The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-11


had since the beginning, says the New
York Times Some plays worth irving
must be written that never receive
other recognition than perfunctory
reading by unimaginatiye persons en-
ployed to reject manuscript plays ner-
haps not even that. Surely pieces bet
ter worth hearing than some of
those upon which managers have late
Iy expended money layishly must have
been put together by Jealous students
OF the playwright5s craft in 1896.
-
Ii Edwin Booth were alive today,
would he be doing an act of tragedy
on the vaudeville stage. sandwfched on
the programme between a pair of clog
dancers and a group Of trained seals !?
inquiries the New York Mail and Ex-
press. Possibly- not. Probably not
And yet-one can but scan the Thes-
plan horizon and wonder He might
nave lost MS latest fortune ere this,
IN period OF -Shakespearean inter
est, and turned "a listening ear to the
financial Establishments of the contin-
uOuS performance operator
And Barrett and Mccullough. Daven-
port and Bangs Wanack and John
Gilbert. Billy Florence and John T.
Raymond, and all the other shades Of
recent renoWn-what opportunities for
big pay and little work have they not
missed by quitting all too soon their
earthly tenemenTs. They might have
resisted, it is true, for a time. as others
are today resisting. But for how long
Who among US would marvel to learn
that some vaudeville manager. more
ambitious and more daring than his
fellows. had mailed by this week
steamer a fiattering offer to Sir Henry
Irving, together with q contract. for
him to fill in at his own terms: stiD-
/ ulating only that he should not object
to preceding or following a high-kicker
I or banjo artist?
Truly We live in an age of vaude-
I vile. It's rapacity respects neither
age, sex. color nor previous condition.
1t SEXES upon our Fhespian idols and
InYades the ranks of the most conser-
VatiVe in hystriOnic and lyric art. It
knows a good thing when il sees one
and pushes it along 1t recognizes A
condition, and meets it not with a the
ory. but with bullying bank account.
1t throws out the right kind Of halt
and lands a big fish with startling
regularity. It is audacious, enterpris-
ing, 1mpertinent. if you Will-but suc-
cessfuL And who except the severest
moralist quarrels with success?
The season of 1857 will go down in
stage history as unique in this respect
Nothing ike ii was ever known Such
dfaItS as have been made upon thu
legitimate stage within six months We
would have deemed impossible two
years ago. Actors and actresses Of
distinction, who twelve months ago
would have scorned the suggestion.
now enter with equanimity the stage
door OF continuance performance. and
extract from the treasury each week
more generous tribute than they had
enjoyed before in many moons
At last New York dramatic critic
has had the courage to do Julia Mar
lowe the justice that many of his
brethren have denied her. Comment
ms IN the New York World upon Miss
Marlowe's portrayal of Mary. the beg
gar maid IN For Bonnie Prince
Charlie, John Dennis Jr. pays the
actress this tribute:
What is acting2
We see this young. woman come uDon
the stage TO put into life and action
before Us the pathetic story of the suf-
ferings and death of a young beggar
maid.
Now. from the moment she aDpears
until the curtain falls upon her death
there Is no flaw in the Illusion she
creates. She is not at any time Julia
Marlowe reciting lines: she is not a
person taking from external motives
necessary paFtin a pageant In every
phase Of expression or sentiment she
exactly what we should expect Of a
real Mary IN the situation presupposed
by the plot. From the smallest details
OF her dress and the smallest move
ment of her hands to the height Of her
most passionate 0ufburst she has re-
sponded accurately and completely to
every Infinite shade Of every passing
thought. idealizing it with that charm
and poetry with which genius and
fdealism uplift and illumine reality
To do that-is to be a great artist
Some things about Julia MarlOwe's
acting would that all actors and act
resses might initiate
She never talks to the audience or
looks al IT.
Never plays tricks with her eyes or
her eyebrows
Never makes a gesture when there
is no thought TO be conveyed by It.
Never sereeches nor screams
Never deefaims.
Never monopolizes the center Of the
stage when the picture demands that
she should be elsewhere.
Never makes herself undufy conspicl1-
Gus.
Never utters a word without under
standing its full meaning and relative
Importance.
Never struts nor stalks
Never is artificial, superficial or lack
At least / have watched her carefully
in all the plays / have seen her do III
New York without discovering any of
these crying and common faults Of our
actresses.
Besides which, as nearly as I can
Judge from her work she is a person
of extraordinary intelligence and re-
sources.
New. il you can mention any other
woman on the EuEIiSh-sDeaking sra ae
Of whom so much can be said l shall
be glad to hear of her
In regard to that fourth act the ap-
plauding critic who wrote of the play In
the World of Tuesday. suggested an in
qufry as to what either actress could
have made Of the death scene so gen
uine and touching a portrayal l am
not one of Miss MarIowe's professed
edmirers. but looking at the matter
iInpartiaIly 1 am Obliged to own that
there are only two women on the stage
Bernhard and Duse-Who could have
equafled her power in that great scene
and neither of them could have equaIIsd
her in beauty, youth or possibly in the
delicacy of her touch
Manager Scott. Of the Metropolitan
opera house, has Just completed ar
engagements within RI. Gfffen. manager
of the Giffen & Neil company, for q
summer season at this theater begin
ming May IT, with the Giffen & Neil
Stock company. This company played
q brief engagement IN this city two
years ago, and creat ted a delightful i'm
preston The company will be well
coined cordially by all theateF-goers OF
this city.
The popular comedian. Nat c. Good
win. will play an engagement for the
ETvC% &f-s-x go