St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-16
ELITE OF THE ENTIRE CITY
ENJOYED AND APPLAUDED THE
EFFORTS OF THOSE TAKING
PART.
LIVING PICTURES A FEATURE.
They Were Pronounced the Most
Beautiful of the Kind Ever
Seen in st. Pau:

| the Metropolitan theater last evening" was
greeted by an audience composed of the elite
| of st. Paul The house was packed to the
doors. The living pictures, under the direc-
tion Of Allen H. Stem and Mrs. Wann pre-
ceded the play. and were certainly the most
beautiful things of their kind ever given in
! st. Paul. The backgrounds were painted
! and the settings arranged with artistic
! skill not TO be outdone, and the effects in
| color and costuming were exquisite.
The first picture shown 'The Sister
1 Arts" Qa Fon), by Mrs. John N. Fulton,
| Miss Lamborn and Miss Warner, and was an
| exact reproduction with living models of that
! famous painting Vogue. H. w. McVickar)
| was charmingly impersonated by Miss Kath-
| crime Johnson, in a Gainsborough hat, red
| petticoat. and Dresden overdress. Miss
Johnson's dark beauty was pleasingly brought
| out.
Columbia, by Miss Smyth, was masterpiece
| in white and gold effects. Miss Newport,
| a portrait of Marie Antoinette (after Viget
| LIE Brun), was excellent, and Miss Bancroft
| as the portrait of the Vestal Virgin latter Sir
| Frederick Leighton) was equally good. Miss
| Mabel Horn made a very beautiful Queen
Louise Gustav Richter), and Miss Margaret
| Hall Nydia (Baudenhausen) was delight
| full.
! Cherry Blossoms (Robert Blum), by Mrs.
! Leslie Wann, was of the most daintily
artistic pictures given. charming girl
| all in blue, is shown against background of
| blue, with cherry blossoms at her feet and
hanging from bough over her head.
| Portrait Of a. Girl With Muff (after Nine
LIE Brun) by Miss Bass, was very natural
and Mrs. w. r. Peet as Justice was majestic
and beautiful. Soap Bubbles George Ed
wards), by Miss Maud Messner, was well put
on and pleasingly arranged. A Portrait (after
Henner), by Miss Blaisdell, was good, and
Miss Gussie Pope, in another portrait picture,
| Daphne (after George Maynard), was also
| very lovely. Lenten Confessions (Gibson)
| called forth applause more from its human
nature than from any particularly artistic val
ue though it lacked nothing of the latter.
The most beautiful picture given was the
Moon Fairy (Kaulbach), by Miss Lamborn.
A silvery moon af1oat in a softly clouded sky
carries, clothed in garments Of white sheen,
a beautiful maiden in graceful pose Lights
of varied coors are thrown upon the scene,
making each change seem even more lovely
than the last. This was the last of the living
pictures, for whose wonderfully successful
production Mr.. Stem is to be congratulated.
''Mr. Schuylers Fiancees' is an agreeable
little comedy more refined than farce, and
far above the grossness of the genuine farce
comedy. The latter designation was surely
msnomer on the bills.
Miss Beaumonts production is play OF
society, for society, and by society. 1t can
no more be blamed for conventionality than
the tiger for his stripes. But it can be
praised for its amiable humor, it's interest
ing though simple plot, for amusing situa-
| tions and an action that does not drag. If it
displays a surplus Of that peculiar slang, that
affected intonation, found sometimes in So
ciety and always in society novels; If it fav-
ors the fad that artists are the most interest
ing of men and ''risque"ness the most in
teresting of their attributes it at least con-
tains no needless French words, and no vain
| efforts at the wisdom of satire. In even an
urambitious society play these merits deserve
much commendation. They evince that Miss
Beaumont is too skillful to attempt more than
| she could accomplishment than a whole
some dainty, entertaining comedy.
| With perhaps a single exception, the actors
| initiated the authors discreet restraint.
! Though amateurs they did not overact. Only
| the experienced artist can safely attempt to
| make the most of dramatic role.
| Miss Sturgis, "the iirtatious widow" would
| have alone made the production success.
| Spontaneous sympathetic, unconstrained and
| decorousy jolly her acting delighted all. Nor
| could one contrast her to the discredit of
her foil-Mss Hawkins, the aged spinster,
| disappointed, though not bitter, pensive yet
| sweetly cheerful. The ingenue, Miss Wanzer,
was agreeably simple in the part of young
| Constance, and most effective in her quietest
| passages. AS an artists model and
housemaid, Miss Mabel Horn received the
| soubrette role, usually the easiest and the
most taking in amateur production. Though
rather too bashful to accomplish the free ges-
ticulation demanded by her lines Miss Horn
| was a pretty wicked model and pretty
| proper maid. Needless to say, elaborate bou
! Quets were presented to Miss Sturgis and the
! other ladies, nor did Flora forget the men.
OF these Mr. Barrows, the widower, pre-
sented excellent Interpretation of aged
| gallantry. Even his awkwardness
tistic. The audience enjoyed Mr.. Griggs, the
man servant, for James Grant, Of whiskers
and stupid dignity, had a right to represent
the farce element of the evening. Mr.. Griggs
is by no means lacking in appreciation of
| stage business" Mr.. Jamme and Mr.. Will
lard We're the two artists, the Juveniles,
| and Mr.. Willard, so the programme ran, was
| "the hero Of the piece" Mr.. Jamme was sim
| pie, and often spontaneous. Mr.. Willard pos
| sesses, without doubt, the personality of his
role, and his eyes handsome as an un-
| fortunate artist could demand. His voice,
moreover, was rich and well controlled so that
he could have we'll dispensed with excessive
posing and facial activity.
The stage management obviated any re-
| markable delays between acts or awkward
| mishaps while the curtain was up. The cos
tunes were of unusual richness and beauty
and the stage furniture was all that one could
| wish Upon the whole, the performance was
! eminently successful. 1t deserved the uni
versal praise received from the large audience.
Its repetition at matinee Friday afternoon
and at special prices should crowd the Metro
politan theater.
Among those present were Miss Bend,
Meredith Bend Mr. and Mrs Ambrose
Tighe, w. H. Yardley, w. N. Armstrong,
H. P. Bend. William Buels, Miss Larkin,
Charles Weyerhauser, Walter Driscoll, Fin
Mrs: E. w. Peet, w. F. Peet, Mr.. and Mrs.
F. B. Bass, Miss Bass, Miss Winslow, Mr.
| and Mrs. e. A. Jaggard, d. F. Peebles Ed
| ward Gray, Charles Hawks, Percy Barber
| DR.. and Mrs. Gardner Corning, Leavitt Corn
| ing, Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Seymour, Mr.. and
Mrs. NJ. V. Seymour, Miss Sanborn, Mr.. and
Mrs. VIII Read, Mr.. and Mrs. Percy Fletch-
er, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles schuneman, Mr.
and Mrs. Florence Ramaley, Mrs. N. P.
Langford Lieut.. and Mrs. Johnson, Miss
! Spalding, Mr.. and Mrs. George Thompson
| Maj. White. Miss White, Mr.. and Mrs. H. S.
| Cole Gen. and Mrs. Mason, Miss Pope Walt
er Hancock. Fitzhugh Burns, Mr.. and Mrs.
Mr.. and Mrs. A. E. Boyesen. Mr.. and Mrs
A. H. Stein, Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Graves
Gen. and Mrs. Bend, Mr. and Mrs. Luther
Newport, Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Blakeley Miss
| Blakeley, Judge and Mrs. George B. Young
Mr.. and Mrs; T. L: Wann, Judge and Mrs
Clark, Col Clough, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer,
Lieut. Bugge, Mr.. and Mrs. Ansel Open
| helm.
In the boxes were: Mr. and Mrs. A. B.
! DriscoH DR.. and Mrs. McLaren, Mr.. and
Mrs. w. G. Strickland Mr.. and Mrs. ]. N.
Jackson, T. l.. Schumacher.
SCuURERT TIUR REcEprrIoy