The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-08
Amusenaents
MT. O'NeiiI .t Tne crand.

Mir. O'Neif st The Grand.
 James o'Neili Tuesday in Virgin
 fus." held small but enthusiastically
 appreciative audience ensrossed in one
 of the most finished productions seen
 on the Montgomery stage this season.
 The production Is work of art. No
 The scenic effects, costumes and por-
 trayai of the tirnes of the reign of
 the Decemvirate were accurate, Mir.
 o'Neili Is the star and has surrounded
 himself with able support. Especially
 is he to be congratulated upon the
 work of his Alice Fleming. his leading
 woman.
 Mir. o'Neill has for many years
 played Monte Cristo." So long has
 he done this that the public has come
 to connect the play and the man in an inseparable association. Last year. however MT. o'Neiil determined to get another play that he might redeem the promise of great things made in his younger days before Monte Cris-. to" became the public favorite that 1t was. "virgihius" was selected, and mistake. Al last nights production Mir. O'Neill was repeatedly encored. The lines of the play called for a finished acton The story is one of the most interesting of Roman history, and Is the masterpiece of Sheridan Knowles. In many Montgomery minds the play "Virainius' has in some man. ner been accredited to Shakespeare and there we're many expressions of surprise last night when Sheridan Knowles name was seen upon the pro- gram as the ahthor.
 The action pf the play is in that time when, under the rule of the Decemvirate. no mans life was safe in Rome. CIatdius. the tyrant. see- ing Virginia. the daughter of Virgin jus on the streets of Rome one day determines to make her his own. To this end he calses one of his kinsmen is his escaped slave. The case is brought before the tyrant for adjudi- | . cation, and of lcourse the tyrant de- cides in favor lof his kinsman. vir- l ginius rather than see his daughters honor lost. kills her. virginius then returns to Rome with his soldiers to revenge himself and his daughters death. Claudius is thrown into prison. Virginius mad with grief, enters the prison and strahg1ing ciaudius drags l the dead tyrant to the forum of Rome. He IS then awakened from his fren- zied state of mind by his friends, the | final curtain being on his heArtbrolx en sobs over the ashes of his beloved | daughter.
 of Mir. o'Nenrs acting no praise can be too high. There Is no gesture. in- donation of voice that Is not that of the finished actor, In his scene on the battelfeld. in his scene in the forum before the tyrant. in his scenes in the dungeon, in fact in every scene,
 MT. ONeill's genius dominates.
 Perhaps his best scene Is the one in which. crazed by srief at the death of his daughter. he recognized no one.
 He sees virginia in the air. hears her l voice from every quarter, and follows the phantom to the prison of the ty- rant. It is in such scene that the actor shows his genius.
 MT. o'Neills work Is . work of art. | a work of which he may well be proud, l and which wherever he goes will re-
 ceive with sympathy and crown with honor.
 Mir. o'Neill has chosen wisely and l well in Miss Fleming, his leading wo- | man. Her work last evening compared | favorably with that Of the star. In all of her scenes. in part which called | for the best of artistic portrayal, she meets the situation fully. Tn her love scene with Icilius she Is natural, while in the scenes with her father she dis 1 plays a sympathy and accurate knowl- edge of her part seldom seen.
 Norman Hackert as Icilius. the lover | of Virginia, also deserVss praise. He | played most excellently and showed not to disadvantage in his scenes. 1 Here again Mir. o'Neili has made an admirable selection in this member of his supporting company.
 Miss Kate Fletcher in the part of Servia. the nurse of Virginia. Joseph Slaytor as Dentatus, and Charles D. Herman in the part of Appius Claudius. the tyrant deserve mention for their work in the magnificent production.
 The Grand will be dark for the rest of the week. i,