The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-27

The attractive series Of plays pre-
serted during the opening week OF Eu-
genie Blair's enga cement at the Metro
politan, with the appearance OF ROBERT
Downing in several Of his greatest
roles, was highly appreciated by the
theater-going public Of the city, and
it looks as though Miss Blair would
! become as great a favorite here as
she is in Minneapolis, where for six
consecutive weeks she filled the Met
| ropolitan theater Miss Blair will re-
peat in this city several Of her most
successful productions. Tomorrow even
| ing she will be seen in the role Of
Isabel Vane in Mrs. Henry Woods
East Lynne"
Miss Blair has made herself favor
lite within comparatively few years. She
! is an actress Of grace and talent, Who
has a successful career behind her 1t
was only last season that she deter
mined to enter the field Of emotional
drama Since her opening in Washing
ton last fall her tour has been one con-
| tinued success.
The reason for it lies partly in the
| fact that she presents class of plays
! which have hold upon the public
heart, such as is rarely obtained by the
mere recent efforts Of the playwrights.
Such plays as East Lynne and Jane
Eyre" when properly presented by a
capable actress, will always be sure of
liberal appreciation.
The story of East Lynne" Is too
| familiar to be told here. 1t is, without
| question: one of the most effective emo
Mo
no profound moral or psychological
problems In it. 1t is just true and
| simple story Of woman's life full of
| pathetic interest and intensity. The
character of Isabel Vane is one of
Miss Blair's favorite roles, and some
of the most fattering things that have
| been written concerning her have been
said Of her work in this play. In this
| character she is given more and great
err opportunities to show her power as
| an emotional actress than in any Of the
other roles of her extensive repertoire.
Miss Blair's plays are staged under
the personal direction Of Robert Down
ing East Lynne" will continue all
| the week, with matinees Wednesday
| and Saturday.
One Of the most astonishing records
| ever made by a romantic play in New
| York belongs to Under the Red Robe"
! which began its career at the Empire
| theater last December and is still run
| ming there to what is known as sue
cess" businesS-in other words filing
| the house. This is the drama made out
Of Stanley Weyman's story of the Cav
alier Gil de Berault, who fell in love
with the sister of the man he was COM
misSioned by Cardinal Richelieu to cap
ture and who let the man go for love
of the woman and betook himself to
Paris to surrender to the cardinal and
suffer death for his disloyalty. Ed
ward Rose has made a pretty and fra
grant play of the story, and Charles
Frohman's Empire Stock company
never acted better in their lives; re.
suit, beautiful performances, which
New Workers have gone five and six
times to see, and the whole metropolis
has actually been Under the-Red-
only that, the play is drawig as strong
ly in the latter part of June as it did
in January, and, for the first time In
the history of Gotham's theatricals, a
serious drama is vying successfully
with midsummer attractions. There is
no sign of this remarkable plav ending
its run; it may keep the Empire open
all summer. The theater, by the way,
was to have closed May Is. Under the
Red Robe" has passed it's 250th per-
Torrance, and shows sufficient vitality
to last for $50 more. Its run is the
longest ever made in New York by
romantic drama
There is nothing more delightful to
the little ones, or the older ones either.
than an entertainment in magic They
have all read about Aladdin and his