The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-13
LAST OF CLASSIC DRAMA.
End of the Engagements of the Well
known Stars at Both Opera
Houses.

Considering the extreme cold weather
J the attendance at the Crawford theater
and Grand Opera House at the matinee
and evening performances Saturday
was all that could be expected. The
attendance at the matinee performance
of La Tosca" was better than the at
| tendance at the performance of Romeo
and Juliet, but in the evening the au-
diences at Fedora" and ''Othello" were
about equal. Il don't blame people for
not turning out this kind of weather,
said Mr.. Charles B. Hanford Saturday
afternoon. For my part, L wOuldn' t
go across the street to see the original
cast in the Lords Supper"
From 'F'loria Tosca', Sardou'S wom-
an of love and impulse, Blanche Walsh
passed to his masterful creation, the
Princess Fedora, at the Crawford
theater Saturday night Her audience
of the evening was as apprectative as
the audience of the afternoon and the
night preceding, and she was called be-
fore the curtain twice, after the second
and third acts.
What was said of Miss Walsh's por-
trayal of La, Tosca" is also true of her
Princess Fedora. In the quiet pas
sages of the play her reading of the
part was at times admirable. but in the
intensely emotional scenes she failed to
keep wholly clear of OVERRIDING.
Mr.. MacDowelPs "Loris IpanoH was
not equal to his Baron Scarpia"
While he made the character interest
ing he was STACEY at times, and his
work. especially in the love scenes. I'M
finished.
pany much more opportunity than La
Tosca" AS the Countess olga, Miss
Constance Williams, who was seen here
last year with w. s. Hart, proved her
self particularly capable. Arthur Ell
liott's Jean DeSireaux" was better
than his 'Cavaradossi'', and the re-
mainder of the company was satisfac-
tory in the less important parts.
Each of the members of the new
ShakeSpearean triumVirate appeared to
excellent advantage at the Grand Opera
House Saturday In the afternoon Miss
Tyler proved her Juliet" the strongest
of her characters, and in the evening
Mr. r. D. MacLean proved his "Othello
the same. Both in the afternoon and
evening Mr.. Charles B. Haneord showed
his easy handling of Shakespearean
roles in ''Mercutio" and 'Iago".
Miss Tyler's Juliet" was especially
pleasing among the characterizations
of the two tragedies. She gave to the
role the childishness and innocence
which made it natural She both looked
and acted the part She was unaHected
during the trying scenes The small
audience that saw Romeo and Juliet"
appreciated her work and rendered her
several curtain calls.
The "Othello' of Mr.. MacLean went
considerably ahead of both his Shy
lock" and Romeo. 1t was his best
work. He gave to the part dignity and
power His portrayal was free from
proved that the Shakespearean drama
has been benefited by his return to the
stage.
There is a great difference between
the 'sMercutio'' of Romeo and Juliet
and the ''Iago'' of ''Othello', but both
received excellent treatment in the
hands of Mr.. Charles B. Hanford. His
.'Iago" was more the honest Iago"
than the insidious, insinuating friend
His work with Mr.. MacLean was re-
peatedly applauded-
mona compelled the sympathy of her
audience is sufficient praise. Her work
in the part but served to increase the
favor which her tPortia" and Juliet"
created.