Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-01-02
A GREAT ATTRACTION.

The most notable attraction of the
season was presented at the Opera
House last night the play being The
Power Behind the Throne with Mil
dred Holland in the role of Aria.
The part of Aria, a young girl ON the
one hand striving to be constant and
true to the man she loved and on the
other to be loyal to her aged parents Is
a part not easy to portray and the rom
antic play with its intense situations
and striking climaxes afforded Miss
Holland fine opportunity to demon
strate her remarkable ability.
Miss Hollands acting is deficient IN
nothing that goes to make up success
full star and she scored a hit last night
which will insure her a welcome when
ever she wishes to return to Danville.
She showed a most mastery interpreta-
ton, while every action, every emotion
portrayed, was in perfect harmony with
the whole and was marked by that nat
tural grace and dignity that Is always
present in acting when the mirror Is
held faithfully up to nature.
Danville audiences are not over dem
onstrative, yet last night in several IN
stances the house was carried away by
the fervor, the illusionary effect of Miss
Hollands acting and burst into storms
of applause.
The large company of some thirty
players was exceedingly well balanced,
made up of clever and talented people.
Wright NJ Lorimer as the Presidents
Son" and Camille Porter, as the Ouch
ess" were exceptionally strong in their
parts. The costumes We're among the
most beautiful ever seen on the local
stage The scenery was all new.
The audience, made up of an intelligent
and discriminating class of theatre
goers, was very large one, comfortably
filling the entire building
The Power Behind the Throne" Is
an adaptation from Schiller's 'Kabala
and Liebe" Love & Intrigue) and is a
really strong drama. Aria, the
daughter of Herr Winter and wife, is
the betrothed of Baron Won NHohenlohe,
the son of the president of an Austrian
principalty. The president orders his
son to marry the Duchess Won VALID
helm, favorite of the prince govern
ing the principality. The love of the
Baron for Aria leads him to refuse COM
pliance with his father 8 orders and the
father and mother of Aria" are thrown
into prison. Aria" is willing to give
up the Baron, but the latter refuses to
release her from Encouragement. The
president and the Duchess formulate a
plot to ruin Aria's good!name and they
force her to write compromising letter
to the Count Won Oberfels and to after
wards faunt her seeming shame in the
face of the Baron. To save her father S
life Aria attends ball at the palace of
the Duchess and there she tells the Bar
on that she is the mistress of the Count.
After denouncing her, the Baron leaves
the room. Having fulfilled her forced
duty Aria turns and expresses some
forceful opinions of the Duchess spurn-
ing the latter at her feet. The forth act
finds Aria at her home with her parents.
The Baron calls and by strategy forces
her to join him in drinking poison. Both
are found apparently dead, but the
Baron valet had substituted sleep
ing powder for the poison. The Ouch
ess believes him dead and the curtain
falls after the president has agreed to
assist the Baron and Aria to leave the
country.
The telling of the mere outline of the
story can give no adequate idea of the
plays strength nor can it show the in,
tense heart interest that runs through
the entire piece.