St. Paul daily globe., 1891-01-25

Don Trocadero, Herye d'EgYille; Bouilla
baisse, Hallen Mostyn; Petit Pierre, Albert
James, Chop1nette, Miss Fanny Wentworth;
Malaguena, Miss Millie Marsden; IYonne,
Miss Marguerite Van Breydel
-Ie
There are war stories Of dramatic construc-
ton and numberless plays taking their
theme from the events Of the Rebellion, but
no one Of these has attained such lasting
success as Held by the Enemy" which is
the work Of William Gillette who has been
seen in this city in his play 1.-THE Professor"
and also in the character of the lawyer in
sYoung Mrs. Winthrop when that play was
before the public under the direction Of the
Madison Square theater management. So
that Mr.. Gillette is not only dramatic
author but player as well; but Of late years
his plays have met with so much success
that he has given up acting entirely, and now
confines himself to play writing exclusively,
HELD by the Enemy" which will be seen at
the Grand opera house for the entire week
beginning tonight, when first presented to
the public by its author was only pro-
duced after much trepidation on Mr.. Gillette's
part, as he met with the very diseouraging
statement from managers on all sides that
war plays were no good and wouldn't draw;
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touch it that Mr. Gillette was compelled to
incur all of the expense of production him.
self, including the rental of theaters. and he
invested enough money to give his work an
experimental season of four weeks, embrac-
Ing the cities of Brooklyn, Baltimore, Wash
1ngton and Philadelphia. The play made a
distinct and lasting hit, and ever since thet
first night in the little obscure, out-of-the-
way Criterion theater, in Brooklyn, where
Held by the Enemy first attracted atten-
tion, it has b9en sought after by managers.
not only in this country but in England and
Australia, because it was a success. The
cause OF that success may be attributed
to the fact that it has happy blending of a
romantic love story, a vein of humor, crisp,
clean and bright, with stirring scenes and ex-
citing ellmaxes, all of which is worked out
with the assistance of series of stage piet-
ures strong in their construction and true
to nature. Among these are the lombard
ment scene, the hospital scene in the old
Southern church. and the drum-head court
martial of the Southern spy in the embrasure
of the fort. Added to these there are num-
Der of mechanical effects used that are Mr..
Giilette's own invention, and when in the
midst of the engagement which is heard
only in the echoes that come from it, with
the sound of the rapidly gaIloping horse Of
the orderly as he hastens to convey the rap
idly written orders of the commanding gen.
eral, the sight of mud Splashed and powder
begrimed men as they hurry in to report to
their superior officers is enough to fire the
blood of not only the old soldiers in an audi
ence, but it never fails to rouse to the highest
pitch of enthusiasm an audience of any
kind. The quick action, rapid change of
scene, never-fiagging interest have made
''Held by the Enemy" one of the lasting sue
cesses of our American dramatic writers.
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The attraction offered at the Olympic thea
ter for the coming week is of an entirely diff
ferent character from anything lately pro-
duced in ST. Paul '.Arizona Joe" is a well
known scout and hunter, and close rival of
Buffalo Bill" Opening Monday night, the
play will be that of 'Black Hawks" the
scene of which is laid in New Mexico and
Arizona. Among the highly sensational in
cidents that crowd through the piece may be
accidentally mentioned an attempted stage
coach robbery, in which Arizona Joe quick
ly arrives in time to rescue the passengers;
and in the second act some remarkable
shooting feats will be executed by the hero.
In all the shooting done by Arizona Joe with
his Winchester rifle ball cartridges are used,
and not shot as with other shooters. 1t is
promised that the drama ''Biack Hawks is
cleverly staged, and the mechanical and
scenic effects are far above the average. The
latter part of the week the bill will be that of
1.-THE Wild Violet" which is said by the press
of the Pacific slope to be equally effective as
that of "Black Hawks"