The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-25
MUSIC AND THE STAGE,
METROPOLITAN.

Phroso," which opened at the Natro-
poItan Fast night for the holiday weelx
- play that Improves from the close of
the first act. SO does the music, and thera
is much of the latter Of a weird and mo-
anclloly expression
Ihose who have read Anthony Homes
story OF the imaginary island of Neopalia
VIII miss great deal Of deft charactari
| Zatlon and sparkling dialogue But ,nan1,
VIII and do claim that the play IS BET
ter IMAM the book, for the action Is swift
er' and ali the border details of the Mot
crowd fast upon each others heels
Phroso opens with a tragedy, droDs
into light comedy in the first act. carries
Two acts Of romantic melodrama and
closes In the co9trasted situations of mas
s-onate, yet loyal love, triumphiIIe over
the death Oh Turkish deceit personified in
Mourald Pasha.
Lord Wheatley, who has purchased the
Island of Neopalia, arrives with a party
OF mis- yachting friends to take posses
SION Ihey lnd the people in revolt over
the sale OF their country to a foreigner
ana In the heat Of their passion Stefan
Stefanopoulas, the old lord Of Neopalia. is
slain. Then begins an exciting series of
dangers and escapes on the part of the
Engltshnen, with Lord Wheatley the CEN
| tral Inquire and the intended victim of the
| inSurrectionary natives
Lady Euphrosyne, "Phroso," Is cantur
ed In boys clothing. AS a relative of the
murdered Stefan she at first feels deeply
| anrontcd at the English interlopers Re
| stored to the habiliments Of her seq. she
learns to love Lord Wheatley. and this
love is mutual. A complication in the
| shape of the engagement of Wheatley to
| Beatrice I1tpgrane affords Miss Odette
| Tyler, as "Phroso," most favorable on
! portunity to exhibit the highest type Of
ideahzed love-renunciation. Two other
! lovers, Constantine, nephew Of Stefan.
and Mouraki Pasha, play desperate cards
to gain her hand, but the keen wit of
"Phroso' and the brave insouciance of
! Lord Wheatley defeat all conspirators.
! who roll back Oh themselves and become
| avengers of the wrongs contemplated
| against Lord Wheatley The convenient
! appearance of Miss Hipgrane with a new
| lover in the last act releases WheatIey
and leaves him, most easily consoled, to
| ''Phroso."
In thorough consonance with the action
Of the play Miss Tyler rises to each sit
uation which increase in dramatic in
tensity. The play does not strike twelve
in the first act. Neither Ioes Odette Ty-
ler Her fund of reserve power is large,
and the impetuousness of love is, at all
| times, restrained by the judgment which
| ever accompanies true art.
And again, with the play, so with
| r. D. MacLean, as Lord Wheatley To
grow in favor with an audience through
four acts bristling with sensational stu
ations and rapid action is certainly TO
an actors credit. Of Mr.. MacLean this
is eminently true. His heroies are never
bcmbastic, and at all times 1t is never
| forgotten that che is an Englishman, and
| it's greatly to his credit"
The Turk is never demonstrative in
| love affairs. He simply Wills a woman to
be his wife and that settles it. 1t is,
evidently, In this spirit that Robert Pa
| ton Gibbs plays the part Of Mouraki Pa
| sha. This Is the reflection of nature from
the mirror, and consequently good.
AS Constantine, temporarily the villain
! of the play, but redeemed at the close,
in the eyes of the audience, by his prompt
execution Of a deeper villain than him
SELL Franklin Roberts does we'll. Gram
| ley Douglas. as Bennett HamIyn, owner
| of the yacht "Niobe," has evidently be-
| fore him brilliant future He is of good
voice and excellent stage presence.
| Hogvardt, by Lawrence Eddinger and
| W. tkins a gentcman's gentleman, by
! Ogden Wright, were in good hands and
| carried the comedy parts with excellent
| effect.
| Maud Hosford, as ELENA Kuyiota
| wins her way into the friendship of her
audience by most commendable elocution
| and graceful acting.
All who have read the story will, nat
| urally, desire to see the heroine they have
imagined in the flesh. Miss Tyler's pre-
| sentation will reward them. A well-bal-
anced company, fresh from a weeks re-
| juvenation and rest, will emphasize and
| accentuate the tale Of the island Of Neo-
| palia all the coming week at the Metro
| politan. There will be a special matinee
| today at 2:SO p. M, with the usual
| afternoon performances Wednesday and
| Saturday. R F. s.
| GRAND,
The Grand presents vaudeville for the