"STORY OF THE ROSARY"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 195, 7 May 1918, Page 8

"STORY OF THE ROSARY"

<► MELODRAMA OF LOVE AND WAR "The Story of I lie llosary," a melodrama in four acts liv Waller Howard, l.'nst:(>ptaiii Paul liomiiln ... Mr. Allan Wllkie Udouol Uildcbraiid Mr. iloberl, lmiian var Urosij Mr. Vivian Kthvards ['•} I» I'hllip lloniaiu ... Mr. Waller Jliint jieuleiiant I'eterkin Mr. Henri Dore l.rluee hnbrnii Mr. H. W. Varna. iMeodniiiiia Wluhel Mr. Itoimld llilev lalher Theodore Mr. Herbert ljolgh '' ~ ", ,t,! ;•; Mr. M. Ilellis Nirler Wmiriit Misn Nellie Forpiismi IV 1 "'' 1 Miss Arielo liimau Veuetia .Snbritn ... Mien Marie Ney liven us Iho jji-imil. war has cliaugeil iiNiiij- liniiK-, mi bus it to ii very coiiflidci'aiuc e.vtenl justified wlml we have i'lM'ii,l-i reifiinleu as lliu homewhaf tawilly nen.ies ol melodrania. ,H leasl, it ha." shown how futile are the vain iniiifiiniiiH.-, of Iho most inventivo ,f melodrainalists compared with the thousand and olio deeds of deathless valour which have been eonsiiinnialed in our tlieufrcß of war, deeds ulliich, if introduced iiilii ii |i!n.y a few years ago, would linve been derided iih preposterously extravagant and ridieiioiirdy oveiilrann. Ine Nlury of the KosuTy," played by Hi" Allan Willtie Compitny nl the (iraml Opira llou.'ie, Ihough n ji'ro-war proiluel, is ulivo with' the clang of arms, and hive and hnlo stick aido hy sido in tho liny uiiil'onns of tho Ked Dragoons. Tho «(ory involves tho lovo affairs of Capjam Paul Itomnin and his cousin, Capaiii Phillip lloniaiu, whoso lovo and lives are |uirteil by (heir mutual passion lor Prmee.'.i Veiielia Saliran. On the night iv;u' is dechtrod, Phillip who liiih Vonolia'M father in his power, iirojuisefl and is rejccled, but leads Paul to believe that his suit, has been aiiocossful. Vcnetiii Ir-ai-im tho lie immediataly before (ho reicnnenl mnrelies, <ind, riisliing to Paul's looms, thorn mid then denounces Phillip m a double-dwlillrd scoundrel, and <leelares her lovo for Paul. The,. P-inco easts his dniighler off for refusing tho b.iml ol thi! man (o whom ho is indentnl, and Paul, getting it connlo of hours' leave, rushes Vunotin to Mm hymeneal nllar nl, tho ilouhlf). Tho cercmonv over and Venetia placed in charge of a kindly old priest and his sislor, Paul gallop's away in the niffht to injoin his regiment. Through nn uceidenf ho is thrown from his horse, and arrives twenty-four hours lute, battling through n. hail of enemy Imllelfl in order to wsko good, and i'» eventually carried to safely by his good friend, Karl Woso. He is placed under arrest, anil is unccrod at by his cousin us it dwcrlcr in tho face of tho enemy. His reward comes when Colonel llildebiaml is shot and places Iho command (il the regiment in Paul's hnnxk. There is n great and victorious charge miido i by (ho Dragoons, which ends the war, ! but Paul cannot bo found anywhere [ Tho scene in which tho news of his supi posed death is conveyed to Venotia, liy ; !.arose, mm of tho best in tho play, was i qui to admirably acted. Venetia's brain | gives way. She cannot believo Paul dead, j and continues to niako ready for his i coining, until Phillip brutally forces tho truth upon her, nnd in his dceiro to possess her makes an attempt lo abduct her,, which in frustrated'by tho faithful Larose. Finally Vonetia, whj'has entered tho Convent of tho Good Shepherd, is about to lako final vows and leave the vorltt. That aimo night tho officers of llio Dragoons uro celebrating their year-old victory, and Phillip has just made a boast of himself by refusing to drink to tho memory of Paul,- when tho latter, bloodstninod and in tatters, staggers into tho messroom to confront his arch roaligucr As a prisoner ho had been hurried away to llic mines, and though peace had boon doclarcd hat: been heia ;i slave. By n miracle he escapes, and reI urns lo his own country. After humiliating Phillip, Paul seeks nv wife, an.l among tho flowers nt the- old y/riesr.s garden they find happiness as the M.rains of "Tho llosary" from the organ in the Church of Hip Good Shepherd fall like a benediction upon llio reunited lovers. The play is a trifle uneven in quality, but the story has a human note, and the bi». '''it' lo scenD > ln w '''i cn n ' s ' le " sails through the air. --'.ml demolishes a section of the tscene, is thrillhifdy topical. The idea, too, of involving the popular sonß, "The Hostuy," in the mesh of the story is a sound Bontimental touch, Mr. Allan .Wilkie, with ins breezy action and percussive elocution, excited much spnpathy as the manly Paul, and Mr. Vivian Mwards gave a likeable performance as his friend, Karl Larosc, who takes tho heroic niche in the piny during Paul's disappearance. Mr.-Walter Hunt's assumption of tho role ol Phillip Hmnain could scarcely be bettered. He had a most admirable snari, and did his best to bo as viciously insulting on every occasion as a man could, and- it was all done with a ravage conviction which earned the hearty hisses of the gallery. A fine mellow performance- was (riven by Mr. Herbert Leigh us Father Theodore, who was given the best scenes in the play. Mr. H. W. Varna was Prince Sabran, and Mr. Henri Dore was comical as Lieutenant Potorkin. Mr. Itonald Riley's sketch as Kicodemus Winkel was lloynrthinn in make-up and mannerquitfl a little cameo in eccentric comedy. Jliss Marie Ney was well suited as Venotia up to a point. Sho hardly measured the full depth of iho character, and a greater variation of tone would lend a little more colour to her performance. She looked verv well as tho white-robed novitiate of the final act. Miss Kellio ■Pcrpcusnn was Sistor Wanda, and Miss Adele Inman appeared as Minn, the daughter of Ontnin Hildebrand, welt plaved bv Mr. Ttobert Inman. 'vTho Story of the Rosary" will be

■ played for tho next few nights.