The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-02
Providence 0rera House.

Providence Opera House.
Duke OF Osmonde ......... Ralph Stuart
Earl of Dunstanwode.. :. Charles Kent
Lord Humphrey Ware. Albert Brown
Lord Eldershawe. .....W. j. Thorold
Lord Charles Lovelace. ~. III. Arnold
Lord Twemlow.. w....,.... Louis j. Fuller
Sir John Oxon. n................W w. ;. Hart
sir Jeoffrey Mildairs T. B. Bridgeland
Sir Christopher Crowell. Joseph Allen
Sir Harry Granville. II. Loudon
Sir Joseph Grumble. =. Edgar Dawson
Chaplain TO Lord Twemlow.
......................R Robert McWade
Dick Hardy. y............W William Herbert
George Canninge. George n. Foster
Jenifer .........A......Ma Marcus Moriarty
Lady Betty Tantillion. Agnes knights
Anne Wildairs. Florence Conron
Mistress Wimpole.. Marie Bingham
Clorinda Wildairs. Julia Arthur
Miss Julia Arthur as n star made her
first appearance IN Providence last eve
ming. she presented the much dis
cussed creation of Mrs. Frances Hodg-
son Burnett. Clorinda Wildairs in "A
Lady OF Quality"
With both the book and the part a
great deal OF fault has been found, first
and last, chiefly II is understood on the
part of such persons as took them up
with the cheerful assumption that they
were about To indulge in another Lord
Fauntleroy," the subsequent fault
finding being estimated as almost ex-
actly corresponding To the intensity OF
the shock of surprise. But no COM
plant could ever be made that char
acter and book had not a sufiiciency OF
dramatic strength and this has proved
To- be eminently successful in bringing
out the talent which is in Miss Arthur
and providing her with a quick step
ping stone To dramatic flights OF a
mos admirable If, also, more COM
mon kind.
The last time Miss Arthur was in
town she footed tin horn and called
after the hands" in Shore Acres" 10
come TO dinner. That wasn't so very
long ago, but In the brief period inter-
vening, she has acquired a London re-
putation and I'm her own country is be-
come recognized as in the front rank OF
impersonatorS or romantic womanhoof.
And. recalling easily the days OF the
dinner horn, il was certain that the
stuff OF artists was in her then. There
was a sweep to the horn and ring 10
her voice that suggested future. And
into the future Miss Arthur seems TO
have gone with a jump that makes her
served
Such a production as that given last
evening at the Providence Opera House
is n dramatic treat. The play, the star
and the whole company have acquired
a finish that is incomparably fine. The
period of "A Lady OF Quality" lends
itself TO elaborateness OF costume and
the place 10 lavish scenic treatment
with the result that few of the seasons
productions have been so rich and so
satisfying I'm these respects. Exagger-
ated, OF course, the story that is told
is yet intensely human, the motives
that inspire the chief characters easily
recognizable as truth. There is accord
ingly an abundant interest secured for
a number OF the characterizations out
side the stellar part and the remarkable
climax that has afforded a theme for so
much discussion is reached by stages
that maintain an unhagging interest,"
as they develop. AS presented by Miss
Arthur, the character of Clornda Will
dairs fairly glows. From the free
hearted hoyden. the Intense and COM
plex emotions that develop in Clorinda
are interpreted with sincerity and
convincing fidelity that make them
very real. If the Clorinda OF the book
was confusing jade. the Clorinda of
the play, as Miss Arthur exemplfies
her, becomes perfectly Ineligible and
a recent trial out i'm Ohio of woman
for the murder of a man under some-
what similar IL not entirely the same,
provocation as that which prompts
Clorinda Wildstairs TO strike down her
prosecutor serves to convince one that
i'm real life any. jury would quickly free
the woman who killed Sir John Oxon
and showed his BODY under the sofa
after seeing MissNArthur's' illuminating
presentation of what ordinarilywould be
deemed a pretty trying circumstance
to reconcile ones sentiments with.
II may be too early in her career TO
assume To fix Miss Arthur's place as a
star in the dramatic armament But
Providence theatre-goers Will have an
opportunity TO see her talents expressed
in a variety Of directions that cannot
fail TO interest and give abundant
pleasure. The audience that witnessed
her performance last evening needed
no METROPOLITAN endorsement To rnCoe-
,,fz lat In no ~