St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-29
sam 7 PAUL.
FOOTLIGHT AND FOYER.

this week, presenting his successful
comedy. IL Poor Relation" Mr.. Rus
sell has for years held a first place
among American comedians. His meth
DDS are peculiar to himself, his artistic
work so natural and so perfect, and his
characters so lifeli he and homely that
his stage portraiture are among the
most familiar TO the play-going public.
There Is no actor to-day who has greater
power over the feelings or an audience
and who can more readily move them
by the magic of his art to smiles and
tears at will. As the poor inventor.
Noah Vale, in "a Poor Relation"
Mr.. RuSSeii has a character which
is by all odds the best adj
apted to his distinctive style that he has
had for years. He makes Noah Vale Il
natural creature, full of touches of hui
man nature, and his trials triumphS and
tribulationS strongly appeal 10 the SYM
pathleS of an audience, The play OF
which the inventor is the central figure,
made a marked success when last seen
in this city. Since that time it has
been materially improved. Instead of
being in four acts II is now played in
three. thus making the action more
rapid, the interest better sustained, and
the situations and climaXes more ORA
matically effective.
il
The next attraction at the Harris
theater VIII be a. NJ. Palmer'S famous
Madison Square company in Jim. the
Penman.'' This piece, which enjoyed a
highly successful run of two seasons III
New York. after an equally profitable
run in London. is an admirable creation.
because it presents newer dramatic feat
ureS and situations novel and striking.
The story mingleS the pathetic with the
thrilling in such degree as TO insure a
natural eQuipOiSe, and presents piece
of stage work that holds the listener
and beholder from first to last. To the
police Jim. the Penman" is a Skillful
forger. so clever as to be dangerous. so
cunning as TO be eXaSperatiny; to So
ciety he is James RalStOn, the huS-
band Of beautiful wife, the
father of family. A man
above suspicion. Leading this dual
life, he practices his criminal vocation
HndlSturbed, save by his conscience,
sum large enough to enable him TO for
sake his evil ways But his old COM
paniOns hover about hIm, and one of
them, Baron fairfield. induces him TO
try his hand at various schemes. Com
plicatiOns arise. and his wife suddenly
discovers that ner husband gained her
through trickery. that he forged her
handwriting and her old lovers in GER
tain letters that eventually broke of
the engagement and left the way clear
for Ralston. The scene wherein this is
laid bare is masterpiece. Meanwhile
there are detectives upon Jim, the
Penman's" track, among them are Capt.
Redwood, typical EngiiShman, with a
do fattF no &c Sf1 arm
and ShreWd. nevertheless. Death comes
to the forger at last, while he
stands trembling upon the brink
of disgrace and rum, and the
final situation produces all eff
effect reached but by few dramas Such
play needs a strong company, which
Mr.. Palmer has provided. Joseph
Whiting makes an ideal James RalSton,
and his powers and ability are such
that he invests the character with a
strength and naturalneSS that he de-
mands. The villain, Baron fairfield,
finds the best possible treatment at the
handle of Charles Kent, than whom
there are few men better fitted TO essay
the difficult role. These two find
worthy counter influences in the per-
sons of John Flood, who appears as
Louis Perciyal, and Edward TTaveTS,
who is the Capt. Redwood. Beth gen.
tlemen are capable actors who lmpart
strength to the production. The part OF
Nina RalstOn, the WrOngeG wife, has
fallen into good hands, for Miss Ellie
Wilton is a versatile woman who finds
the best avenues for her talents in this
role. in which she is said to be the equal
of Agnes Booth, and her conception OF
which is regarded as being flawleSS.
''Jim the Penman' is not One-part or
tWO-paTt play. All the forces must be
equal, and this has been seen to in the
engagement of the following: Hardy
Vernon. j. j. FitZsimOns, W. 81. Pope,
Lysander Thompson. Lin Hurst. Charles
B. Kelly. Evelne Hardy, Nellie Whit
Ing and Josephine Shepherd.
=
There is to be a big black boom at the
st. Paul museum next week. Eaton &
Hogau's colOred minstrels, one of the
few cOlored organizations now on the
road. will open there Monday. COlOred
minstrelsy has rather declined in these
latter years. They appear to have given
way to the companies in which avariety
entertainment, coupled with a spectacu-
ar forepart, have made the greater part
of the show. But there is rich vein
of humor in the colOred man. He
is blessed with magnificent
voice, and negro minstrelsy means
something. 1t means reproduction on
the stage of the manners, humOr and
melodies of the negro as he exhibits
them on the plantation, in the cotton
field and since. Next week Eaton and
Hagan's coiored MINISTRIES will present
to the public the cOlored minstrel as
represented by his own race. Many OF
the best colOred comedians of the coun-
try are in the company. The entertain
ment is first-class all through. In addi-
ton to this star attraction, the CuriO
hail is crowded with curiosities, and the
entertainment is completed by two
bright little theaters in which a comedy
and speciality entertainment are pro-
vided.
-
The attraction at the Olympic for
New Years week will be Mabel Fran
els New Years Visitors. The novelties
include Mons. Natalie. the eQuilibrist:
the three dancing Washington brothers
De Witt Cork, the club SWingeT; hester
brothers, the acrObats: Miss Mabel
Francis, the elOcutionists: Sid Easton
and Annie Queen, the novelty duo;
Bailey Dawson, the acrobat; the
O'Dell's: Elton, the ring artist; 81. P.
Clifford, the vocalist, and Mort ALVIN,
the cOntOrtionist. Manager Wells has
consented to put on bright little com
edy, entitled "Stolen Kisses,' and will
himself assume the role Of Selim Petit
bone.
II.
Tie very successful comic opera
"Said Pasha'' viii be produced at Har-
ris' theater Monday night, Jan. 6. by the
California Opera company, which is
under the management of Messrs. John
Kreling and Benjamin Tuthlll. The
opera is now completing its third en-
gagement in Chicago. where 1t was orig
inally produced at McVicker'S theater.
The whole of the original scenery and
costumes will be seen here. and the cast
includes some of the most distinguished
comic opera artists.
=
Miss Ida Mule. who created the prin-
eipal role in The Crystal Slipper" at
the Chicago opera house, will be seen in
the comic opera "Said PaSha," on its
production at Harris theater Jan. 6.