The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-10-19
NUMBER IL
: The CONFESSION. !"

Tuesday Night Makes Splendid
Impression In New Orleans
Plot Absorbing and Company
Excellent.
| After playing a weeks engagement
at the Crescent Theatre In New Or
leans, The Confession power
full drama dealing with the sanctity
| of the confessional in the Catholic
religion, will be the attraction at
the Gondran Theatre next Tuesday
night, the 22nd inst. Reviewing the
initial performance Of this success
full play in the Crescent City, the
Picayune Of Monday says:
Every Catholic should see The
Confession, and those not of that
faith can also witness the play and
draw from 1t sacred truths that sur
round the sanctity and absolute
secrecy of the sacrament of penance.
One can imagine the solem-
nifty OF the play when 1T is stated
that on the stage, with the lights
turned low and the awe that sur
rounds the confession Of sins, a
French Canadian, In his broken Ian
guage, tells the psiest that he has
murdered a man, aid that he Is even
then running from the scene.
Hardly has the priest absolVed
the sinner, and he departs, when a
wayward brother OF tn clergyman
rushes in and tells him that upon
his head has fallen the suspicion OF
the murder, but he sWears his inno
cence. The sacred seal of the con-
fessional Is thus brought forcibly for
ward. Rather than break it and free
his brother, the priest keeps the
oath that he took when ordained and
exercise the powers of a eonfessor,
even in the face of appeals that
came from his mother and the sweet
heart of his accused brother, refusing
while a witness to divulge the slight
est word.
The French Canadian returns after
the confession, and begs the priest
to go out in a binding storm to adj
minister the last rites of the church
to his dying mother. This Is done
without the slightest hesitaney. The
Canadian comes back once more AMI
tells the priest that Jim Creighton
was killed by him because he tried
to take advantage Of his sister He
a Iaeelanss laa Viii IS, i Is, eanaaa ylI sI,
the secret ID II and n f,0iiEfs
out the fact that the priest will never
tell.
s.The French Canadian periureg
himself on the witness stand, and
is remanded to prison. He contracts
consumption, and, with his dying
breath, whispers to the governor that
he lied when he said Tom Bartlett
committed the murder, as he did the
deed. The priest, In the closing
scene, thanks God in q fervent pray
er that the power of the Cross con-
quered, as it always does.
sRev. ]. j. Bartlett was reverene
and lifelike, as played by Richard
Sterling. He Is d young actor OF re-
markable talent, who holds himself
repressed rather than attempting to
over-act. He is strong In the scenes
when his priestly duties clash with
those Of human instinct, and he de-
serves the applause he Is given.
But for a severe cold that mars
his work, George Manning, as the
French Canadian, Is extremely force
ful His makeup Is perfect, and the
dialect familiar to anyone who knows
the men of his type. His scene
while confessing Is viyidly depicted.
His ante-mortem statement is also
well presented. Thaddeus Shind was
a typical Irish sexton Thomas Bart
lett did everything required Of him
as the brother accused Of the crime.
Frank I. Frayne, boy actor, need
not worry about his future II all his
efforts are as successful as this
week, when he portrays a boy from
the Bowery, with a line Of up.to-date
slang.
aAdelaid Goundre Is giving TO the
.heart-broken mother an impersona-
tion that leaves nothing to be de-
sired. The same may be said OF Ade-
lyn Bushnell, as the sweetheart OF
the accused The rest Of the com@
pany Is creditable.' .