Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1900)
THE SUNDAY OBEGQNIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY' 18, 1900. ; IT M ETROPOUTAN TH EATER PSSfgl BsasTsMsa-nfi DAN SULLY'S COMEDY-DRAMA I EN, THE CONTRACTO ' . v I- WlZZls COMMENCING '.- liSiliiialSB XlJJ'h a3 r ni . : ; J J Mi ii " ?s Nov" and Then. 3a legendary te, wfcfcsii mw "We're MM. ef hew Ae laretet eanr T hire men ee tbe rocks. We ee thiegg hi a 4Sercat way Prem what tay them then; Pw Bwasys tbe elren stags Te tare the rooks frees, men. Judge. NOT UP TO EXPECTATIONS Sfevr Aeoreits la Cast of "The LlttU Minister" Finished Produc tion of "Macbeth." Bo fensatieBt Is the scramble to see something new that it Is no small wonder "Tbe Little Minister" found an eager wel come awaiting R, tsbte past week, from local tiiooter-goers. Its long New Tork run, added to tbe magic that dwells in the names ef J. M. Barrie and Maud Adams, Invested It with a certain halo of Inter est. On the whole. It must be admitted, vslth a sigh of disappointment, that, as presented to ue bore in Portland, it did not quite come up to expectations. Bar rie, In his book, nan given us one of the m&st piquant and original love stories the mind of sms. has invented in this entire generation. He has painted for us, with tender skill, yet In lines of daring con trast, two characters wholly strange to fiction Lady Babbie and the little min ister. He has brought together, in the warm strain of mutual affection, the can niest and the uncanniest creatures that ever trod on Scotch heather. Such creations as these cannot be en trusted to inexperienced actors, without jeopardising the success of the play. We surmise that the company of players Mr. Frohman sent ue includes a number of new recruits to the profession. Undoubt edly there are talent and cleverness among them, together with a generous supply of good intention all of which give encour aging promise of good results some time la the future. Lady Babbie. Grace Heyer, ee far as her saucy gipsy coquetries and wild spirit of mischief go. Is admirably adapted for the part of Babbie. In the early scenes she is a lawless, alluring, sprightly creature, with disheveled hair, a beautiful face and dan gerous, enticing lights in her merry eyes, but she lacks the necessary depth and seriousness for the change of mood that comes over her as she discovers her leve for the little minister. She Is lacking In dignity and earnestness when these qual ities are demanded of her, and her work on the whole, is like that of the majority of the company unpolished and crude Kate Ten Xyck's comedy work. In the to e of Karaite, was breeey and clever, suggesting a larger experience than that of her associates, but she lacked the simplicity and naivete that are the very marrow of Scotch humor. Adolph Jack son s portrayal of the little minister, the central figure of the play, -was stiff and ineffective. Posblbty this was due to the c nstraint, the gaucherie, that come from lack of stage experience and from morbid st If-consciousness. If this is the case, It would be harsh and unjust to pass ad i era Judgment upon him. If on'y we had not read Barrie' s book, or enJoed Katherine Oliver's incompara b e Impersonations of those queer, delight fu' folk In Thrums, or If we had not Just reveled in the line art W James. Kidder and Hanford puusllny we might have ac cepted Mr. Frohman's company without demur Mr Barrie's power does not lie in his dramatic gifts In this adaptation of his story to the stage, be has given us no thrilling episodes, no climax. The fate of the play depends upon successful char acterisation and this lies entirely in the hands of the actors. If their art had been less crude. It would have inspired a warmer flow of enthusiasm And so In the end tt all comes to tWs-that the bril liant record the play has made roust have been due In no small degree, to the magnetic personallt of Maud Adams. It Is a curious and noteworthy fact that no two people exactly agree as to the real character Shakespeare Intended to portrar m Lady Macbeth. Tragic actress es of every temper and even clime have esayed this role for there te none greater on tbe Batlsh-peaktng stage yet from the scornful. Impassioned horror of Mrs Frltchans's conception of It, a century and a half aco. down to the refined art of Kiss Kidder, as exhibited last night st the Marquam, the Impersonations have been utterly diverse, and. strange to sy, each has plausible arguments to sup port it Am bitten the Keynote. AH agree that overmastering ambition was tihe keynote to her character. But was It merely a setf-eeatered, lew-grouad-sd personal ambition to make herself aue, as we are told la the ancient Brit- lsh chronicle on which Shakespeare based his play? Or was It an ambition that was born, of a self-forgetting, passionate wish to elevate her husband to a loftier dignity than rightfully belonged to him? This point has never been definitely settled, but certainly the latter view is more in accord with her woman's nature, while the ilrst Is in direct -violation of it And Lady Mac beth, forceful, cruel by self-training, dar ing of purpose, relentless in action, was yet a woman to the end. She loved her husband, and though she may have been treacherous to all the world beside, she was never, even In her moments of angry contempt, disloyal to him in word or deed. She had sufficiently feminine qualities of mind and soul to in spire tender affection in Macbeth, for many endearing epitheta are exchanged between them. Great beauty has always i i i i i i i MISS GEORGIA COOPER, WITH METROPOLITAN THEATER COMPANY. been ascribed to her, and despite her proud, unconquerable courage and superb dignity, she doubtless had much alluring grace of manner. Mrs. Slddons, whose portrayal of this role was so powerful that strong men wept and women were carried faint ing from the house, once said: "Accord ing to my notion, Lady Macbeth's beauty is of that character which I believe Is generally allowed to be most captivating to the other sex fair, feminine, nay, per haps even fragile." Occasionally Lady Macbeth lost her mood of Imperturbable strength, as when she recoiled In horror from the awful act: Had he not resembled my father as he slept. I had done it. Not a Human Monster. And, again, when the news was brought her that he'r husband had murdered Dun can's grooms, she fainted. No; Shakes- Melbourne SlacDoTrclX. pe&re has not given us a human monster a "delicate and refined fiend." Over and aver again throughout the play her wom an's nature breathes through the lines, and, therefore, it is not unreasonable to at tribute a more unselfish motive for her crime than that of purely personal ambi tion. She attains her heart's desire, yet In the months of weary depression and terror that follow, remorse eats its way Into her eouL With all her superhuman energy of will, the woman in her conquers in the end. An accusing conscience kills her. The Irish Stagre-Hero. Bouclcault may have been a deviser of low art," a creator of spurious and un real types, a playwright whose honest, daredevil, happy-igo-lucky Irish peasants are ant to be snubbed by present-day crlt- Ics, yet after all there Is something about "Arrah-na-Pogue" as it was played by the Moore-Roberts company last week that tugs at the heartstrings and leaves one midway between laughter and tears. At least, It is a good deal more whole some than most of our,, plays of today, be cause It Is cleaner, and because also it is filled and running over with fresh, spon taneous humor. We are ready to forgive its sentimentallsm, because once in a while there Is a touch of true pathos. We forget that the real Irishman of the soil is not so brave, nor so modest, nor so true-hearted as Shaun, the Postman, be cause he happens to be as witty as Shaun. It may be only an Illusion, this romantic hero of Boucicault's Irish plays, but at least It Is a very pleasant, harmless sort of an illusion. Nobodywas the worse for the laugh he enjoyed during the perform ance, and doubtless many a dyspeptic frown was driven away by the captivating humor of Shaun as a prisoner before the bar. The Moore-Roberts company during their prolonged stay in this city has shown themselves to be genial entertainers who will leave many pleasant memories behind them. But they might have done better than give us "Mrs. Qulnn's Twins." As a play. It is of little value except to show off their Irish brogue. One is always hoping that something will happen In the next act; but nothing does happen. The only episodes are such as furnish an ex cuse lor the schoolmaster to kiss some body, which he does with hearty vigor. Nearly everybody in the play is kissed on some pretext or another everybody, in fact, except the twins. And since these are the central figures, and of sufficient importance to have the play named named after them, this seems an unfair discrim ination. Why did not somebody kiss the twins? FRAWLEY NEXT WEEK. Will Open tbe Cordray Engagement With. "The Sporting: Duchess." The Frawley company will open a three weeks' engagement at Cordray's a week from tonight. It has Just closed a bril liant 12 weeks' run In San Francisco, and news of its success there has reached Portland on more than one occasion. The company has been a favorite with the theater-goers of this city for the past five years, and it Is doubtful If there is any dramatic organization which enjoys a higher standing with the better class of the lovers of the drama here. The engagement will open with a pro duction of "The Sporting Duchess." a drama that has scored successes In Eng land and .America. It was written by Henry Hamilton. Cecil Raleigh and Sir Augustus Harris. The story of the play runs as follows: The Earl of Desborough Is on the verge of bankruptcy. His stud of racers is mortgaged to Major Mostyn, who wag once a suitor for the hand of the Coun tess of Desborough. Mostyn secretly at tempts to ruin the earl, and is aided by Viian Darllle, once loved by Desbor ough. She meets the earl at night, tries to rekindle the old flame, and Is seen by the wife, who takes the train for Lon don. Mostyn meets the countess; escorts her to a hotel; insults her, and reveals his true character. Desborough follows his wife to assert his innocence, but find ing her in the same hotel with Mostyn, his suspicions are aroused. He thrashes his perfidious friend and brings suit for divorce. Mostyn forecloses the mortgage, and the racing stable of Desborough goes under the hammer. In the stable is the famous racer Clipstone, entered for the Derby and the favorite for the event. The Duchess of Milford, an enormously wealthy widow, known as "the Sporting Duchess," bids against Mostyn. and, getting tlfe horse, gives him to the earl, taking the chance that the winning will repay her. Clip stone wins the Derby; Desborough's for tunes are restored; the adventuress is unmasked, and the earl and his wife be come reconciled. "The Sporting Duohess" will bo oro- EVENING FEB. 18 duced with special scenery, Jockeys; race horses and other realisms. It will bring out the full strength of the Frawley com pany, which Includes, besides T. Daniel Frawley, Harrington Reynolds, Francis Byrne, Clarence Montaine, J. R. Armory, Wallace Shaw. H. 3. Duffleld, Frank Mathieu, George Oaston, Clarence Chase, Reginald Travers, Thomas Phillips, Roy Stevenson and the Misses Keltfi Wake man, Mary Van Buren, Phosa McAllister, Marlon Barney, Pearl Landers, Mlnnette Barrett and Lillian Stafford. AT THE METROPOLITAN. Inauguration of the Regular Dra matic Season Tonight. Much is expected from Mothersole & Abbott's company, which opens the dra matic season at the Metropolitan tonight with "O'Brien, the Contractor," a comedy-drama which Daniel Sully popularized from one ocean to the other several years ago. At least five members of the com pany have won fame, and the remainder of the cast Is said to be thoroughly tap able. Charles W. King, who plays O'Brien, was with Frawley'e original company, and' Is regarded by some crit ics as the coming character actor of America. Miss Georgie Cooper Is well known as a decidedly clever singing sou brette. She has youth, beauty and vi vacity. Her performance in the "Geisha" at the Marquam last season will be pleas antly remembered. Miss Laura Adams also combines dra matic and vocal talent. In the season of 1892 she alternated with Jessie Bartlett Davis in the Bostonians. Charles Welch was formerly with the Frawleys, and Page M. Spencer with the Clay Clement company In "The New Dominion." The cast is as fojlows: James O'Brien, the millionaire contrac tor Charles W. King Frank Roberts, a protege of O'Brien's. : Charles Welch Lorlllard Lenox, a railroad magnate... ..Alex Beauford Jason Fleece, a lawyer .Page Spencer Baron von Steinburg Oscar Norfleet Sharp, a detective Carl Nixon Kerrigan, a laborer on the railroad.... Eddie Holland Flora Van Buren... ...Miss Laura Adams Flossie Van Buren, her daughter Ollle Cooper Cicely Fleece, daughter of Jason Fleece Miss Georgia Cooper Hans, a butcher Colder Sjiow "During the progress of the play, spe cialties will be introduced by Georgia Cooper, who will do the latest coon songs; Miss Adams, who will eng ballads, and Eddie Holland, who does an Irish song and dance. Matinees will be given regu larly Saturdays and Sundays, and there will be a special matinee next Thursday, Washington's birthday. BLANCHE "WALSH COMING. "Will Appear in Snrdon Repertoire at Marqnnm Next Weelc. An event of dramatic importance to local theater-goers will be the appear ance of Blanche Walsh and Melbourne MacDowell at the Marquam on Monday of next week, when those two well-known players will begin an engagement of three nights and a Wednesday matinee in Sar dou's great plays, "La Tosca" and "Cleo patra," Identified so thoroughly In the past with the successes of Sarah Bern hardt and Fanny Davenport. The Walsh- MacDowell company Is said to be espe cially strong- this season, and its repre sentatives report a good business for It everywhere. Miss Walah, whose talents are generally acknowledged by the American playgolng public, Iras "been re ceived with much, favor, and Mr. Mac Dowell and the other players of the com bination have won renewed appreciation. C6ncernlng the plays themselves and the setting they receive on the present tour. It is enough to aay that their pro duction Is averred to be fully equal to that of past seasons, when they were regarded as being among the most mag nificent stage spectacles extant. The Mar quam engagement will open with "Cleo patrai," and, owing to the length of the c5R,r7 : performance, the curtain will be rung up promptly at 8 o'clock. The sale of seats and boxes will open on Friday morning next. "TOO MUCH JOHNSON." Gillette's Comedy Opens at Cordray's for Week, Commencing Tonlffht. William Gillette's laughable comedy,. - 5Sr I ifni ! IP -? rr4 ,MATINEES $ , POPULAR-PRICES CORDRAY'S THEATER WEEK COMMENCING TONIGHT, SUNDAY, MATTNEE SATURDAY. FIRST TIME EVER AT POPULAR PRICES, GREATEST OF ALL COMEDIES Too M By Wo. Gillette, author of "Secret Service," "Sherlock Holmes," "Held by tfte Enemy," The large audience was in a roar of laughter the entire evening. New York Herald. ....No one stops to breathe on the stage or In the audience while the curtain is up. New York Commercial Advertiser. USUAL PRICES. NEXT ATTRACTION THE FRAWLEY CO. "Too Much Johnson," will be presented at Cordray's theater tonight, and will run all the week, Including Saturday matinee. The company which will present It Is said to be capable and well equipped with all the accessories for the proper produc tion of the piece. The story of the play is familiar enuogh, and yet It will bear repetition: A New York lawyer named Billings falls madly In love with the wife of a com mercial traveler, and hearing that she Is about to sail for Cuba, takes passage on the same steamer. Arrived in Cuba, he finds that his wife and mother-dn-law have arrived on a second steamer, and the lady's husband on a third. A savage planter, named Johnson, which, by the way, Is the appellation Billings has adopted, helps to make Billings unhappy and cause amusing complications. APPLAUDED BY RULE. Nicety ol Roman Playgoers jn Tetl- tyingr Approval of Actors. From some relics which have Just been unearthed at Pompeii the Interesting dis covery has been made, says the New York Herald, that the theater-goera In old Rome were much more punctilious In the matter of applause than we mod erns are. If they approved of a play or T. Daniel Frawley. "A5 SCENE FROM "O'BRIEN, THE CONTRACTOR. of an actor's performance, they testified their approval openly, but In such a man ner as to show the exact amount of grati fication which the performance had af forded them. In other words, they were guided by rigid rules in the matter, and eo well were these rules known that ev ery actor could tell at once whether he was really making a lilt Jfftth the public, - THURSDAY, SATURDAY AND Evenings 15c, 25c, 35c, uch Johnsoi or was playing to an audience that failed to appreciate even his best efforts. When the theater-goera were fairly well satisfied with a play, they applauded by snapping with the thumb and middle fin ger. If they wanted the actors to under stand that they were really satisfied with the performance, they clapped loudly by beating the left hand on the right. Only the fingers of the left hand were brought Into play on such occasions, and the sound was as If two earthen vessels had been knocked together. A more hearty token of approval was given by striking the flat palms of the hands against each other. A still more marked token of pleasure was curving of the hands and then strik ing them hard against each other. At times, however, there was an occa- slon when even these methods of testify ing approval would be insufficient to ex press the popular delight. It became the custom on every such occasion for all persons In the audience to applaud by waving a corner of their togas or robes in the direction of the stage. The peo ple of the lower class in Rome wera not privileged to wear togas, but the Em peror Aurellan permitted them, whenever they went to the theater, to carry a piece of cloth,, so that if the play proved an extraordinary success they might be able to testify their approval in the recognized fashion. GRACIOUSLY DONE, INDEED. Tactful Act by a Concert Performer of Masterly Skill. So 'much Is said about the Ill-feeling and Jealousy of musicians that it is a pleasure to record an Instance of the opposite sort,. Some time ago a concert was given In n city for the assistance of some charity, The programme was lotig-, and repeated en. cores had made It wearisome, when a colored woman came forward to sing. She sang, well not better nor worse than, her predecessors and the management, think ing to hurry matters a little, sent the next performer on as she left the stage. Thto was a man who plays the organ with mas terly skill, and whose name Is sufficient to give distinction to any programme. He took his seat, and at the first lull In the enthusiastic applause which followed the singer's withdrawal, began to play. It appeared that the audience felt that a slight had been put upon the singer, and the applause became uproarious. The woman came forward and bowed her thanks and the organist began again, but the people would have none of him. They clapped and pounded and stamped, apparently bent on drowning out the or gan. At last the singer came out again j and, with half-apologetic glance toward the organist, stepped to the front of the fTOO . :rv stage. An accompanist behind the scene struck tbe preluding- notes of "Suwanee River." An instantaneous hush fell upon the great throng. The house was as quiet as it had been noisy a moment before. Then the singer began, and as she sang there came so soft, as hardly to be heard, an exquisite accompaniment from the organ SUNDAY 50c'j Matinees !5erand 25c JOHN F. CORDRAY, Manager FEBRUARY 1J&' THE i "The Private Secretary," etc 300 nights la New YobX. HO sights la Boston, 200 nights in Louden, Bngr., ete. Marquam Grai Calvin HeiUar, Manager, Monday Tuesday Wednesday Feb. 26, 27and 2 Wednesday Matinee BLANCHE Seats and Boxes On Sale WALSH And Melfeonr IVlACDOWELL In Sardou's great plays, Mon. and Tues. Nights and Wednesday matinee. "CLEOPATRA" Wednesday night, "LA TOSCA" Prices. 26c, B0c, 75c, $1.00 and $1 B0 a beautiful, wordless song breathing through the sweet old melody, uplifting; and sustaining the singer's voice. It was a gracious tribute and the audience was Blanche Walsh. not slow to recognize it When the musio ceased there was another tremendous dut burst of applause, but this time it waa by way of reparation, as weH a reward. Yonngr American Actors. The February issue of tbe Cosmopolitan Magazine, which is an excellent number, both as to Illustrations and subject-matter, contains an interesting- article oa "Noted Young Men of the American Stage," by Joseph W. Herbert. It em braces entertaining and gossipy bits of information about B. H. Sothern, William Faversham, Guy Standing, James K. Hackett, Robert Edesew, Charles J Rick man. B. J. Morgan, Maurice Barrymora and others fully as well known. The pa per is better written than most maga zine articles of the kind, aad some of the storks told of popular matinee heroes ate new, and they are good stories. The writer has unbounded faith in the future of the American stage, and writes hi glowing terms of some of the bright young men. who are helping to make It famous. Two Can- Play at It. At thto moment something came hart- line from, the gallery and narrowly missed the gifted tragedian. Instantly he adavneed to the footlights. "This 1 a game," he seJd te a deep voice, "that two can play atT" And he. took an egg from his pocket and threw if with all his might. It struck one of the pillars of the gallery aC scattered Itself. Impartially ever IS or hoodlums. He took out another egg. but he did not have to throw K. The flrst oae had done Reeipe fee clearing a gallery Same as for efeariag a pot of eoffee: Use aa egg. -Chieago Tribune. Weary's Advice. "Say, Weary, I'm thtnkte' gehV on stage as Roraeo." "Hw,s dat, Lteinyr "Why. dey say dot de new 3eo In 4 New York gran' onry never shaves. "TOaH don't vou am en. XJonsr. till ou hear of a Romeodat never bathes.".. Cleveland Plain. Dealer. Ye Prima. Donna's Cheieei X hofDoloHg cab's a. etoormtng tbtegV Bet If efee fco r efcalee The prnaa. AMtea'A aKreys eeesoe Te save a. ho&netese voleo. -Earner's Sue