The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-09-04

The eminent romantic actor, Robert
B. MantelI, will be at the Grand Opera
House next Wednesday night. An espe.
cially impressive feature OF Mr.. Man
tells fine performance as the Italian
artist, Roubillac, in his new romantic
play, "rhe Dagger and the Gross, is the
symbolic illustration of the title oil the
play in one of the many memorable
scenes. 1t is where the actor, imperson-
ating the heroic but anguished artist,
uplifts a dagger, holding it aloft with the
hilt uppermost, when the weapon takes
on the semblance of an upraised cross.
The effect Of this situation is said to be
electrical, the audiences being seemingly
spellbound with the same superstitious
awe that sways the characters in the
drama. Manager M. W. Hanley, who
never fails to observe this thrilling epi.
sode from the "front," AYERS that the ira
ditional silence that made audible the
dropping OF pin, was pandemonium
compared to the stiffness that comes
upon Mr.. Mantell's admirers when the
dagger becomes the cross.
If you look down the list of clever
people with "The Great Southern Min
strels" you'll find ten of the best come
dians namely, Sam Horner, Cool Bur
CESS, Willie Patton, Harry Hickman,
Ben Westlyn, Latoy Cowley, George
Hickman, Joe Higgins and brother
Billy, and they are finely supported by
thirty singers, cancers, acrobats and in
strumentalists. 1t is one of the biggest
minstrel organizations On the road, and
if you hunger for a jolly, hearty laugh,
you'll find It at the Grand Opera House
next Friday and Saturday afternoon and
night, at popular prices.
'The Queen OF Chinatown" which
melodrama will be produced at the
Grand Opera House this evening, is
spoken OF as follows by the Philadelphia
Press:
The uncompromising melodrama OF
the most startling character crowded
Gilmore's Auditorium last evening, when
"The Queen of Chinatown made her
Introductory bow to Philadelphia in the
person Of Miss Jeffreys Lewis. Only
standing room was purchaseable within
a few minutes after the curtain was rung
up and it can he said unreservedIy that
the $500 people in the house enjoyed
themselves hugely. "The Queen OF
Chinatown" is not particularly intel
lectual production, but its moral is high
" ediiying. White ladies should not 60
Summing in Chinatown; they may be
tempted to ''hit the pipe" through
curiosity and become slaves of the
opium habit, or they may be drugged
by the designing heathen and abducted,
thereby involving their brothers in all
kinds OF trouble in the effort to rescue
them.
The audience was shown Chinese
gambling den and an opium joint, and,
singular to relate, a Sunday school, to
which the "Queen OF Chinatown" came,
maddened by deprivation OF dope to
find relief in satisfactory supply Of
opium, which was proyidentally on
hand in the minister's house. The hero
was to have been shown fighting for life
in rat pit, but the scenery did not
work, and this thrilling episode was re-
placed by conhagration in Mott street.
All the principals in the cast were
hoarse, and no wonder, in view of the
amount of shouting they do. The ! 400
gods on the olympus OF the topmost gal
lery were inclined to guy Miss Jcffreys
Lewis exaggerated melodramatc style
at first, but they soon learned that if she
adopted any other manner she would be
out Of the picture. The villain and the
hero, played respectively by j. E. Mil
tern and Harry Mainhall, were equally
exaggerated, and Logan Paul as vii
lainous Chinamnn, pushed them hard.
In the course of the action specialties
were introduced by Miss Elsieta, a
sprighty dancer; Miss Nettie Traband, a
lively singer, with more vivacity than
voice; Miss Maggie Weston, who started
vocal crusade for the freedom of Ire
land; Louis NJ. Granat, a clever whistler,
and Master Willie Israel, diminutive
character artist, who was the beneficiary
of small shower OF coin from his ap-
preciative audience Taken either by
scenes or as whole and approached in
the proper spirit, "The Queen of China
town" offers extraordinary opportunities
for enjoyment to jaded playgoers. No
one who wants to become acquainted
with life as it is not lived in New York
and who cares to study the irrational
portrayal of character can afford to miss
this sensational specimen of modern
mclOarama,