The Portland daily press., 1900-06-25
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
THE FATAL CARD.

ms week OHerlnR at bne ptiii VIII pe
the thrilling English melodrama, The
Fatal Carl. 1t begins with one of the
most original scenes ever included In
play of the sort when Gerald Austen,
yo1ng Englishman known as Atkins,
saves the life of man known as For
roster in IA Colorado mining camp. For
roster to show his gratitude tears in half
playing card, giving one of the pieces
to the yong Englishman. The scene
of the play then changes to England
where Forester has assumed his real
name OF Marrable and is engaged in plot
ting the murder of Austsn's father In
order to rob him of valuable bonds.
Young Austen who has quarreled with
his father calls on the day that the muir
der takes place. He is heard In an alter
cation with the old gentleman and leaves
his cane in the office, things which after
ward fasten on him suspicion of being
the murderer. The setting in this act Is
most ingenious, two offices being shown
on the opposite sides of the corridor OF an
office building. In the following scenes
young Austen is forced to fly because the
officers are on his track but in the open
ing of the fifth act he is seen in Marrable's
laboratory. Here Marrable, Dixon and
their accompIices divide the stolen bonds
They discover Austen and lots are cast
to scide who shall kill him. The choice
falls on Marrable who has just wound up
the explosive machine which is to do the
work when he finds in Austen's possess
sion the half of the fatal card. Touched
by the discovery that the man he is about
to murder is the one who saved him
from death in Colorado, Marrable releas-
es him. At this moment Marrable's
daughter, with whom Austen Is In love,
appears, Austen throws the internal
machine through the window and 1t ex-
plodes just outside, the falling walls
killing Marrable but leaving the lovers
unframed. This scene is said to be one
of the strongest ever devised for a melo-
drama. The cast will be rs follows:
George Forester, Mr.. George Osbourne
Gerald Austin, Mr.. Willis Granger
Harry Burgess, Mr.. Richard Bennett
A. h. Austen, Mr.. Lawrence Eddinger
Jim Dixon, Mr.. George Osbourne, Jr;
Sulky Smith, Mr.. James Dickson
Harry Curtis, Mr.. William DE Vault
Hiram Webster, MIR. Barton Drew
Cyrus Wackford, Mr.. Morgan Hurd
Margaret Marrable, Miss Teresa Maxwell
Mercedes, Miss Mary Asquith
Cecile Austen, Miss Eugene Hayden
Miss Penelope Austen,
Miss Belle Gaffney
Kate, Miss Birdie De Vault
Servant Miss Beatrice Heller
RIVERTON PARK.
This beautiful park has been offering
the best vaudeville shows ever seen there
during the past two weeks but an inter-
view with Manager Newman OF the Port
land railroad and Manager Smith OF the
Casino and park discloses the fact that
this portion of the usual entertainment
will be vastly improved until Riverton
will enjoy the reputation of presenting
the best vaudeville bills of any park In
the country. Consequently their agent
was instructed last week to secure only
the very best talent available suited to out
door entertainments, with comedy pre-
dominating and acting on those instruo-
tions an array of talent has been engaged
for next week that will command unus-
ual attention by reason of Its superiority.
At the head of the superb combination
to be seen next week is the famous troupe
of English acrobats, the O'brien trio.and
no performance of the kind seen In the
vaudevilles last season attracted more IA
vorable mention from the leading critics.
The act includes number of daring
feats, including somersaults from ped
estal fifteen feet high to the shoulders of Il
member of the team standing on the stage
and other feats of similar skill and daring
The Herald Square quartette is another
feature and other acts above the avera ge
win be those of Fred Wyckoff, monologu-
ist; Reeds troupe Of educated dogs, and
Merritt and Rozzella comedy sketch art
lists. In addition to this there will be the
superb concerts of the Royal Hungarian
Orchestra under the direction of Mr.. p.
X. Matres. These concerts are becoming
very popular with the select audiences
who patoronize Riverton park and tn
volume of applause that marks the end
Of every number testifiss 10 the increasing