SIGNOR MAJERONI.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5185, 3 November 1877, Page 3

SIGNOR MAJERONI.

Signor Miijeroni ia expected to open in Wellington on the 10th instant. The Melbourne Daily Telegraph thus speaks of ! him in his wonderful representation of "The Old Corporal;"—The p'rt which Signor Majeroni enacts is that of Corporal Sir n, the trusted friend of his general of division, who is killed at the battle of Jena. This General Roquebert, in his dying moments, confides to the Co poral's care' his little daughter Genevieve, whose mother, Mira da' Romtzberg, he was about to marry. The Corporal sends her to his own home, where sheis brought up with his son Lucien. Simon, in the fortune of war,_ is take 1 prisoner, and is sent to work in a Siberian mine. . After an absence from home of 11 years, during which period he is believod to be dead, he reaches hisnative:villagein a highly-dilapi-dated and half-demented state. Roquebert had entrusted him with a secret menage of two words for the notary, the delivery of which would secure to Genevieve a large estate, of which the deputy- ./or of the village hrs become, as Roquebert's , cousin, possessed, Froohard, fie deputy-mayor, finding that Simon has returned, becomes alarmed, and in order to discredit him, artfully contrives to rob him of his passport, and to place a sum of money in his knapsack, which money he is then accused of having stolen. This accusation of theft so overwhelms the old corporal that he falls in a fit, and loses his power of speech. Neither his son Lucien, nor Genevieve, row grown up, recognise him ; he has no passport, he cannot write, and the two words which would, prove his identity, and secure Genevieve, cannot be uttered. Picard, a cavalry soldier, who while lying wounded on the field of Jena, heard the words, promises to announce them, but the deputy-mayor threatens this man that if he dogs not keep the'secret he will expose his son, who has really committed the theft of whicli Simon has been accused. Picard shoots himself, and the last hope seems to be gone. The mother of Genevieve is now the wife of an officer named Taverney. She is constantly seeking her lost illegitimate daughter, and her husband is naturally anxious that the daughter shall not be i found. Simon and Genevieve, who, with Lucien, have been turned out of their home by Frochard, in whose debt they are, accidentally encounter Madame Taverney, who eventually .recognises Genevieve as her daughter. Lucien and Genevieve have long been deeply attached, but Taverney and the deputy-mayor arranged ! together, that in order that the latter may retpin Roquebert's fortune, and that the fact that Madame Taverney has an illegitimate, daughter may be kept secret, Genevieve' shall marry the deputymayor. On hearing this Lucien: fires a pistol at his own head, but misses the mark, and in the sudden excitement caused by this occurrence the Old Corporal recovers the power of speech. He is then enabled to explain everything, the vilany of Frochard is defeated, and Lucien and Genevieve, the latter having recovered her father's estate, aremarried. The piece for its success depends almost solely on the power of conveying thoughts and words by pantomimic gesture, and here Signed Majeroni displayed an ability which was truly marvellous. His expression of varying emotions • and pourtray al of the ' strongest feelings of rage,, joy, grief, and despair, with the eloquence of action, must be seen to be understood.