The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-22


tan opera house of the Giffen-Neill
company, will again renew interest in
one of the most capable stock COM
| panies that st. Paul tbeatergoers have
| ever had the pleasure of witnessing.
| 1t is quite an enviable record for any
| dramatic organization, to come to st.
Paul on the 18th of May last, and re-
| main here almost continually ever
! since, giving nine performances a week,
| to profitable business. Some of these
| weeks, two bills have been presented
| The public generally is perhaps not in
| a position to fully understand the
ceaSeleSS amount of work and con-
| scientious effort necessary to rehearse
| and present two entirely different plays
| during so short period. The greatest
| credit is due to James Neill, for the
| high standard of the performances Civ
| en- by the Giffen-Neill company. Mr..
! Neill's services have been invaluable.
The work of Miss Anne Blancke dur
| ing the past summer, has shown that
little lady to be an actress of eXcep-
tional merit. She has played all sorts
of roles, from that Of the red-headed
| snuff1er of boy, Tommy mellow, in
''All the Comforts Of Home" to-
| gray haired old dame, in 1.-The Private
Secretary" There is another member
OF the Giffen-Neill company who is
entitled to special praise for her artiS-
tic devotion to the purpose Of the
playwright without regard to her per-
sonal preferences That is, Miss Kate
Blanclle. She has accepted any and
oil oil 40 Lo,.
of them were characters offering but
meager opportunities, she has inter
preted them conscientiously. Miss
Blancke is an intelligent, well-equip-
ped, spontaneous actress.
''Noibe" will be presented tonight and
| during half of the week. 1t is a con-
| ceit from the pen Of Edward Paulton,
! one of the authors of 'tErmine" The
last half Of the week, beginning Thurs
day evening, THE Fool of the Family
will be given, which is a three act YER
| sion of the story that furnished Agus-
tin Daily with his comedy of ''72S''
The story of "Niobe' is principally
| about an art enthusiast, who believes
that a statue of Niobe, which he has,
Is the petrifaction of the ancient wife
of Amphion. By means Of an electric
| wire that has fallen across the feet
of this statue, the current brings it to
life. and one Peter Amos Dunn gets
| into numerous embarrassing compli-
cations owing to the presence of mi
ODE" and the mans goodly wife Miss
Helen MAYNARD, new member Of the
Glffen-Neill company, will be seen in
this comedy, in the part of Helen
| Griffen. There are numerous other
complications in the play that tend to
make it one of the funniest that q.
modern stage has produced. The usu-
al Wednesday and Saturday matinees
will be given.
| The Secret Service" COMPANY. hav-
| ing arrived from London, is ENJOYING
It's first vacation in nearly a year It
Will commence its American season at
! the Empire theater on Thursday. Sent.
2 Mr.. Frohman having decided not to
open MS house until the war plays
engagement begins.
| William Gillette, the author-actor
| arrived in New York from England a
| week ago yesterday, where he and his
| play Secret Service" scored such a
| signal success. Asked to express his
views concerning the alleged prejudice
| IN England against American plays
| and players Mr.. Gillette replied.
| , IL is perfectly absurd even to inSinuate
that there is the slightest prejudice against
American actors or American plays in Lon
don. Indeed, l think they are rather preiu-
| diced in our favor. All they object to is what
they don't like m, no matter whether it's English
| or American. This friendly feeling was most
| forcibly evfnced by the press and the public
and even the weather In fact, the public
| and friendly and hospitable. We Went A'it to
| three months"
How did the frst-night audiences behave?"
We'll, they behaved -. For the first ff-
teen or twenty minutes there was an ominous
| stiffness. They did not seem to know what
nj tr0i,
we thought we were lost Suddenly there was
change, and we could feel that we were
noieans then them even before they made any
wildly enthusastic-got up in their seats and
cheered at the end of every act called us
| out again and again. and showed every sign
OF approval and friendliness. After that night
| there was no ominous silence. They took ii
all from beginning to end, even what we had
| they thoroughly understood and, although
| they are a little slower to take up points
| 1 when the. they do they make more. demonstra-
| ton than audiences in America
MI Gillette said he was ill in London, but
| he had fully recovered and was now quite well
The regular season of the MetropoIi-
! tan opera house opens Sunday Sept,
| with the successful comedy. INV
| Friend from India which made ire
mendous hit when presented here last
| season. This delightful comedy will
| certainly prove a big drawing card for
the OpSillHS week, ana coming IN state
Talf week and carnival time there is no
! doubt that it will fill the house at every
| performance. Frederick Bond, who
| was seen here as the millionaire pork
packer in my Friend from India" last
season, will again appear with the
company, as will Walter Perkins in the
| title roll, and Miss May Vokes, as TIL
| ly, the German maid
| Edward S. Abeles has left the my
| Friend from India company, and his
| place has been filled by John B. Maher.
who has made host of friends in this
! city by his clever work with the Giffeu
| & Neil company during the summer
season. The engagement of MY
| Friend from India" is for the entire
| week of Sept. s.
Sunday Sept. II, the attraction at the
| Metropolitan opera house will be
| Hoyt's most successful comedy, "a
| Trip to Chinatown
| The New York Sun prints considera-
BILE theatrical news concerning the COM
| ing season in the following contracted
space:
! Elect" will be produced by Klaw & Erlanger
| about midwinter. Corinne Kimball will use
| An American Beauty" the comic opera in
| which Lillian Russell sang last year. Cissy
Founding. Digby Bell in 'The Hoosier Doc
| tor Verona Jarbeau in "A Paris DOLL
| Ettienne Gradot in miss Francis of Yale"
VIII S. Rising in Miss Brown" Flora Irwin
'tCourted Into Court" Chauncey olcott in
Sweet Inniscarra," e. S. Willard in 1.-THE
Physician" Donnelly and Girard in the 1.-THE
Geeser." and Thomas Q. Seabrooke in a mu-