The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-10-16
THE OPERA HOUSE
Large Audience to See
"The Bells f"
The Cay Clement Continuation 10 n
Very Successful Play On
Saturday Eyeriug.

The Opera House was well filled ON
Saturday evening, TO witness Clay
Clements production of The Bells
This is an adaptation from the French
OF Erkman-Chatrain in three acts
and five tableaux. 1t is essentially a
one-character piece designed to allow
full scope for the star to show himself
at his best. The play is new To- Homo
lulu, and hence a brief synopsis may
not be amiss.
The scene is laid in small town in
Alsace-Lorraine. Matthias. the viii
lage burgomaster, is rich and infiuen-
tial and has an only daughter. Annette.
Fifteen years before he had murdered
Jew peddler and had robbed him of
large sum of money, the money thus
stolen being the foundation OF his for
tune. While on visit to- the market
town Matthias runs across DIR. thinner.
d strolling hypnotist. He becomes i'm
pressed with this mans power to- make
him tell the secrets OF the past. and
from thence experiences all the pangs
OF newly awakened conscience.
Sounds OF the bells which were tink-
ling on the sleigh of the Jew at the
time OF the murder come to him at all
hours and in all company. He resolves
20 marry his daughter to Christian. n
quartermaster Of the gems d'armes sta
toned in the village, with the hope
that should the murder be traced to-
him at any time the influence of his
son-in-law would be exerted to- shield
him. The marriage contract is signed.
the young people having previously
fallen in love up to their ears on their
own account, and after a night of hi
larity Matthias retires to bed alone in
an upper room, having become
alarmed through the statement of his
wife that ne had talked in his sleep
Then comes the Phantom of the
Dream" as il is termed, the dream OF
Matthias being acted in reality. The
scene changes in an instant and Mat
thias is on trial for his life in "A court
room with judge, clerk and accesSo-
ries. After some exciting prelimina-
ries, the mesmerist, DIR. thinner, is
called in and the prisoner mesmeriZed
against his will. In the hypnotic state
Matthias tells to the court the story of
the murder in 4 most vivid manner.
Upon being restored to consciousness
he again denies everything He is con-
| fronted with his confession. tears IL up
and, still denying, is borne off to- pris-
on. The scene changes again and Mat
thiaS is again in bed and just awaking
| from the dream. The terrors of the
| night have been too much for him and
n stroke of apoplexy brings his unhap-
by life to 4 sudden end.
In such 4 character as that of Mat
|. thias 1t will be readily imagined that
| an actor of Clay Clements reputation
would have full scope to display his
powers. That ne made the most OF the
| part on Saturday evening was evil
| denced by frequent bursts of applause
| and again by prolonged spells OF
| breathless silence. He was the center
| figure OF the play at all times. the 9th
er characters having little to- say and
| less to dc. Whether the critics would
| be pleased with Mr.. Clement rendi-
ton OF an extremely arduous character
is hard TO say; the audience were and
they ere the best judges.
| Miss Bertha FoltZ made n pretty and
| pleasing Annette and Messrs. Williams
and Felt made the most OF an old gos-
| sip and forest keeper, especially in. the
| scene where they imbibed too much nj
| the purEOuaStsT's white wine.
The romantic comedy. "A Southern
| Gentleman" for Tuesday night. and
| the comedy, "a Scrap of Paper" fol
Thursday night, are announced.