic. Her part affords scope for her