The Deutscher Verein will give the first public performance of its tenth annual play, "Der Steckbrief," by Roderick Benedix, this evening at 8.15 o'clock in Brattle Hall. The play will be repeated tomorrow night in Potter Hall, Boston. Tickets for either performance may be had at the Co-operative, Herrick's, Koehler's Bookstore, 149a Tremont street, Boston, or from F. G. Cheney, 27 Holyoke street, and will also be on sale at the door of the hall after 7 o'clock. The Mandolin Club will furnish music at both performances.
The play, which the Verein has chosen this year is an amusing farce, dealing with a city official anxious of election to the Burgomaster's office, in his efforts to discover and apprehend an alleged French spy. His warrant contains only a very general description of the man, and in his eagerness the Beigeordneter discovers suspicious circumstances connected with three guests at his sister's hotel, and finally has all three arrested and held for examination by a high government official. Amusing love entanglements are provided by two of the guests and a rich old merchant, all in love with his noice.
The Graduates' night performance last evening went off well, despite many of the drawbacks often attendant on a first performance. The play is full of funny situations, but in many places last night the action was allowed to drag; a fault which was enhanced by the fact that two or three of characters did not know their lines.
H. von Kaltenborn '09, as Nipphard, a sharp-dealing merchant, spoke excellent German, and his acting with voice, gesture and facial expression, was at once delicate and forcible. His scene with Bastelmeier in the second act, and his subsequent soliloquy are the best acted bits in the play. P. N. Crusius '09 as Bastelmeier, a travelling salesman, did a distinct and clever bit of characterization; and he as well as von Kaltenborn was quick at taking up his cues. C. A. Neymann '09 as Dicke, the other travelling salesman, did his part well, and P. M. Piel '10 with his broad and varied humor as Flaschner, the policeman, produced a very funny character. G. A. Schnieder '07 in the long part of Beigeordneter Strenge, about whom the whole play centres, was good at times, but did not know his part well enough to throw himself into it and keep up the action of the play.
Both the women's parts were unusually well done. A. B. Kuttner '08 as Dorothea, an amorous and coquettish lady of 35 or 40 years, makes an individual and rather pleasing person out of this stock figure, and with Bastelmeier makes a distinct hit in one of the most difficult scenes of the play. As Franziska, Dorothea's neice, T. W. Knauth 07 makes a charming ingenue, and is more than ordinarily successful in creating an illusion of womanliness.
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