The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-21
Dramatic and Musical
METROPOLITAN.

yesterday there was Included all that there is
OF value to the taste of today
The Woodward Stock companv Is a good
thing. II represents a standard drama OF I'M
doubted merit IN most capable manner and
1t offers at the same time vaudeville enter
| tsinment that would alone be worth the
seeing. Inc programme contrasts the clever
est comedy and variety features with some
tnlng OF the best in stage story telling.
me Dill OF the play Is Men and Women
1t is efficiently played. One wonders at the
rapldlty OF life at this end Of the century
In watching the piece. We wonder if it is
possible that, in the few years that have gone
since that time in the last decade when
beiasco and De Mile were the up-to-date
stage writers, We have lived so fast that we
| go pacK with some surprise to the fact that
only few years ago ''moxie'' slang
| for the sort of cheek that is now indicated
| by something very different. Even the social
| portrayal belongs to the past, without being
! Old enough to be classic. But De Mile was a
master story writer and this end of the cen
fury has discovered no stage master equal to
Belaseo The play is full of heart interest.
! There is no Tagging to the interest of feel
! Ing in what is going on during the develop
ment Of the story. The things that were sug-
gested TO the dramatist by the work Of the
bank wreckers of the early sos and the mix
ing UP Of heart and affection in their work
| is eonsummately depicted by the stage writ
ers. and the feelings of men and women as
! the were wrought up ten years ago and
might have been shown at any time, were
carefully, even cleverly, depicted yesterday.
Mr.. Lndon is very capable Israel Cohen.
! Frederick Montague was an artlstically per-
feet Prescott, and De Witt Clinton-there is
something familiar in that name-was a
! manly Seabury Mr.. Greene was the Stead
man of the cast, and proved himself most
| efficient actor. Perhaps the best small bit
! OF reserved character acting in the cast was
that given by Mr.. Enos as Gov. Rod1nan
| Miss Creighton is a gifted actress with fine
| presence and capacity for emotional work,
| and Miss McCauey was charming Dora
| Prescott. The piece was handsomely staged,
| and the rest Of the company quite up to the
| requirements of the cast. The play was
| dressed quite perfectly.
| The division Of the performance by the in
| PRODUCTION Of vaudeville attractions in the
| lieu Of the usual entr'aete will be appre-
! ciated by people who want to take their own
! time for their amusements. The good things
are scattered through the programme be-
! tween the acts. The hit OF the programme
was made yesterday by the Window quintette.
| Mr.. WINDOWS songs may be foundf fault
| with. but he knows how to handle musical
! feature. The work of the quintette is clever
| and ELECTED unqualified appreciation. Bessie
| Bonehill is clever and she does some new
songs that are very fetching There is a
steal act by Messrs. Seeley and West that
| includes good music and is very funny. The
performance is altogether commendable. 1t
| offers every feature Of good drama and the
best of vaudeville. The engagement was
opened yesterday afternoon by innovation
| at the Metropolitan in the presentation of a
| Sunday matinee, and that, as we'll as the
evening performance, was very largely at
tended. The same bill all the week
GRAND.
Even Belle Archer, with her catchy ways
and the little things that count in the house,
would not succeed in making Hoyt's "A Con-
| tented Woman" a success until it had been
! changed from what it was when the people
| Of st. Paul first saw it three years ago. 1t
was not at that time funny. 1t was Hoytian
in construction. but it had evidently been
| written about the late Caroline Miskel and it
was not as funny as 1t should have been.
When It was presented at the Grand last
| night it was a very different affair. 1t was
screamngy funny. From the going up Of
the curtain to the going down of The same
there was scarcely a break in the laughter.
The lines were practically all new the situa-
lions were very much the same but they
were brought up-to-date by the intermingling
of theories in politics.
a Contented Woman" is a satire and is
sharp enough in its humor to make some
people think that perhaps it goes tCo far 1t
| was that way originally. but 1t is healthy
proposition in theatricals, for it attacks a
very weak spot in the social scheme. Di
| vested Of much OF its sharpness by the de-
| velopments Of the last few years it is IN
conceivably funny and there is nothing on
the stage that is so essentially American in
its humor.
Mr. Hoyt has evidently put some work in
on the play since it was first seen here three
| years ago. The lines are brighter. and there
is more fun in the situatons-at least there
is more fun got out Of the same situations by
the changing of the lines.
There was a tremendous house at the Grand
last night to see the production, and there
was uproarious laughter all the way through
the play The laughter was due. The skit,
| dealing with practical politics on an exag-
gerated scale, appealed to everybody. and the
actors were all that they should be. The
company presenting the piece is beyond criti-
cism.
Miss Archer may have 10 especial his.rionic
gifts, but she can put an audience mere near
ly in touch with what is going on than any
Coincidence now on the stage She has a
beautiful presence, an infectious laugh ana
the magnetism that counts on the stage She
| is most cleverly supported. Miss Rouse does
the c,everest bit of character work that has
been seen on the local stage as Aunt JIM.
| a
| merit, and made the most of a cleverly bIilt
character part. c. P. Morrison, as Cutting
Holme, an essentially Hoytian straight Gem
edy part was a breeze from the cock edge
of life. Henrietta Lee was the Mrs. kbb-
| smith and was quite charming. Mr.. Buchan-
nan was a dignified Benton Holme. The
| rest of the cast quite efficient.
In the cast are a number of handsome
young women VINO DO many clever things,
! and there are a number Of specialties that are
worthy Of cOmmendation. Bonnie Lottie did
a very clever singing ard dancing turn, aid
John L. Kearney. as Vandyke Beard. was
very funny In his turn. There is a singing
trio in the company, and altogether 1t is one
| Of the most efficient combinations tlas has
been seen in this town, and the per9oq M nce
is far away beyond that which was given at
the first presentation of the same play that
was seen here when Mr.. Hoyt superintended
! the production himself.
The same bill will continue all the week,
with the usual matinees. and an extra one
! Thanksgiving day.
| Novel Inducement
| no Of 7