The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-06

sHENANpoAH.

the Jefferson this season has been greeted
by larger or more enthusiastic audi
euce than that which welcomed the reyi-
val OF Shenandoah, tbs great wal
drama, last evening" From the begin
ming the people who saw this play last
night were quick to appreciate the fine
acting Of the company which has made
this drama so successful, andIlibersl WAS
the applause given by them to the artistic
work OF Maurice Barrymore, Mary Hsmp.
ton and the rest of the cast at the thrill.
ing points of the play. But the great
climax at the end Of the third act fairly
took the audience off its feet Having
been worked up to the proper pitch of ex-
element by the retreat of the Union sold
iers, the gallopiEg of horses across the
stage. the rattle OF musketry, the boom
ing of cannon, the falling of wounded
and dead men from the ranks and from
the backs of praacing horses, by the
shouts of men and the thousand and one
stirring incidents which 60 to make up
this realistic production of a battle
scene, there came an instants lull In the
hAAh6 aStooS wiz ctbEo WV ~ hAcAA
troops fell doggedly back. And then
there came the cheering from q hundred
threats and straight across the stage
til ere ran a black horse on the hack of
which was he who impersonates Gen.
Phil Sheridan, and after him galloped "A
score or more of cavalry men followed
by the yelling, battle-mad Union sold
iers. and among them borne aloft IN the
hands of a wounded color sergeant, "Old
Glory with its tatters and rags. The
Confederate army had been driven back
anu If those who witnessed this scene
could have been present at the real
snatchlng of victory from defeat at Cedar
Creek they could not have cheered louder
or given the victors themselves greater
ovation thanithey did those who particle
pated in the production OF this miniature
battle.
The story of Shenandoah has been often
told. 1t is play which can be seen
again and again and never become tame.
Astounding in blood stirring scenes. with
pathos and comedy finely intermingled.
with plot which becomes more interest
ing as the story unfolds, Shenandoah
is credited with being the Fl nest war play
every written.
Produced by magnificent company,
with fine scenery and with the accesso-
ries of cannon, horses and many men,
without one character in the cast which
one would desire to see played by any
other person, Shenandoah is we'll worth
going far to see.
Maurice Barrymore and Mary Hampton
do much TO make this play what it is.
Their reputation as stars of the first mag
nitude In the theatrical world assure
those who go to see them that what they
do will be as, well done as it can be
done. Mary Hampton is, in the opinion
of many people one of the best actresses
on the American stage. While in Shen-
andoah she portrays the part of Gertrude
dillingham;, the Southern gill, in an en-
tirely satisfactory manner and is bound
to please those who see her in this char
acter, she does not have the opportunities
which she SO we'll took advantage of in
Sowing the Wind" Barrymore makes
Col Kerchival West which is beyond
criticism, and his portrayal of this char
of Mary Hampton. But while these two
characters have much prominence in
Shenandoah, they do not entirely cast
into the shads the work of other mem.
bers of this well balanced company.
There is Charles NJ. Collins, for example,
who plays Gen. Haverill, and George
A. Wright as Lieut.. Frank Bedloe, zen.
Haverill's cast.off son, who give artistic
portrayal to these difficult characters.
The death scene of the brave son who
les from wounds he received while on d
dangerous mission by orders of his father,
brings tears to the eyes of all. And then
there is Benson, the battle-soarred old
sergeant, as played by William Easton,
and the soft-hearted old veteran, Col.
Buckthorne, as given by Louis Hendricks
which are done as well as one could wish.
But these are not all of the artists
who make this piece so enjoyable by any
means. There Is Frances Whitehouss us
Madeline West, Jennie Buckthorne, the
little tyrant who govern her soft-hearted
OLD father SO easily, and May Wheeler.
who makes capital Mrs. haverill, be-
side many others.
The scenery, too, is perfect. There is
that midnight view Of the city of Charles
ton across the boy and the magnificent
scene of the Shenandoah valley with the
towering mountains on one OF which is
located the Confederate signal station
where the startling dispatch was sent
which brought Phil Sheridan on his I'd
nous ride to Winchester. Ali of these
th ings nre as they should be, and Shen-
andoah at its last performance here to-
night will doubtless be greeted by anoth-
er large and enthusiastic audience.
THE STOWAWAY.
1.-The Stowaway," which commences
o three nights engagement at Portland
theatre this evening with Friday and
Saturday matinee, belongs to the class
of fine old English melodrama, amplitied
and inten sifled by the realism OF accurate
stage setting and ingenious accessories