St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
IRvING'S GREAT MT.
"King Arthur" Receives an
Enthusiastic Reception
in London.
MAY YOHE IS Welded.
Rumors That She Had Cap
tured a Lord Prove
Correct.
MAY YOHE IS Welded.
BELLE BILLIONS HARD LUCK.
She Will Return to Stage Life
to Support Her Title and
the Twins.


copyright. 1895. by the Associated Press. ]
LONDON. Jan. 12.-The dramatic event
of the year has come and passed with
the Passing of Arthur"
The poetic beauty Of this landscape
by Sir Edward Burne-Jones seemed of
the very fibre of the supernatural his
tory which filled it. The casting away
of the brand "Excalibur" by the re-
luctant Sir Bedivere, the arm clothed in
white samite. which, having brandishe d
it three times, drew down the jeweled
and sparkling weapon into the sea; the
departure of the wounded king III the
mystic barge, dark as funeral scarf
from stem to stern," touched the top
most height of the imaginative stage
picturing, and reused to applause the
magnificent audience drawn from uota-
bic London, and gathered to appreciate
and honor the work of the foremost
manager of his time-HenrY Irving.
TO render this production worthy of
his ambitions, worthy Of the Lyceum,
Mr.. Irving drew down upon the re-
sources and ripe scholarly judgment of
Comyns Carr for his text; upon the
never-failing inspiration at Sir Arthur
Sulliyan's command for his music, and
upon the art and Imagination OF histor-
ical synpathieS Of Sir Edward Burne-
Jones for his scenes and costumes.
The material for the drama of king
Arthur" has been drawn. j. Comyns
Carr tells US, from Sir Thomas Mallory's
famous romance which issued from the
CaXton press in the year 1885.
la Wort d'Artilur
is itself a compilation from earlier
sources, and the story of King Arthur
and his Knights of the Round Table, as
it appears in the French romances from
which Sir Thomas Mallory freely bor-
rowed, has still more primitive origin
in the unwritten legends OF our land -.
But whatever date may be ultimately
assigned by students to the earliest
forms of this great national romance, it
is now indelibly stamped with the mys-
tic sentiment and spirit of chiyalrous
age; and in the present endeavor to
give dramatic form to certain chosen
incidents of the story, it has beeu
deemed allowable to follow the exam
pie of Sir Thomas Mallory himself,
who. while preserving the mystic
and mythical character of the
original legend. finds in it a
,l>.l of IT., rlo ond =
ness. Mr.. Cars arrangement of the
tale was in a prologue and first act.
and while notifications of the story as
known to the reader of Tennyson were
soon noted, substantially the play set
forth, as modern readers know it, the
story of King Arthur and Queen Guine.
we're. The cast was as follows: King
Arthur, Mr.. Irving; Sir LanceIot,
Forbes Robertson; Sir Modred,
Frank Cooper; Sir Kay, Mr..
Tyars; Sir Gawaine, Clarence
Hague; Sir Bedevere, Fuller Mellish;
Sir Agrayaine, MI. Lacy; Sir Perciyal,
Mr.. Buckley: Sir Lavaine, Julius
Knight: Sir Dagonet, Mr.. Harvey; ell
knights of the Round Table. Meilin.
Sidney Valentine; messenger, Mr.. Bel
more; taller, MIR. Tabb; Morgan Lefay.
Miss Genevleve Ward; Elaine, Miss
Lena Ashwell; Clarissant. Miss Annie
Hughes; Spirit of the Lake, Miss Maud
Milton; Guinevere, Miss Ellen Terry
Knights, ladies of the court, etc.
It was after midnight when the cur
tain fell al the Lyceuln theater
I'm the Midst of Applause,
though here aud there discordant note
Was heard. The play was staged with
lavishness and correctness of detail
SURPRISING even the traditions of the
Lyceum. while the beauty and splendor
OF the costumes left Nothing 10 be de-
sired.
The play follows Malory's romance
throughout. The part of Gallahad is
entirely omitted. Miss Ellen Terry has
seldom been seen to better advantage
than in her playing of Guinevere. She
was charming Throughout. but Irving
was not at his best as Arthur, while the
hoDors of the evening were carried off
by Forbas Robertson as Sir Lancelot.
Sulivan'S music was delightful, though
less elaborate than that which he wrote
for the production of Macbeth" The
general verdict seemed 10 be that the
play was too long. 1t was agreed. how
ever, that it will rank among the most
noteworthy of the products Of the Ly-
ceum.
The audience included the Duke and
Duchess Of York and the Duke and
Duchess of Teck in the royal box. The
arrival of the members of the royal
family was greeted with hearty cheers.
In the adjoining box was Chief Justice
Russell and his family.
Henry Irving. in response to request
for a speech, expressed a few simple
words of gratitude, while Conyns Carr
bowed his thanks. After the produce
ton of the play Irving entertained his
friends at a supper OH the stage.
London is Still discussing the sensa.
tIona!ly hostile reception which Henry
James play Guy Domville" met Sat
urday night last at the st. James thea
ter. In much that has been written on
the subject those who should BIZ best
informed seem to be agreed that the hos
tilitv referred to was something in the
nature Of an
Organized CabaI
against Mr.. James. 1t is noted as
curious fact that there were signs of
disapproval at the end of the first and
second acts, but the storm broke out at
the end of the play, which is in three
acts, and the persistence with which
the pit and gallery insisted that the au-
thor should appear, add the way in
which they insulted him when he did
reluctantly appear before the curtain,
certainly pointed to something beyond
dislike of the play itself. The hooting,
groaning. kissing and insults which
greeted Mr.. James when he was led be-
fore the footlights by Mr.. Alexander
were most bitter, and it seems impos-
sible to believe that they were not the
outcome of some
PrearFan.ed Plot.
1t some years since Mr.. James con-
tributed anything to English dramatic
art, and his absence frdih the London
boards has been matter for regret, as
lie has always been regarded as a dram.
atist of fine ability, honlme serfe.