The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-14

ed the chestnutty period and was taken
off the stage. enthusiastically it was
revived, but not with the original cast,
and therefore unsuccessfully, for the
theater-g going public of that generation
would not tolerate new faces in the
leading roles. Even the famous heifer
dance failed to arouse the laughter
that greeted it when Henry E. Dixey
and Richard Golden impersonated the
fore and hind legs Of the quadruped,
for Dixey and Golden were leg come
dams in those days. So Mr.. Rice has
waited for another generation Of
theatergoers, who presumably have no
prejudices.
The ST. Paul public will have an op-
portunity to see "Evangeline" all this
week at the Metropolitan opera house.
If Mr.. Rice's measurement OF the
potency Of feminine charms has not
undergone radical change, the public
may confidently expect liberal display
of these important adjuncts of burles-
que. The management promises an
elaborate production Of "Evangeline,"
including picturesque scenery, hand
some costumes and pretty girls The
cast will comprise George K. Fortes
cue, that monument Of flesh, who is
as funny as he is big, and who enjoys
the distinction Of having impersonated
Catherine in one of the original COM
panies, Dan Mason, the Dutch come
dian, Miss Bertha Wood, George Mel
vile, Blanche Clayton, Winnie Danvers,
Mae Baker, and others. This cast, with
the exception of Miss Wood, who plays
the title role, produced the burlesquc
at Manhattan Beach last summer The
usual Wednesday and Saturday matt
nees will be given.
According to official news, Sir Henry
IrYing's plans for reappearlng ON the
stage are rather nebulous. His venture
in "Cymbeline" does not seem to invite
a repetition, and the latest report is
that he will emerge" as Napoleon In
"Mamade Sans Gene" with Ellen Terry
as the ennobled blanchesseuse.
Mr.. Richard Mansfield was at one
time one of the cleVerest dramatic
critics in Boston. His audacious and
unique views were copied from ocean
to ocean, though the name of the liter
ary ector was known to but few. His
journalistic career. however, was as
brief as it was electric. Day after day
that be and gravely condemned for
abusing some actor or another who
happened to be the editors friend. But
he is dire bad actor. SIR would be
Mr. Mansfield's reply.
Impossible, in this paper. He is one
of my personal and highly honored
friends
ut seems to me- said Mr.. Mansfield
talking about the matter last week,
that If had been afflicted with the
honored friendship Of as many bad
actors as that particular paper boosted
OF I would have committed suicide"
- -
Marion Crawford's dramatization Of
his novel 'Dr. Claudius' has failed in
New York city. Hillary Bell, writing
IN the New York Press, castigates the
noted novelist after this fashion:
eff novelist has the dramatic in
stinct, the fact that he is literary will
help him rather than hurt him in play
writing. He approaches the most DIFF
1cult Of tasks equipped with fancy
wit, humor and refinement all of which
are excellent qualities for the stage.
But the first and principal essential in
The drama Is dramatic instinct Marion
Crawford is wholly without this quail
lty. Indeed. he does not even seem to
know that 1t exists. His play is a die
tionary Of words without action, and
his explanation of its first-right failure
puts forth the unique argument that
the play miscarried because the aud
fence did not hear all the dialogue.
Now, by the shades of Thespisl If we
had been forced to hear more dialogue
there must have been a riot. The pres
ent writer. who IS the most patient,
amiable, long-suffering person that
ever was known, grew faint under that
never-ending stream Of words and left
the theater, long before "Dr Claudils"
was finished. In a state Of exhaustion.
But now Mr.. Crawford solennnly as
sures US that the words Of dramatic
dialogue are never perfectly conveyed
to the audience until the tenth night
OF performance. and that he means to