St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-25
AT THE THEATERS.

Robert Downing and his company
presented 1.-THE Gladiator" at the Met
ropolitan opera house last evening.
Mr.. Downing's representation of Nero,
the Gladiator, is familiar to the public,
which has long since bestowed it's |
approval upon the actors achieve :,
ment in this role. 1t is interesting to
note, however, the distinct and CON
slant advance Mr.. Downing is surely
making in his art, and in no way can
this be more convincingly demon
strated than by comparing his pres
ent portrayal Of Nero with his effort of
earlier years. In those days it must
be confessed that Mr.. Downing was
prone to rant, for the temptation to
tear a passion to tatters" is almost
irresistible in impersonating those
muscular, heroic Romans, whose fame
rested on their physical prowess and
skill in welding the sword. But study
and experience have developed and 4
ripened the artistic sense with which
Mr.. Downing is literally endowed, so
that today he stands before us an artist /
capable of portraying strong and
massive character without undue re-
sort to mere physical demonstrations.
Mr.. Downing's impersonation of the
Gladiator last evening was undeniably
effective. 1t was marked by a proper
dignity and restraint that added much
to its impressiveness, and served to
render the imprisoned speeches of the
character all the more powerful and
thrilling.
'"The Gladiator which Mr. Downing
presents is not Spartacus, the one
whom the late John Mccullough made
so familiar to the public, 1t is quite
another man and quite another story
This gladiator's name is Nero, and he
is a slave of the Empress Faustina
who reigned some two centuries after
the beginning of the Christian era
The heroine is Neodamia, who was also
a slave, but is freed by her master, who
intends to wed her. But Neodamia
adopts the Christian faith and is con-
demned to die by the sword of Nero
the gladiator, in the great amphi-
theater of Rome. Nero is about to
strike the fatal blow to save the beau
tiful martyr from the jaws of the
hungry lions, when he discovers on her
neck a birthmark that reveals her to
him as his own daughter. Then he
refuses to strike, and in frenzy of
emotion, he appeals to the Roman
populace to spare his child. But the
people, infiamed by the angry pagan
priest, are obdurate. The Empress
Faustina secures a days respite, how
ever, as she believes that her son Cor
dion, the future Emperor, will die when
Neodamia dies. The last scene is
enacted in a prison. The incensed
pagans are heard without battering
down the walls and crying for the
Christian girls blood. To save his
daughter from a fearful fate, Nero
stabs her to the heart and then Kills
himself. The play is a strong ex-
empliffcation of the faith that sup
ported Christianity in its dark and
dreadful hours of persecution.
Eugene Blair assumes the role Of
Neodamia, imparting to it sweet and
gentle spirit of resignation such as
might become a martyr in such
cause. Nothing more affecting can be
conceived than the manner in which
Miss Blair and Mr.. Downing enacted
the great scene in the arena where
the father recognizes the daughter.
.eThe Gladiator does not make Sc
we're demands upon the supporting COM
pany, except in two roles-that OF the
Christian priest and the revengetul
empress. William Frederic, while dis
playing an intelligent conception, was
scarcely adequate in the scene in which
the priest proclaims his faith and his
readiness to die for it. Mrs. F. M.
Bates enacted the empress with con-
siderable earnestness and vigor, but
lacked dignity and repose.
This evening Mr. Downing will be
seen as Ingomar in the play OF that
name, and Eugene Blair will lmper-
Do ~