The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-09
ANACONDA NEWS.
LOCAL THEATRICAL TALK
Nance O'Neil in "Magda" Pleases
an Appreciative Audience.
THE AVENGER" MONDAY
John Griffith Will Present His Great
Success at the Margaret-"The
Turtle"-Some Plays That
Are Coming.

'Magda" is one Of those sad, dark,
IS gloomy, depressing plays that tend to
s give a fellow the blues for a week.
Ii Neither the course of true love nor any
N thing else runs smooth Everybody is
" bowed down with grief Everybody
4 has more troubles of his own than he
h could tell the police in a week. Even
a the villain is in the sullls; and that
y seems too bad. The villain in a trag
e edy ought properly to exhibit a dash
Y of hilarity. He should always be some
s thing on the Iago or Mepfistopheles or
4 der. The Dr. Won kellar of Mr. Swick-
III art last night would be wet blanket
~ on the monday sun: a chopfallen, Woe
E@ begone villain was he.
% Then there is Magda, poor girl; she
" has an awful time of it. Magda loves
~ her child to distraction. and she loathes
! the man who caused her ruin. There
is Heffterdrngt, the pastor, who loves
I Magda with one of those great big.
sad, dismal. dreary, hopeless loves You
NJ read about; and who advises Magda to
nj marry the wet dishrag of villain any
n how. and let it go at that. There is
Colonel Schwartze, the father of Mag
Qd- Will d me SENSE Oh HOuoG WHICH lie
s feels impeled to satisfy even if he has
i TO pull off the funeral of every member
4 of his family, including his own. It's
a wonder the audience didn't rise and
4 unite in singing the 432nd hymn, Come
4 Ye Disconsolate."
Isl But Nance O'Nel! You could see at
"a glance that she was an artist-a great
II and commendable artist. What tri-
aumphs may not this coming ruler of
the stage achieve when her art devel-
4 ops and matures In height and figure
\ she suggests Mary Anderson. In mo-
J ton and posture she is more nearly like
K Ellen Terry. In voice and delivery she
Ra recalls Fanny Davenport. Taking her
" altogether, though, she isn't any one of
!s%them: she is Nance O'Neil, an original
and strong individuality in dramatic
art. She is good and she is great,
Miss O'Neil learned acting under the
direction of Mckee Rankin. OF course,
j she had inherent greatness-it remain
ed for Mckee Rankin to discover and
develop it. He did it with masters
hand, and peerless artist stands forth
5sto-day as the product of his work. She
#ghas absorbed what is meritorious and
Il admirable in the old school of acting
and this is supplemented by her own ar
tistic nature Mckee Rankin as a char
Z acter actor has won enduring fame. AS
the old colonel in 'Magda' he proves
that his art has not deserted him. But
Il the character doesn't give him much
X chance to display his talents. Mr.. Carr
k3as the pastor was satisfactory.
" Miss O'Neil may be assured that she
twill always receive a hearty welcome
Tin Anaconda. But almost any other
K tragedy would be more accepta BILE than
"Magda,' a pessimistic, saturnine, Ger
n man production, without single CLEAN
sof geniality in it. It's altogether too
d. Ibsenesque. 1t produces the same i'm
l.
sRband playing the Dead March at
+ funeral mile long. Hinc lilac lachry-
mae The sackcloth and ashes, please
. A play that teens with romance and
4 is full of daring adventures and heroic
q achievents is announced to appear at
Hathe Margaret tomorrow night. 1t is
ascalled THE Avenger,' and will be pre-
III scented by John Griffith and his celebrat-
II ed company. The story of the play pre-
sents pages of history at the time when
the 18th century was young. The scene
s is land in France, at the court in Paris,
and on the frontier of Spain, and it will
n be mounted in most sumptuOus man.
H ner The characters of the play are
those whose striking characteristics
3* help to make history. The sword was
s smightier than the pen" in those days,
& and John Griffith as Henry DeLagar-
dere is a cavalier Of the fear-nothing
type, who, with his trusty blade, carves
n MS way TO lame. dNeHStS Il woman )
honor and rights wrongs. The story of
ia the play has the theme that is domi-
II nant in every good love story: it tells
& of adventure of daring, pathos and
& crime. The company which supports
Mr.. Griffith is said to lie one Of pNcep-
tional strength, and is healed by Miss
Kathryn Purnell. From Il scenic point
Il of view the production will be of a re-
& marka BILE character. No expense has
been spared to produce in perfection
every scenic and electrical detail. Mr..
If Griffith who is well known for his pro-
Il duction of Faust and in Sothern's
s. great play, AN Enemy to the King
has in this play a role of exceptional
strength. A rare treat is promised to
the lovers of good amusement.
The announcement will be received
z with pleasure that Manager Collins of
Is the Margaret has succeeded in booking
& for that house The Turtle which is
s all the rage in the East. The date for
7 1.-The Turtle in Anaconda is May 25.
Il 1.-The Turtle" is the biggest success in
the East that has been on the boards
for good many years. The newspa-
pers have devoted columns to it.
Among the more notable attractions
which are booked for the Margaret dur
ing the next few months are some of
the best things on the road. The fol-
lowing is list of a few of the best of
them:
81 April 10-John Griffith in ''The Aven-
ger"
April 1s-"The Spider and Fly" COM
pany.
April 22-"The Bachelors Honey
moon"
April 25-Stuart Robson.
May S-"McFadden's Row of Flats
May l0-Clay Clement.
May 11-John l.. Sullivan.
May 15-"DeVil's Auction
May 25-"The Turtle"
May 27-The Rays in "a Hot Old
Time"
May 29-Havery's minstrels
May 21-ROland Reed.
June 9-MelVille Mcdowell and
Blanche Walsh.