The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-22
AT THE THEATERS.
METROPOLITAN.

| In collaboration with Frank S. P1Xley,
Opie Read has added one more political
| romantic comedy to the really good,
though short list now before the public.
While the play Is excellent, considered
simply from the view point of dramatic
criticism, It's art is not all revealed in
the plot, dialogue, situations or climax.
| Not at all. Messrs. Read and Pixley have
done more than construct a pleasing at
traction; they have handled a delicate
| political motif in so mastery a manner
! that no political convictions are assailed
| and no feelings wounded This was the
! task to which the authors set themselves.
| and the good taste and sound judgment
| displayed in the dialogue Of THE Car
! petbagger," which opened last night at
| the Metropolitan, are by no means its
! least pleasing features.
Truly, those were parIous times in the
| gulf states in 1867. Political rancor was
| at a white heat, and it is small wonder
| that the modern playwright has seized
upon period so fertile in strong dra-
matte situations and nodded and smeited
| the stirring incidents into a play.
! Melville GRANGE, of Chicago, is the
| typical carpetbagger so hated all through
! the South-in the first act. But from
| that time out until the fall or the cuI-
! tain the muddy stream of politics Is
! clarified, and, it must be confessed,
/ idealized. In the second act Lucy Sin
| ford, a lobbyist, has these lines: "a
woman can do anything with a man.
! To her sorrow she finds this true, for
| It's woman, the handsome Widow Fair
! burn, the highest type of the Southern
| women, who leads the governor upward
! from the sIums of boodling politics into
! the pure atmosphere of honesty and re-
! wards him with her hand.
| Here, We have the central thought OF
| 1.-THE Carpetbagger, the book, and THE
! Carpetbagger," the play. Gov. GRANGE
| goes to jackson, Miss, with his daugh-
! ter with the avowed intention Of re-
turning to Chicago wealthy man. He
! remains to quietly yield possession of
! the office to a representative Southernor
! and marry a representative Southern
woman.
To Tim Murphy has been given the part
! of Gov GRANGE, and the highest praise
to be accorded him is the question: How
| could he play any other character bet
! ter?" Cool, shrewd and calculating, at
first rather repusive, possibly, he comes
| through the trial by fire, by duel and
| threats of assassination to win the at
! lection and applause of the audience.
! 1t is a clear case of "All for love and
| the world well lost.
And there is another pair Of lovers,
| the governors daughter, Nellie, played
| by Dorothy Sherrod, and Capt. Roy Fair
1
! school girl who plans an elopement, and
! g. youthful soldier, who dreams of fight
| ing Indians, must, certainly, set forth
| considerable good comedy. The authors
! have entrusted 1t to them, and they do
! ample justice to the responsibility.
a. S. Lipman is always sure of warm
welcome from St. Paul audience. and
| although he is given the ungrateful part
| of the villain, he is the paradoxical good
| villain of the piece Mai. Henderson Rey-
! nolds, by Griffith Evans, was conscien-
| tiously presented, and although Robert
! Gage, as Old John Reynolds, has but
! ore entrance and but few lines, his act
! ing was high class in every respect.
! charlotte Lambert, as the Widow Fair
burn, is assigned winning lines. which
she reads in a winning, winsome man
Ter, and the Lucy Linford of Mathilde
| Weffing is satisfactory in every detail
There Is the dog Bulger, on the bill
as A. Kanine White. 1t can be truthfully
said that this part is in most capable
! hands, and for the first ime in st. Paul
dog responded. vOciferoUSly, to a cur
tain call.
While 1.-The Carpetbagger" has more
comedy than romance, there are several
| sensational situations, the duel scene, the
attempted assassination and exposure of
| Bob Willets, Southern gambler and log
roller. It is play teaching a higher stand
| ard Of morals, perhaps. than the cold
| facts of political life will warrant. 1t will
be seen at the Metropolitan for the rest
| If the week, with Saturday matinee
"Phroso" will open Christmas week Sun
! day night.
GRAND.
4, Interesting in theme, powerful in ac-
| ton, perfect In the emotional scenes that
| please the ladies, is london Life" the
Grand's attraction the present week To-
! morroW's matinee is the last one of the
| engagement.
A successful vaudeville performance de-
mands variety, and that variety is
| promised in the programme for Christmas
week at the Grand There are promised
| high class musical acts, Irish comedy
| features, clever pantomimic comedy and a
variety of other innovating features, com.
| bining as a whole, it is said, to present
| one of the most enjoyable of speciality
| performances. Caron and Herbert, recog-
niZed as leaders CT pantomimic fun; Mel
| Vile and Stetson, the clever condolences;
| Conroy and Mcdonald, purveyors of Irish
| humor; Wartenberg brothers. jugglers
and acrobats; Harry Thompson, in imi-
| tatiOns. and the Cosmopolitan trio win
| entertain with music and comedy Mat
inees every day for Christmas week.
NOTES
George Bowles, business manager for
Alice Nelson, in 1.-The Singing Girl" and
| Jessica Duncan. chorus girl in the same
company, whose former home was Bur-
| lington. To-, were married Wednesday
| Corner. New York city.
I 1fIIrr Tofn drar 4