THE SUNDAY OBEGQNIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY' 18, 1900. ;
IT
M ETROPOUTAN TH EATER
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DAN SULLY'S COMEDY-DRAMA
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"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