The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-23
DRAMATIC.
METROPOLITAN.

| Va OPOLL lH6 1LlIc JdCOD LICL 3 new pro-
! ductton, which appeared for the first time
in the Northwest last night, one realizes
that for three hours and half he has
been taken through all the humorous and
| pathetic, ludicrous and tragic incidents
which go to make UP the requisites of a
! melodrama, yet SO rapid has been the ac-
tion, so sumptuous, yea, lavish, the stage
setting, and so more than ordinarily Ella
| bGrate the ensemble that the auditor and
| spectator Is divided in his admiration be-
| tween the dramatists, Cecil Raleigh and
Seymour Hicks; the scenic artists, q half
dozen Of the most famous names In stage
decorative art; the artists who present
| the play so effectively, and the auda-
| cious manager who stood sponsor for SO
stupendous production of q play that
| could have been money-maker with a
much less pretentious production.
| The plot of Sporting Life" does more
| than afford a vehicle for depicting
phases of race track and prize ring sport,
although 1t does that. 1t has the usual
melodramatic plot showing virtue trium-
phant and rewarded, although, perhaps,
more than ordinarily intricate. Lord
| Woodstock, young and athletic, runs
through fortune, being bled largely by
crooked sports. The opening of the
play finds him the owner of a derby
winner" except that the Derby has not
yet been run. He also makes love to the
daughter of the trainer in his stable. Her
sister turns out to have been indiscreet
In her relations with Joe Lee, young
| prize-fghter, whom Woodstock has back
ed. as an unknown, against the favorite.
The brother Of the girls has forged Wood
stocks name to lavish the money secur-
ed on the fair adventures, Olive de Car
teret, whose husband is the chief schemer
in the plots to ruin Woodstock. Wood
stock hall is sold under the hammer to
save the honor of the boy, and the
| ,flkrv
his unknown winning the fight. On the
way to the fight the father of the girls
who is to be one of Lees seconds, meets
the erring daughter, and vows vengeance
on her betrayer. In the ring he finds
her bracelet on Lees arm. and in
his rage assists in drugging him
Woodstock then has to thrust himself
into the breach. with properly lighted
stage, whip his adversary in three
rounds and win the stakes. The boy VIC
tim Of Olive de Carteret learns of her
heartlessness and strangles her to death
in her own room. Woodstock is suspected
and a warrant sworn out for his arrest
AS the Derby winner must be owned by
living person, in the play, the plotters
seek to murder Woodstock the night be-
fore the race, but Joe Bell, who had been
depended upon, refuses when he learns
the enormity Of the offense, to assist in
killing his benefactor and consents to
detain him until after the race. He is
standing guard over him in q gypsy
wagon when one Of the vagabonds, who
has been doubling in crime by ''welch-
ing" on the earlier races, is pursued to
his den by the Infatuated mob and
Woodstocks release is dramatically eff
fected just as the bell rings for the Der
by. He can't see 1t, but gets in in time
tc defeat the protest against the awarding
of the race to Lady Love- Bell and his
cd
a note to the chief Of police, confessing
the murder Of Olive and indicating
where his own body can be found.
Olive de Carteret Is far and away the
chief role. dramatically, in the produc-
ton. and a handsome, dashing, hand
some1y gowned, mild-mannered, but steel
hearted adventures Elita Proctor Otis
makes of 1t. The scene with woodstock
In the third act was Miss Otis chief OPP
portuntty, and 1t was put to excellent
purpose, as was the scene with Charles
Gotthold. as Philip Cavanagh, her boyish
dupe, who plays eavesdropper, while she
reveals to her former lover and his pros
pectfve brother-in-law her lack of regard
for Philip. This act is the most auda-
+ cious departure OF Messrs Hicks and
I Raleigh from the traditions of the melo-
drama. The idea of man strangling a
woman to death is abhorrent to the ira
dftions of gallantry which have been sup
posed to vest the fair sex with an ilnnu-
nifty from personal violence. and it rather
shocked the top Of the house last night
1t may be said In mitigation of this inno-
walton, however, that 1t gives Miss Otis
opportunity to display her lovely neck
and shoulders in some very artistic pos
lures
Joseph Kilgour plays Woodstock very
acceptabiy. The part is very largely mel
dramatic fat" so much SO. indeed. that
MT KilpOnr VinIds
temptation to act in the manner usually
granted as the privilege Of melodramatfc
heroes. For the most part, however.
Mr.. Kilgour Is very considerable in this
respect, and especially so in the third
act, which was characterized by some
very earnest and artistic work on the
counts part
Mr. Gotthold philip Cavanagh also
deserves not little compliment for real
ling the possibilities of this scene and
executing those conceptions very we'll.
lsadore Andreade, the money lender. is
an am1aole old character, to which Frank
Burbeck adds by a careful reading and
an ideal dressing. His makeup is a de-
parture from the melodramatic tradition.
but in the right direction.
Frazer Coulter as Malet de Carteret
the villain In chief, Is acceptable In a role
little more polished than the ordinary
run of stage villain. De Carteret is
the end of the play.
Robert Patton Gibbs does clever bit
OF character work as Godfrey Pilgrim, a
bookmaker's tout. and the tough sport"
OF Red Nike as interpreted by George
Russell Jr.. would delight the small bow
and the scientific ethnologist as we'll
The comedy is entrusted to Charles
Harris as Sergeant Doxy. and Margaret
May as Clara. Clara has only one chance
but she wins all hearts as sprightlv
comedienne in scene that is exceedingly
laughable. Mr.. Harris work Is pleas
ing.
Jeanette Lowrie and Adeline Adler are
acceptable in the important but histrf-
onfcally unexacting roles of the sisters.
Nora and Kitty
Joseph Wheeock's Miles Cavanaeh is
creditable bit of character work.
The scenic embellishments, as has been
1ntimated, IS unusually artistic There
are sixteen scenes, and the changes In
each act are all dark changes which |
add to the impression made on the Ioolx |