St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-13
IN THE PLAY HOUSES.
Miss Margaret Mather as Juliet and the
Unusual Success She is
Meeting.
Queen of sheba," its First Night in the
United States Beats the
Record.
Miss Victoria Schilling Quits Her
Tights for the White Frock
of Amorita.
Local Theaters--Haver Minstrels
1.-The EsAdamless Eden''--The
Coming Week.


Correspondence of the Globe
NEW YORK, Dec. 11.-MlSs Margaret
Mather has been at the Union Square the
alter ten weeks. and during that time she
has acted only one character-that OF Jullet
in .'Romeo and Juliet" Now, 1t IS pretty
well known that 'Romeo and Juliet is not
what is called popular play-that IS 10
to say, play popular in the sense that
MANY ephemeral productions are, produc-
tons that last on the stage many hundred
nights. In another sense, ''Romeo and
Juliet is popular. 1t is one OF the most
liked of Shakespeare dramas, fact which
does not change the record that "Romeo
and Juliet has never run" on the Amerl-
can stage until Mr.. j. NJ. HILL Miss Math-
ers manager, placed it at the Union Square
theater. On Christmas night MI. HIS re-
yivaI will have been given Seventy-ive
times. and Miss Mather will have acted
Juliet the same number of times, consecu-
lively. 1t seems almost phenomenal that
this should be so. Even Mr.. Booth, who
revived the play magnifcently when he was
the director of Booths theater in its great
days, could not prevail upon the public to
witness the work, with very strong cast,
including himself to back 1t, more than
few nights consecutively. In Boston Miss
Mather acted the part with brilliant success
for two week; in New DIRK she may act II
for 100 nights. 1t IS idle TO pretend that
the splendor Of scenery and costumes with
which Romeo and Juliet is decorated
and illustrated at the Union Square
theater is responsible for so re-
markable a result, Beautiful scenery has
failed more than once to bring enduring
popularity 10 Romeo and Juliet" 1t is
iat acting of Miss Mather, above anything
else. which has made the success OF the re-
yiyal. which has attracted large and SYM
pathetic audiences continually TO the the
ater The people OF New DIRK, like the
ueuple of Boston, admire Miss Mather and
nave made the engagement the most con-
sDcouS personal triumph OF the season.
They have permitted her. by encouraging
and applauding her, to SurpaSS all the pre-
yious records of actresses who have per-
formed the character Of Juliet. This is
fact, and it should be acknowledged frankly.
1t is All astonishing fact when it is remem-
bered that Miss Mather is extremely young
and has been on the stage only little more
than three years. 1t IS astonishing, too,
because when Mr.. Hill projected his revival
and went to work spending money on it
Iayishly, he was assured that the revival
would be a failure and that Miss Mather
would not be accepted in New York-at
least not without long and uphill Strug-
gle. Yet in spite of the sagacious predic
lions of Mr. HIPS friends and counselors,
his object has been accomplished without
OstentatiouS advertising of any Sort with
out Subiecting Miss Mather to the foolish
inquiries Of interyieWerS and gOsSps, and
without forcing her personality upon the
public except in one character OF Juliet.
As Juliet, Miss Mather is now widely known
here. AS herself, she is hardly known to
anyone outside of her studio, where she
gives many hours each day to serious and
patient study. Ii single person imagineS
that Miss Mather is satisfied with herself
because she has won a great triumph on the
stage of New York, that person is mis-
taken Her ambition is for the future,
not for the present. She Is determined
to master her natural genius. to invest it III
all the graces and feliciteS of art; in fact.
to train herself perfectly. The success of
Miss Mather's Juliet is both financial and
artistic. Money has been made each week
since the revival was offered to our public.
How long she will continue to. act Juliet is
a doubtful question. The strain of the
character is enormous and it tells on her, as
one can easily understand. The likelihood
is that she will act it so long as the physical
strength needed for it lasts. Then she will
take brief rest of two or three days and
make her first appearance here as Leah
one of her strongest representations. The
version Of Leah that is to be offered at
the Union Square theater will be practically
Il new play.