Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-13
inks PRETTY PLAY
Fitch Production Pleases Audi.
ence at Illinois Last
Night.
THE EMERALD ISLE Is NEXT
JEFF De Angels and His Big Com.
pany Here This Even
ing.


Fitch comedy most engagingly
picturing the dress and customs of
the New Workers of 1870, was pre-
sented at the Illinois last evening by
well-balanced company headed by
Miss Elizabeth Kennedy and Theo-
dore Babcock, two splendid actors
who charmingly interpret the charac-
ters of Madame Trentoni'' and
Capt. Jinks.'' The plot is woven
around love affair in which these
young persons-she an American
prima donna returning from Europe
to make her debut at home, and he a
good-lool<ing army officer-are the
central figures, and which, of course.
eventuates in their betrothal. The
play is exquisitely acted and staged.
Emerald Isle Tonight
At the Illinois this evening will be
presented Sir Arthur SuIlivans last
opera, ''fhe Emerald Isle" with lib
retto by Capt. Basil Hood.
and associate musical numbers
| by Edward German The OPP
era comes here practically direct
from the New York Herald Square
theatre, where il has had a long and
brilliant engagement. Before it's pre-
miere in New York City, it cnioyed a
years solid favor in London. .TefTpr-
son De Angels is the star of its
American tour. The organization in
its entirety, is said to be one of the
best singing companies ever formed
for the presentation of a legitimate
opera in this country. With the hui
NOR Of its star. most theatregoers
are familiar. In his support such
names are found as c. V. Clarke, F.
Stuart Hyatt, who was with the origi-
nal London production; Lester Reev-
es, Josephine Knapp, Kate Condor.
Amelia Fields, Edna Burd, Charles
DUNCAN, John Dudley, Frank Belcher.
Frederick Logan. Audrey Kings
bury and about seventy others. The
story of the opera briefly is this: In
act one, Ireland's lord lieutenant. an
knglishman, plans to destroy Ire
lands brogue. Terence OBrien. an
Irish patriot. and clandestine sweet
heart of the lord lieutenant's daugh-
ter, plans to preserve it. For this pur-
pose the lord lieutenant engages one
Bum, a wayside entertainer and elo-
cutiCniSt. Terence's rebel forces cap
ture Bum. Molly, peasant, loves
blind Murphy. a young fiddler. Muir
ply isn't blind affecting it for the la
~ living it offers. Falling in love with
Molly, Murphy wishes to express his
admiration of her charms. and
schemes for device that will. lend
FEASIBILITY to the designed admis-
sion that his sight has suddenly been
restored. Bunn's wayside professions
include hypnotism. Murphy sees way
out of his dilemma by planning to de-
clare that Bum has been an oculist.
Before he has executed this, the lord
lieutenant attaches Murphy to his
own retinue as a piper. Molly, see
ing Murphy in the train of the lord,
believes him to be a traitor to the
rebels, renounces him. Meanwhile
Bum, as an involuntary member of
the rebels, dispatches an anonymous
note to the lord lieutenant advising
him of the existence and meeting
places of the rebels. The lord lieu
tenant Immediately orders out the
militia. Molly learns of this and
warns her fellow conspirators. They
plan to brighten the soldiery away
by wierd tales and representations
of fairies that haunt their hiding
places, the caves Of Carrig Clenna.
Bum proves an able alder in this.
and the curtain of act one falls with
the success of the stratagem. In act
two, a rebel meeting in the caves
is interrupted by the arrival of Ter
ence and his sweetheart. Recogniz-
ing the lord lieutenant's daughter the
rebels charge Terence with treason.
After Terence's exculpation of this
charge, Bum, who believes he is fast