The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-26
AT THE THEATERS.

Torrance at the Metropolitan opera house last
night of G. Haddon Chambers drama, "The
Idler," carried away any distinct recollection
of the scenery. 1t was complete triumph of
the play and the players over the material
surroundings. 1.-THE Idler" was written for
actors-not for scenic painters nor upholster-
ers. 1t is the work of an artist, and as such
none but artists can interpret 1t. The Giffen-
Neill company is an aggregation of artists
The return of this worthy organization to
st. Paul is an event that all lovers OF the
dramatic art must welcome. Those who as
sembled at the Metropolitan last evening, and
1t was gratifying to note their number ex-
tended the deserved welcome Each member of
the company accorded warm reception
upon his or her first appearance. This feature
Of the performance rendered it all the more
enjoyable, creating, as it did, that delightful
atmosphere Of appreciation, which inspires
the players to make their best endeavors and
quickens the keenest sympathies of the spec
tators.
1t was finished performance Of skillfully
constructed play. Such pertinent dialogue as
Mr. Chambers has written is rare in modern
dramatic literature. Not a superfuous line is
spoken by the actors who tell the heart story
Not a comedy speech is introduced at inoppor-
tune moments to eXasperatingly delay legit-
mate cllmaXes. Keen insight into human ma
NN4S distinguishes the Work. me QramatlSt
was an artist, and has contrasted his richest
and deepest colors with his Iightest and gay
est, not by interference, but by gradual Sc
quence.
The theme is old-not that it has been en-
ployed unduly often in plays-but cd in that
1t tells an everyday story. A man of gen.
erous impulses, but no better than his next
door neighbor, loves woman. She thinks
she loves him. The man is called away for
half year. The woman meets another man.
She knows she loves him, and she marries
him. The hero-for Mark Cross is. the hero
of Mr.. Chambers drama-returns In the
husband of the woman he loves he recognizes
an Old companion, who ten years before in
another country, shot and killed a man. The
husband insists that the killing was an acct
dent. 1t may have been. That question is
never settled. The only absolute fact is that
Sir John Harding, who fired the fatal shot
when he was known in Colorado as Gentle
man Jack" loves his wife and is loved by
her. The twin brother of the man who was
killed is Simeon Strong an American
millionaire. Simeon has sworn to avengo his
brother. He arrives in London where he
meets Sir John at the latter's home. He
recognizes in the features of the baronet
Gentleman Jack" and tells him that he
proposes to have him arrested and extradited
to America to stand trial for murder for
Gentleman jack fled from Colorado after
the shooting. But Simeon owes his life to
Mark Cross, who rescued him from drowning
Cross is human He loves Sir Johns wife
distractedly. He tells her all. She implores
him to save her husband. He promises to do
so, but names an awful price. The loyal
wife spurns him. But, after appealing in
vain to the avenging brother, and believing
that her husband is to be torn from her. per-
chance to meet his DEATH she succumbs
Dropping the bouquet, the agreed signal that
she would visit the lodgings of Cross she
eXc,aims: 81 have saved my husband: now
to save myself" And she does save herself.
This last stroke, it might be remarked, also
saves the play.
The dialogue throughout is apt, terse and
pungent. The character study exemplifed in
Mark Cross possesses the merit of truth-uni-
versal truth. There are many men like him.
While far from good, he is far from bad.
He admits he has a little Of the villain in
him. Under tempting circumstances many
citizen of good repute displays qualities he
never boasted Of The dramatist has drawn
this character with truth-telling strokes.
But something OF the players. Considered
in the order OF the importance of their roles
to the theme of the play, attention is nat
urally first directed to Robert Drouet Mr..
Drouet imparts to the character of Mark
Cross the quality of indecision and vacil!a-
ton between Glove and duty" as the old
song puts it, that the dramatist evidently
sought to convey. Cross is not a conventional
villain, and Mr.. Drouet is not conventional
actor That he left the people in doubt
whether Cross was a villain, or, after all, a
pretty fair sample of the average man, is a
proof of the merit of his performance.
1t is a genuine pleasure to testify to the
worth of Miss Edythe Chapman, recent ac-
lot 70 t1o
ing roe of the unjust.y accused wife, Miss
Chapman is gifted with a rich and sympa-
thetic voice and an expressive countenance
She acts with a fervor and an earnes:ness
that convince She achieved much She
promises even more. Charles Kent contrib
uted an effective portrayal of the husband, Sir
John Harding. Mr.. Kent excel,ed in the
climax of the third act, in which Sir John de-
nounces mis- wife in the mistaken belief that
she is false.
The comedy element which is so deftly
woven into the play was entrusted to William
F. Owen, James Neil, Anne B,ancke and
Kate B.ancke Mr.. Owens characterization
of Gen. Merryweather, the o-time Wild
over, who believes that marriage is an in
stitution that no family should be without
was delightful. Mr.. owen is an artist of the
very first rank, whose opportunities during
the summer season here have not been as
ample as could have been wished. The scene
between Mr.. Owen and Kate Blancke who
impersonated the manageable widow, Mrs.
G!ynn-Stanmore, was the richest in the play,
Miss Blancke contributing an excellent bit
of character work.
Anne Blancke never appeared to better ad-
vantage than in the character of Kate Merry
weather, the generals pert and teasing daugh-
ter. Her scene with Simeon Strong DANES
NeilD in the last act is the most ;aughable in
the play. Mr.. Neill played his roe with an
easy, genteel dignity that must be COM
mended. In speech and action he is entirely
free from theatric flourish, always in har-
mony with common sense. Eleanor Carey
thoroughly satisfactory in the role of Mrs
Cross.