Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-05-02
MISS MANNERING NON EST.
GLORIOUS BETSY WITH BETSY
LEFT OUT.
A Large Audience Witnessed The Per.
fOrmance Last Evening at The
Colonial Theatre.
MISS MACBETH PROVES VERY
GOOD SUBSTITUTE.

| lnc. by arrangementswith. James X
| Hackett, presented the new American
| play GLORIOUS Betsy" at the Colonial
| Theatre last might. Mary .Mannerine
was TO have assumed the title role.
but the stage manager announced pre-.
| vious TO the rise of the curtain that
Miss" Mannering (Mrs. Hackettl
was prevented from coming mere last
night at the last moment by the criti-
cal illness of her little son.
The child has been i'll for some time,
| and, it is said, was operated upon a
| few days ago. The boys father, Mr..
Hackett, was called from the stage two
weeks ago when playing in Baltimore
at the Academy of Music in "The
Walls of Jericho" The stage manager
explained that the local manager of
the Colonial Theatre did not know
Miss Mannering was not coming until
late last evening, and if the play as
presented did not please the audience
they would be given their money back
if they called at the hox Office. The
presentation of the play must have
been highly pleasing, as only two
persons asked to have their ticket
money refunded.
The audience was very large, quite
fashionable and most enthusiastic.
Scarcely any play this season has
elected SO many curtain calls. An
uapolis does not often enthuse. She
is not demonstrative, but quiet and
reposeful, sedate and elegant. When
she applauds, il means something,
and il meant a great deal last night.
1t meant that Miss Helen Macbeth,
who assumed Miss Mannering's role
as Betsy Patterson gave n highly
acceptable Interpretation to the part.
and is a most competent and pleas
ing understudy to the famous actress.
Miss Macbeth is pretty, graceful,
winsome. She has a willowy figure
aud distinguished bearing and her
step is elastic and graceful. Her
voice is sweet.
Miss Macbeth's S impersonation Of
Elizabeth Patterson, the belle of Bal
timore in 1903, who made information
al history by her marriage to Jerome
Bonaparte, brought forward to the
fullest extent her powers of portray
ing archness and coquetry and through
her ingenious methods and clever
acting she deftly simulated the life of
the historical heroine in the play writ
ten by Mrs. Rida Johnson Noe-g
Mrs. Young herself is Baltimorcan.
She is the wife of James Young, the
actor, of New York, who visited An
napOlis last winter. Mrs. Young also
wrote Brown of Harvard, successfully
given here this Water.
II may be said by critics that the
play "Gloriouus Betsy is not his
torieally correct. What of i'll Why
sacrifice pretty love theme and
happy denouemeut TO history. Bosh
The play is all right, history or not,
and all the world who loves a lover
would not have it different. All the
characters were we'll taken, especially
that of Jerome Bonaparte, by Mr..
Robert Warwick. lie is an ideal lover.
Mr.. Carr, as Betsy's father, was very
good and all the male characters were
excellent. OF course Napoleon did
not look his part, but what's the odds?
The scenes of this play are laid in
America and France, and its story
deals with the courtship, love and
marriage of Elizabeth Patterson, of
Baltimore, to Jerome Bonaparte, dur
ing his visit to America in the year
1903.
1t is at the Sweet Springs of vir-
ginia that Betsy first meets Captain
Bonaparte who, weary of the endless
round of entertainment and adultation
he has received as the guest of the
American nation, has travelled to
this out of the way resort incognito,
and for whatever romantic adventure
might appeal to a youth of nineteen,
full of high spirits and away from
restraint. Jerome becomes infatuated
with the reigning belle, Betsy Pat
terson, and manages to have himself
employed during her stay there to
give her lessons in French. Betsy
becomes intensely interested in her
tutor, but her pride and ambition
fights against acknowledging that she
could love a man in such an inferior
position. She coquettes with him,
however, as she does with half a
dozen others. Betsy leaves the Springs
ignorant of Jerome's true personality,
deeply offended with him because of
his refusal to accompany her party TO
Baltimore, where great preparations
are being made for the reception of
Captain Bonaparte.
The scene now changes to Betsy's
home on the night of which the fete
is TO be given. During the interven
ing week Betsy has shown by her
actions that shs is unconsciously in
love with her tutor. She now learns
his real identity. In advance of the
other guests, jerome secretly arrives
and tells his love for her. Betsy at
tirst will not listen, but her own affec-
tion for him finally overcomes her.
The approach of the invited guests now
startle them, and together they enter
the garden. In the meantime Mr.. Pat
terson is looking for Betsy, as he
thinks Jerome Bonaparte may arrive
at any moment and no Betsy TO receive
him. His companions are in a SINH
lar state of anxiety over his disap
pearance. They leave TO locate him,
and return with the news that Ma
noleon has been proclaimed Emperor
of France, with demands for the in
slant return of his brother Jerome.
During all this time the lovers have
remained unconscious of the turmoil
that is going on. until Patterson, in
his frantic search for Betsy, stumbles
unon her in Jerome's arms. He is
wild at the idea of her marrying a
tutor, and no less surprised than
Retsv herself when the tutor is pre-
scented as Jerome Bonaparte.
The following scene shows Betsy
and Jerome, who have come over
with Mr.. Patterson on the frigate
..I.a Cigale. which is anchored off
the coast of France, awaiting the re-
,,wr IF messengers of Napoleon who