St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-01

On Monday night, Signor Salvini, one Of
the greatest tragedianS the world has ever
known, began an engagement at the Met
ropolitan Opera house as Othello. Several
years ago John Mccullough was asked
" hat he thought of Salvini as Othell0. He
replied: 81 have read Othello. heard
Othello, and at last have seen Othello."
SaIvini has no equal in the part. Although
he speaks his lines in Italian, which are not
Ineligible to more than few OF his audi
ence, yet by the intensity OF his acting and
the intelligent meaning conveyed by his
vocal expression and movements it is posi-
BILE to understand almost anything he is
saying. At the point where he doubts the
imputations of Iago that Desdemona has
not been faithful to her marriage vows, and
throws Iago to the ground it was notice
able that he was much more gentle in his
treatment of the mimic villain than when
last seen in this city. At one time at the
Academy of Music Salvini's brother played
Iago to his Othello, and it was said at that
time that only brotherly affection could ac-
count for his brother playing IagO, as the
force with which Othello threw him upon
the stage was sufficient to break his back.
Salyini is even more gentle with BESIDE
mona in the last act, when he drags her by
the hair to the couch to kill her than with
former DeSdemonas. His OthellO is a
marvellous performance and beggars de-
scription. The company that supported
him was inefficient. Much of the scenery
was handsome. Among other plays Sal
vini will be seen in during this engagement
are liking Lear" 1.-THE Gladiator" lingo
mar" and Coriolanus."
*.%
Many engagements have been offered to
Nine. Palmer-Nevada by European inn
pressarios, says her manager, bnt she has
declined them all. ''N[y own country first, -
she says, with much good judgment. eff /
can please my countrymen | am more than
content; let other triumphs come later"
She will be heard in concert at Chickering
hall on Nov. and Z. On Nov. 9 she will
appear at the Cleveland musical festival,
going thence direct to San Francisco, after
ward returning East. Col. Mapleson's opera
season begins on Monday night at the
Academy OF Music. The advance sale has
not been large The general impression
prevails that he will not make any money
by his New York engagement.
One of the most popular of farce writer's,
and probably the oldest living dramatist, is
wearing away the last days of an industri-
Gus life in poverty in London. His
name is Madison Morton. He is
chiefly remembered for the incom-
parable ''Box and Cox" that seems
to survive every change of fashion. Poor
Morton has lived at an unfortunate time.
He was doing his best work when the
drama was miserably underpaid. He only
got G5 note for ''BoX and Cox" And in
those days the farce was indispensable. 1t
was Boucicault who raised the market for
the dramatist, and discovered the Ameri-
eau stage as a source of revenue for the
English playwriter. Bnt Boucicault at the
same time was the introducer of long runs,
which soon meant extraordinary outlay on
the piece de resistance and neglect and ulti-
mate suppression of the lever de rideau.
The farce dwindled in importance just at
the time when dramatic writers were well
paid ard theaters grew numerous. Maddi-
son Morton was born eighty-six years ago,
began to write early, was always popular
and prolific writer, and is now miserably
poor. Morton, it is said, has written new
play, and it is now in the hands of that
great actor of old-fashioned farces, Mr..
Toole. G. WoTHERsPooN, JR.