The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-07
MAXWELL AT THEATRE
CHARMING PRODUCTION BY
 GOOD COMPANY.
"The Light of Other Days" Gave Romantic Actor Fine oppor- tunity and Was an Intel
 lectual Treat.

An intellectual treat, invigorat1ng and enjoyable, a spread of romance, which left a train of pleasing recolections, was | .'The Light of Other Days'' with Robert Manteli as the star at the Montgomery Theatre last night.
 It was a story strong in action. fllumi- mated with delicate fancy and set forth in a series of striking stage pictures. And in all the recollections of the mental treat is the figure of Manteli who can portray the hero without becoming banal on the one hand or without ranting on the other. The memory of Manteli. the true actor who has the rare knowledge of the narrow lfne of demarkat3on be- tween the vibrant and tine strident will finger long in the memory of those who enjoyed last evenins's performance.
 There was an encouraging sign in the manifest delight of the large audience in the wholesome, invigorating drama. It foreshadows. one Is persuaded to think, a return of the stage to a higher plane when the cheap imitators of successful musical comedies will have, run their course and when the launching of suc- cessful musical comedy will not of itself be one of the chief theatrical events of a year.
 The play runs It's course in France an1
 
 scenes of the French Revolution are contrasted with the peace and quiet of country life in Ireland The play is in a prologue and four acts It tells the story of Maurice Desmond, loved and beloved of Helene, Countess De La Croix, besieged by the revolutionists. In the taking of the castle the Countess with Desmond, Is thrown into the sea. She drowns but he escapes to Ireland and devotes his life to the young daugh- ter of the Countess Cerise. She is spirit ed away to France thirteen years later by Marais, the treacherous steward of the Countess. and her faithless kinsman Henri Dc La Croix. Desmond follows and in the exciting scenes which accom- pany his rescue of her, his love for Cerise is discovered and the play ends happily. Mantell was a strong and forcefu1 fig ure as Desmond. who met misfortune with strength and who encountered dan ger with straightforward courage. It is a rule that could easily be read wrong. A less finished actor might have been . swashbuckler or in the slang of the stage "a scenery eater" But nothing of that sort entered into Mantell's interpreta- ton of the role. In the quieter passages he was subtle and in the stronger scenes he was repressed but forcible.
 Miss Marie Booth Russell young wo- man of unusual beauty, gave a splendid rendition of the double role of the Coun- tess and Cerise. In beauty there are few women of the stage Miss Russell's equal and she is moreover an actress of &C., knowledged gifts. Comparison of Miss RusselPs work with that of the stars was inevitable but hardly fair. It Is well with in the limits of the truth to say that 1t was entirely satisfactory.
 The supporting company was small but adequate. Being small it was easier to secure finished actors and this Mir. Man. tell has done.
 The Anthony Blake of Clarence Mon- taine was a bit of character acting as clear cut as a cameo. He made the part feature of the play. It was a delight to watch his artistic work. There were no weak places in the cast.
 "A Night on Broadway with Murray and Mack will be the attraction tonight