The Portland daily press., 1900-10-11
MUSIC AND DRAMA.



The Rowe-King Stock company which
is featuring Miss Grace q. Hamilton,
continues to draw large audiences at the
Portland theatre, and as but two more
days of their present engagement remain
it would be well for those who desire
good seats to make timely application at
the box office.
Yesterday afternoon "Freeborn Ameri-
CAM was presented with the cast well
lifted to their respective parts and in the
evening was offered a dramatization Of
"Quo Vadis,'' entitled Power of the
Cross The strong situations of this
play were we'll brought out, and Miss
Hamilton found in the part Of Lygla an
opportunity to display her excellent
dramatic talent and made the most OF it,
Her style of acting seems to grow IN
popular favor and her number of adj
lnirers Is increasing daily. Leonard Rowe
the leading man, gave us an excellent
portrayal Of Vlnicius, and the disagreea-
bic viilalny of Tlgellinus was made evil
Dent By Harry King Mr.. hurley made
a good Nero, in Characterization we
mean, and Poppaea, the she devil, was
before US in the adec uate work of Minnie
Lane.
''The Power of the Cross was SO well
received and made such hit that the
management by special request will re-
peat the play this afternoon, and in the
evening it VIII be 70 flowed by one of the
best pieces in this companys' repertoire
'Liberty and Love.
THE VILLAGE POSTMASTER.
That pastoral comedy, "The Village
Postmaster, - was given for the first time
in this city at the Jefferson theatre last
evening. 1t was greeted by large open
ing audience, and aroused plenty of ap-
pIause. 1t is a simple picture of rural
life IN New Hampshire way back in the
fitties, in the days of Franklin Pierce
and its atmosphere is redolent of new.
mown hay.
The opening scene reveals a typical
store and post office with the customary
loungers Following this scene the audi
ence are invited to witness an old time
Training day, which used to be observed
down East as a general holiday. The
brass band and motley crowd OF military
men with the pretty village maidens en-
Lvens this scene. A thunder storm
with real water dampens the ardor OF the
defenders of their country. and the
curtain falls Act second has to do with
the dominic S donation party on a snowy
winter evening. The parishioners arrive
one by one, laden with stores to replenish
the pastors Iarder. Act three brings the
audience to a scene on the farm, showing
an old fashioned threshing machine at
work. In the fourth act is revealed the
interior OF the village church at night,
decorated for the postmaster's daughters
wedding
The story is a quiet and pretty one of
two honest lovers, hard crusted old
father and the villain, surrounded by
others residing In a small town and very
much interested in this love affair
The third act is notably realistic and
asa production is indeed I interesting.
Chickens run about the hay and the old
farm horse propels the threshing ma
chine while an apple tree with it's ripen-
ing fruit is seen. In this scene the au-
thors engage the hero and villain IN a
tight. The heroine sees her lover stricken
down from where she is standing on top
of the wheat stack. The long trough
leading from the wheat to the separator
is directly under her, and when she
Taints her senseless form drops on the
trough sand she .glides down it swiftly
toward certain death. Her rescue is a
hair raising one, accomplished by the
lover of course, all of which is suggestive
Of the sensational climax Of "BIue
Jeans. :" with substitute for the buzz
saw.
The character work Is particularly de-
serving Of mention and the ruraIs have
been nicely contrasted giving a very good
idea of New England life in certain SEQ