St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-10
DRAMATIC DRIFT.

The fayorite comedian, W. H. Crane. and
his excellent company pleased another large
audience at the Metropolitan opera house
last night He will give his last performance
of the successful comedy, "On Probation"
tonight The last four performances of this
week he will present for the last time in this
city his great success 1.-The Senator" Mr..
Crane will not play. 1.-The Senator after this
season, as he intends to devote his entire at
tention next season to his new play, Brother
John"
Theater-goers will have an opportunity
of seeing THE Country Circus at the Met
ropolitan opera house Monday, and there
will be no curtailment of the original pro-
duction, as the stage of the theater is spa
cious, and it will admit of bringing out all of
the important and elaborate features. The
main purpose Of the play is to reproduce the
scenes accompanying the street parade OF
circus. and TO introduce a ring performance
that is in every way as good as those seen
under white tents The scenes of the play
are laid in New England, and the parade
around Monument square at Brockton is the
most interesting and amusing episode in the
production There are bands of music and
marching girls, and wagons with wild ami
features seen in circus parade. And as a
finale genuine circus entertainment The
sale of seats opens at the box office tomorrow
morning
+ + I
"a Night on the Bristol the clever and
bright farce co7-->-..,-.-aW on the boards OF
the Grand, is quite treat to the audiences
that nightly crowd the theater. John f.
Sheridan, assisted by his very capable COM
pany of players gives an unusually creditable
performance, the specialties being OF.
highly artistic and interesting nature. Mail
nee today.
William H. Crane, who is playing all of the
week at the Metropolitan opera house, has
in his time played many parts. He went on
the stage when he was seventeen years old,
and for two years he worked for the NUM-
icent salary of nothing per week. OF course,
he did not thrive upon it, but he pulled
through III good shape and he attributes
whatever abilities he now possesses to the
hard work he did during those two years.
Cranes early days as a professional were
passed as an opera singer, and he still possess
es Il good melodious bass voice, which fact
was proven in New York few weeks ago
when he sang the part of Gen. Brown in
The Grand Duchess at the Holman bene-
fit
Mr.. Crane has played IN everything from
grand English opera to burleSque, from farcl-
cal comedy to Shakespeare and has always
managed to excel himself in every part He
has manufactured more comedians than any
other actor and yet ne has always retained
power which they have been unable to imi-
tate. This power for want of better word,
may best be described as magnetism.
When the actor severed his business rela-
tons with Mr. Robson he announced that he
was going to produce nothing but American
plays. His friends laughed at him. Short
time ago as that was, there was no such thing
as the American drama, The reason of this
was that the poor, striving native writers
were repulsed at every step. Managers
snubbed them, actors insulted them and the
public looked upon them with suspicion.
The actor however. had the courage of his
convictions, and he paid half-doZen au-
thors large retaining fees, knowing they
could not work upon empty stomachs, to
work for him. The result was the compile
ton of ''The senator" one of the most sue
cessful plays ever written. Thousands OF
people have seen it, and it has made the
actor a rich man. If he were an actor ''out
for the spoils'' he might keep on playing
Senator Rivers forever, just as Nj. Jefferson
keeps on playing rip Van Wrinkle" but he
refuses to pose as q one part actor.
"On Probation" was another play he Or
dered and ii was followed in turn by For
Money" THE American Minister and
Brother John" Few actors can point to
such a record. Before leaving New \ DIRK the
lately formed American Dramatists' club. of
which Bronson Howard is president, in rec
ignition of what Mr.. Crane had done for the
native writers, gave him dinner. 1t was
attended by number of literary men, and
the question discussed was: Are managers
competent to judge of plays in manuscripts"
The comedian made a graceful speech, in
which he said he had often been given credit
for work when credit was due entirely 20 the
playwright. In return the authors said many
pleasant things about the actor. 1t is Mr..
Cranes intention to produce another Amer
lean play next season, and the following sea-
son to produce upon an elaborate scale
Henry w., " and possibly The Merry Wives
c,EN