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Show From Bulwer to Bellew, or "The Lady of Lyons." Bulwer Lytton's time -honored drama "The Lady of Lyons" was produced last night at the Garrick Tlieati'e, with Miss Mary Manncring as Pauline and Kyrle Bellew as Claude Melnotte. 'ihe audience was large, enthusiastic and plainly entertained. That no small share of the entertainment came from the play itself was evident after the second act. The drama moved, grew absorbing, till one woman in the orchestra announced, sotto voce, her dis6ovcry: "Why, it's a pretty good play ,if it is old fashioned!" It was excellently staged, well rehearsed and rapidly handled. The acting of the leading characters, however, in some respects fulfilled ful-filled the requirements, in other respects fell short. Miss Manncring certainly justified JL-auline's title of the Beauty of Lyons. She was charming and she was womanly. When she sat with Claude on the bench in the garden and he told her in blank verse to slow music of the beauties of his palace at Como her head sank back upon his shoulder slowly and she yielded so sweetly and so delicately to his words that neither the eye nor the imagination imagina-tion could desire anything better. And in the scenes in her husband's cottage, when she learned, of her betrayal, she played with power and genuine emo-tion. emo-tion. But where was that haughtiness of Pauline which had to be meted? Miss Aiannering left a little the impression that she was won uefore the curtain rose. Mr. Bellew was not able to resist the chance the language of Bulwer so often gave him to fall into painful cadences and that fashion of speech which men like himself have caused to be branded "theatrical". "the-atrical". When a man has betrayed a woman into marriage under false pretenses, and, repentant, is standing over her, trying to explain, the moment is hardly suited to gesticulatory declaration. The dramatic climaxes of the third and last acts he played better. Mrs. W. G. Jones, as Widow Melnotte, a part she played over fifty years ago, won deserved appaluse for the excellent work. The curtain calls for the two principals were numerous. Once Mr. Frank McKee, who managed the production, was led forth smiling. Fortunately he did not hear the query of a young woman to her escort, "Is that the author?" New York Tribune. |