Milford chronicle., 1902-04-18

The story Of the play which Mr.. Rob
'.rt Downing will produce here tO-mOr-
low, Saturday, evening, cannot be bet
Ter described than by an article that
appeared in the Philadelphia Item"
during Mr. Downing's last engagement
in that city, which we take pleasure in
quoting. 1t reads as follows:
Last night in the Grand Opera House,
Broad and Montgomery Avenue, big audi
ence assembled to witness the initial per-
Torrance OF "The Gladiator" If the merit
OF play may be judged by the manner in
which It was received. then the Gladiator is
in the foremost rank Of modern tragedies.
The play itself abounds in tragic situations
and affords ample scope for the display Of
human passions.
The time OF the tragedy is In the early days
Of the Christian church, when the followers
OF the christian faith suffered such persecu-
tion at the hands OF the brutal Roman popu-
lace Nero, the Gladiator" is a Thracian
slave belonging to the infamous empress
Faustina." Sixteen years before the date
when the tragedy ia supposed to take place,
his only child, a daughter, had been cut from
the living womb OF her mother, in order to
afford to the cruel and superstitiouH "Faus-
tina" a representation OF the offspring
which she shortly expected. This cruel deed
was done before the very face Of the distrac-
ted father and husband.
aFaustina's" sorceress declares that she
shall be a son, bntt that the life OF nNeodamia"
and this son shall be 50 Interviewer that
they will cease together.
"Nero' reseues bis child and flies with her
into Egypt, where he lives with her several
years. She is eventually stolen from him,
and the distracted father returns to Rome
In the hope that he will learn In the great
metropolis some iidings OF his child.
He enters again the service OF "Faustina"
as a gladiator. His daughter, sNeodamia,'
though unknown to him, is living as a slave
in the household Of Flavian," a Roman
noble. who falls deeply in love with her, sets
her free, and promises to marry her. "Faus
tina" who is herself in love With "FlaviaD,r
determines to prevent the marriage. She
hires the gladiator TO kill ''Neodamia," but
he, overcome with pity in the very moment
OF committing the murder, spares the girls
life
"FauEtina," baffied on this point, comes to
the temple or Juno on the day or the mar
riaee and entreats "Flavian" TO give up "Ne-
odamia." He refuses, ond the enraged EN-
press rushes out with threats OF vengeance.
The marriage is in progress when the mob
brings the christian bishop "Origen," who
has been preaching before the temple. He Is
sentenc d to be cast to the wild beasts by the
priest OF Juno.
sNeodamia," who has all along been a
christian,ond who has consented TO be mar
ried in the Temple Of Juno, only to please
her lover "Flavian,' hereupon declares her.
self member OF the prosecuted sect, to the
distress and despair OF her lover. She is also
sentenced to death in the arena.
Act ~. displays the arena Of the amphi-
theatre, where "Nerof has been ordered to
kill the christian girl "Neodamia" In the
very act OF doing 50, in order to save her from
the more cruel death by wild beasts, the
Wretched man discovers her to be his own
daughter by a mark on her neck. He makes
a piteous appeal OF mercy to the people, but
they, hungry for christian blood and urged
on by the priest OF Juno, refuses to hear him.
although his petition is supported by the
commands OF aFaustina," who knows that
the life OF her son "Gordian,' must cease with
that OF "Neodamia."
Act v. displays the prison ofthe amphithe
atre where "Neoda mia" is confined. The
enraged mob break into the prison. "Faus
tina" rushed in and begs "Neodamia" to iJ
with "Flavian,' so that her sons life may b
spared. She refuses and determines to re
main, though her lover earnestly begs her to
fly with him. "Nero her father, breaks IN
from a neighboring cell where he is confined
The shouts Of the mob breaking into prison
grew louder and louder. Death to Cesar
is their cry, enraged at the opposition OF
fered to them by the Empress "Flavinia'
enters and announces the death or the EN-
peror. "Nero' stabs his daughter in orde
to save her from the mob,and then turns hi
dagger against himself He dies with tn
christian bishop "Ons zen" kneeling at hi
side and holding out to him the symbol o
salvation
Mr.. Robert Downing, as "Nero," evokel
loud applause He was repeatedly called be
fore the curtain. In the first scene, in whicl
he described to "Origen," who is attempting
] TO convert him, the cruel death Of his wifi
while he is forced to look on, he touches tn
highest point oftragedy. In the arena scene
In which he begs for his daughters life, hi
acting moved the hearts OF the audience