St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-13
"NEUMANN AIS CAST"
Miss Margarethe Appears in st.
Paul as Maria Verrina in
Maria and MagdaIena."
A Splendid Rendition of a Strong
German Play by Paul
Lindau.

An actress acting an actress and pOr-
traying to an audience in language the
emotions. hopes. fears and Joys that
are supposed to animate the breast of
the mimic on the stage, while at the
same moment the same feelings she is
striving to paint must certainly be
swaying her own natural heart and
mind. might be termed paradox, but
1t must be a feat the successful accom-
pliShment of which should stamp the
author as person of considerable abil-
ity-more properly, histrionic ability.
Several plays of similar nature
have been seen in this city
before-"Peg Wellington" David Gar
rick' and others - but at the
Metropolitan last evening was seen for
he first time a presentation of this
character in German-"Maria and Mag
dalena." The occasion was in honor of
Miss Marguerite Neumann, of the
Stadtheater in Milwaukee, who is at
present the guest of the Bollman COM
pany in this city, and who assumed the
title role. 1t was in reality revelation
to many OF the Bollman patrons, in the
art of acting, and to Miss Marguerite a
test of merit that few actresses would
dare TO Undertake for the first time be-
fore strange audience, whose feelings
she had never tested and of
whose appreciation she was en-
tirely unaware, and knew she had
to win by Well-deServed merit. 1t GER
tainly was trying part, and, i'll fact,
was a portrayal of merit which could
only be portrayed by inertia sinking
of individuality into double which
left the auditor but the fainteSt reallZa-
ton Of the original. Twas like a
painted ship upon a painted ocean
only picture, but true enough to mis-
lead even the old mariner, and as salts
factory as the reflection of looking
glass is to pretty woman.
Her first appearance in the second act
was greeted with hearty round OF APP
plause. and when the curtain fell she
was recalled to the footlights and made
the recipient of handsome bouquet OF
flowers. In this act her lines are poor.
and 1t really looked doubtful at first ii
she could win the favor of her audience,
but at the close, in rendering neat
recitation, at the request OF her lover, i'll
the nature of all ode TO the moon, she
gained in favor and increased the an
ticipation of what had been expected of
her, and from the rise of the curtain in
the third act to its downward roll at the
end of the fourth she was a favorite,
and the departing audience expressed
many wishes of an early return.
The play is by Paul Lindau, and its
conception is remarkably good: prac-
tically nothing is Oyerdrawn, and its
action is true TO life i'll the German
provinces. The moral is excellent, and
two of as pleasing and pretty love webs
are woven as can only be found in the
minds and hearts OF the German folk.
Monotony is relieved by the introduce
duction OF scene which shows up
biackguard journalism very neatly,
when the editor of an alleged dramatic
journal, as critic. comes TO sell his opin
ions, not only of the merits of play
ers, but barriers the hiding of family Sc
crets for gold. 1t is doubtful if this is
true of German newspapers, aud really
fits the American sensational journals
better.
The support last night was excellent,
and there is practically not a minor
character IN the play, every member Of
the company doing credltable work.
BOllman was fine, Schmelzer excellent,
Collmer remarkable, SchOber favorite,
as always, Wagner sarcastic and cool,
ROemer perfect. and Berry neat and cnic
as ever, while Helen C0llmer and Theo
Lieben contributed an interest TO minor
roles.