The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-20
OTIS SKINNER LAST NIGHT
ONE or THE BEST COMEDIES EVER SEEN
IN RALEIGH.
Not Only the Stars But the Entire Support
Were Clever Artists Bright
Dialogue
Dialogue.

Raleigh pay-goers who last night
failed to see Otis SINNERS portrayal of
prince Otto" in Rorebtr Louis Steven
sons famous story, certainly missed one
of the most mastery triumphs Of stage
realism witnessed here in many a day.
In these days of light comedy run mad
it is positively refreshing to find am actor
of great ability who takes himself and
the public seriously.
Like Mr.. Sothern in Prison Of Zcnda,
Mr.. Skinner does this in prince Otto
prince Rudolph, he calls IT'D He subor-
dinates himself to the spirit of the char
acter and keeps his role pitched to a re-
markedly Hfe-like key throughout.
Though he makes the very Quietness of
his art its most effective strength, still
he is always equal to the emergency and
rises easily to the great climax No
actor save one endowed with exceptional
power would ever have attempted it.
How much rich humor theirs is in the
undercurrent Of it all, the story of THAI
play; almost trembling at times on the
verge of burlesQue without topping
over. But Otis Skinner knew what he
was about. There was not moment wheR
his audience were not his slaves.
As for the comedy those who have
never read it in Robert Louis Steven
sons own charming words are familiar
enough with the characters: A prince
who finds no seriousness in life but pur-
sues pleasures while his subjects groan
beneath taxes too great to bear; prin-
cess who honestly desires to see her
husband become great and good ruler;
a perfidious but cunning prime minister
who takes advantage of this situation
to plan an uprising among the people,
make the princess jealous of her hus-
band and her husband, the prince, in
turn to hear black scandals in which
his Wife's name occupies no enviabie
place. Clustered around this are half
a dozen other characters, such characters
as one would expect to find plotting and
intriguing in the rotten society of the
court of petty principally. There for
instance is a bad woman, Countess Won
Malten, who, true to her name as para
dox of the court secretly loves the
prince, while openly she is devoted to the
prime minister, Baron Won Kanderberg.
But one soon learns to forgive the c0un-
tess for all her faults because of her
bright epigrams and fidelity to the prince.
Then there's DIR. G0ttfried Won Walden
hOf the princes cousin. He was as
plain as an old-shoe; called a spade q
spade; Cistrusted the prime minister,
despised the princess, loved the prince,
and hated the Countess Won Malten
with all his heart.
Though the primer had married the
princess some two years before he had
been too busy seeking pleasure to think
of loving her. Then one day he came
upon her suddenly in a peasants hut.
Both had taken refuge there from a
wild mountain storm. He had been
hunting, she inspecting the outp0sts Of
their kingdom. Here for the first time
ne knew he loved her ana he told her So
Partly accepting us advances, partly
refusing, she asked if he were willing to
give up his butterfly life and become
indeed a prince and ruler of his people.
He said he would not and she left him
without a word of hope. The peasant
people not knowing that their guest was
more than an ordinary man, talked to
lrim freely after the princess had gone.
They related their wrongs, told Of the
heavy taxes and declared themselves
ready to join a rebellion.
1t was then that Rudolph became a
changed man and went back resolved to
become a righteous ruler, but now too
late. The lying prime minister had
destroyed not only the confidence of the
people in their prince, but that of his
wife and his advisers as well. The reyo-
luton broke over him like fury and
not until much blood was shed and the
perfdious heart of Kanderberg had been
run through with Rudolph's sword, was
there again peace, the throne restored
and the prince and princess united by
that love which each had so long borne
the other, but which lying scheming
tongues had ever been undermining by a
destruction of confidence, without which
there can be no welded happiness.
The title role of Rudolph, prince of
Kronefeld, of course, was Otis Skinner 5
while the character of Edora, princess of
Kronefeld, was most delightfully."- p0r-
trayed by Miss Maud Durbin. Through
out all her terrible ordeals this charac-
ter does not lose the perfume of sweet
womanhood, and is doubly fascinating
as enacted by Miss Durbin, who is as
charming stage beauty as she is a
clever actress. Indeed she, like Mr..
Skinner, is so natural that one forgets
she is acting at all and feels his cheeks
burn and his heart pounding at the
wrongs he sees inflicted upon her
The wicked Countess Won Malten was
Miss Ethel Winthrop-and a fine char
acterization it was. One could not help but
hate her, or rather the character, so well
was it acted. until toward the end she
fell in love with the prince and made it
her business TO find out all the deviltry
going on and tell and try to shield him.
Then there was her ever ready wit and
sparkling epjgram.
Frank SyIyester's impersona ton Of
the gruff old DIR. Gottfried, the princes
cousin, was also good. When he and the
countess met it was truly diamond cut
diamond. Their dialogue scintillated
with wit and keen satire.
Miss Ethel Browning made a delicious
PEASANTS daughter, while . more perfect