The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-15
Dramatic ano AustcaL
METROPOLITAN.

Flene:"
A dishonored man. who has sacrificed to his
4 appetite for gambling the money that has
1 been entrusted TO him, commits suicide. While
/ the pistol IS still smoking in his hand his
daughter accepts the love of rake, who has
conceived sincere passion for her. She is
/ warned Of his past, but is disposed in
( EOmanly way to believe in him and his love
/ for her as reformatcry conditions. She knows
! nothing Of her fathers dishonor. Her lover
! is taken into the secret by the uncle Of the
] girl and he furnishes the money that saves
] the reputation Of the dead man. At the steps
/ Of the altar his past intervenes between the
rake and his bride. He is claimed by the
woman he has deceived and deserted, who
confronts him with his child. His bride
stands firmly by him in spite of the story
Of the deserted woman. for she loves him
! greatly and believes him. In agony Of
pleading the deserted woman attacks him on
! the steps of the sanctuary and is so bitter
in her denunciation that he strikes her to
: the ground. The blow kills the love OF mis-
+ bride for him, and she leaves him TO his
shame. The following day he makes his ap-
pearance at her home, and in endeavoring TO
1 force her TO marry him he tells her Of her
/ fathers shame and how he saved him. She
repels him and moves him TO such sense OF
his duty that he goes away expiate his
\ past. leaving his name 10 the woman whom
! he had wronged. That is an outline OF the
story. but il conveys really idea of what
there is in the play.
I 1t is most extraordinary play, and in it
1 Clyde Fitch has added something to the liter
AZURE Of the stage-something that may live
or die so far as the public is concerned. but
which will never lack in interest while it is
1 yet on the stage. The story Of the play will
attract the attention and curiosity OF those
/ who speculate the mimic joys and woes OF
the stage-the play itself commands absolute
/ ly the admiration Of the beholder for its
masterful construction. 1t is rich in delight
! full comedy; It has the true social favor and
! IL does a most difficult thing in portraying
I the life OF today. Moreover, it is full Of
! the essence Of life at this end Of the century,
when one is obliged. If in 1t at al. to accept
/ stabs in the heart and shout vive la bagatele
perhaps not literally. but in fact.
The Moth and the Flame is in three
acts. The first presents the unique idea Of
pie, beautifully staged and costumed, during
the progress Of which party the life of the
! assemblage is driven TO suicide by the dis
/ coyery OF his wrongdoing.
The second act is quite as original, show
| ing the interior Of a church the guests
women Of the great world gathering before
/ the ceremony and INDUCING in that ordinar-
| lily meaningless and lnsincere talk which is
accepted the small change Of society. The
!
actually witty in their capacity for illumi,
mating character. The act goes to the limit
| OF the dramatic in the closing scene. The
| last act is set In the room in which the
wedding presents of the Inflated bridal pair
are shown The stage setting is beautiful
II goes without saying that anything played
| by Mr. Kelley and Miss Shannon would be
! done quite perfectly. In THE Moth and
the Flame" as it was given at the Metro
poitan before very large audience last
/ night. Mr.. Kelley has strong acting part
/ IL is not grateful part and might be diff
cult for an actor Of ordinary capacity. Mr.
Kelley plays the man of the world who
/ has found the goal of his life and who is
ready to sacrifice anything to attain that
! goal. in the love Of a good oman. In his
/ passion he does things that makes one abhor
him, but he does everything so well he
1 plays the hsrsher scenes with such sublety
that one does not lose sight of the fact that
/ IN his worst moods he is suffering in atone
ment for his past
Miss shannon is the Marion Wolton. the
bride. The role is one that is full OF strong
! ly emotional situations. but the capital act
! ing OF Miss Shannon makes her most Doig-
nant distress the more affecting In that it
/ does not shrek. She is charming in her
ingenious girlishness and she and Mr. Kelley
mako love in such a feryent yet well-bred
way that II might be commended to young
people who have curiosity in that direction.
/ These two admirably supported. The
4 company is much larger and better in every
respect than any we have seen In the Kelley
! shannon support.
At the head of the support Ia a very clever
! actress, Miss Marion Abbott. Miss Abbott
! is cast for Mrs Lorimer. twice a widow
| through the Intervention of the divorce
| court, but who is happily provided with
number three before the final curtain. Miss
Abbott has a generous amount OF THAI sort
Of talent which gladdens the stage. Her
/ jollity is infectious and she speaks the sharp
things she has to say like a woman who
| knows Just what to say and how to say it,
4 The stage divorcee is not always a happy
/ creation. Miss Abbott. by the proper rem
dering OF Mr.. Fitch's lines will make us
1 think better Of the type she portrays
Among other clever people in the large
! cast are Charles Stedman. J. Z. whiting
Bruce McRae. Miss Grace Reals garrulous
/ and frivolous young person with a mania
Shannon and dozen other people all Of
whom are clever enough TO help maintain the
high tone OF the play.
! The theater goer whose sense Of appre-
! citation OF good thing is developed should
I by all means SO and see The Moth and
I the Flame" It is the sort CT thing that
( should be encouraged on the sage. Tn
/ happily. there cannot be many things Of the
! kind. and this particular eruption OF stage
story should be supported II viii be at the
! Metropolitan all the week