ENTERTAINMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3773, 29 March 1875, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE QUEEN’S THEATRE. The Hibernicon Troupe made their final appearance at the Queeivs Theatre on Faturdav evening, when there was a pretty numerous attendance. _ The programme, which was of the usual varied character, was spiritedly gone through. o-night the company appears at Fort Ohalmers. THE PRINCESS THEATRE. The theatre was crowded in the lower parts, and had a well-filled circle on Saturday evening, when Miss May Howard made her first ai’P arauce beioro a Dunedin audience in “ The Geneva Cross,” and though not supposed as she should Lave been, because it was only ioo evident that the vb co bad not been carefully rehearsed, am. in a play not well calculated to develop her best powers, created a very favorable impression. Everyone knows that ‘’The Geneva Cross -> is from the pen of Mr Cl. F. Uowe ami the p.ot is founded on an incident 1* n l ’ aiiCo Hmssian war. Produced a; - it originally was, when interest in the war was strong, it ig 6aS y t 0 believe that it was received ,-*® n great lavor at Home and in America: but with us all excitement or feeling on this Score has long since evaporated, and thus it happens that the play itself, and most of its points have fallen flatly upon colonial ears. And except in the first act, in which some exceedingly smart things are put into the mouths of the principal characters, we fail to find much in the play. The solid construction of the first act contrasts markedly "with-the looseness of the third and final acts, into which a great deal of claptrap and mocW sentiment arc introduced. Briefly stated, the plot is this: The piece opens in the rifle-cannon factory of jVL Lel’ruii (Mr Musgrave) at \uxerre, who has an only daughter—Gabiielie (Miss Howard)— with whom Mie overseer of the works—Mathieu Moiueau (Mr Clinton) —is in love. A youn" Prussian officer—Kid du Bourg (Mr StJde) - assail:e-> the disguise of a workman, and enters the factory to perfect his knowledge in the -art of gun-casting. His superiority over. Jus fellow-workmen, and his ready acquis! fcion of knowledge places him in a prominent position in the works, and at length attracts the attention of Gabrielle, the result being a warm but undeclared attachment between teem. Mathieu Moineau seeing tlrs endeavors to find means to havo Riel discharged, hhis is supplied by the arrival of a letter bearing,a florma.’ 1 postmark addressed to Riel, and be is accused °f being a spy and dismissed. At the request Gabrielle, he is reinstated.

At Gabrielle’s birthday fete Reil declares his lore for Qabrielle, which is returned, and after disclosing to her father who he is, the latter gives his consent to their marriage. The news of the declaration of war between France and Prussia follows, and the act closes on a spirited scene of the workmen, headed by Gabrielle singing Partant pour la Syrie.” The remainder of the drama takes place during the siege of Paris, Le Brnn, Riel du Bourg, and Gabrielle, now his wife, are among the beleagured. Moineau, still preserving his enmity, denounces the young man, who is employed at the ambulance, as a Prussian spy, and he is on the point of being arrested when, by the ready w ,°[ his wife, he escapes disguised. Gabrielle anti her father are thrown into prison, and Momeau, now a captain in the Garde Mobile, offers to save them if Gabrielle will consent to forget her husband and become his. 'Phis she indignantly rejects, snd they are about to be executed, when, opportunely, the Prussians headed by Riel enter the fortress, and save ins wife and father-in-law. Condign justice is assigned to Moineau, he being shot , 1 ° w r c i? mec |y aQ d a soubrette part —the underp!ot of the piece-are filled by Miss Stoneham and 'dr Keogh. With saying that Miss Howard was called betore the curtain at the close ot each act, we must reserve further notice of the Vxeneva Cross,” which will be ; epeated tonight, when it is sure to go better than it did on Saturday