The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-28
MUSIC AND THE STAGE.
METROPOLITAN.

METROPOLITAN.
The Valentine stock company's
presentation of 1.-THE Count OF
Monte Cristo, at the Metro
politan last night, was an en-
inently successful one from more than one
point of view. The company is practical
ly new one, but the only feature Of
newness that remains about the perform
ance is the new scenery, new costumes,
new ideas of a more forceful and finished
presenta ton of the highly emotional
drama than has been made in St. Paul be-
fore
Monte Crsto," like myriads of other
plays that are still drawing crowds when
ever and wherever presented, can be APP
preciated and admired as much in the
Valentine presentation as by that of
any other company in the same piece on
the read. There was just as much emo
ton, Just as much compassion and SYM
patty, just as much eXaltation and salts
| faction expressed and exhibited by the
audience last night as ever shown here
Edward r. MawsOn, as Dantes, or the
Count, was just as strong in his part and
just as successful in exciting the emo
tiOnS of his auditors as was Meta May
nard in the role of Mercedes and the
Countess de Morcerf. Kate Blancke made
a finished character as Carcoute. wife
of the drunken fnnkeeper, who remain
ed the staunch friend of Dantes the veS-
sci mate-afterwards the wealthy Count
of Monte CristO. F. w. Morrison's inter-
probation of the role of D'AnGlars, the
double-deaIing royalist, who was the au-
thor of Dantes' terrible eighteen years
Imprisonment, won the admiration of the
house. In the duel scene, as victim mo.
g." Mr.. Morrison was particularly force
full
nt,n Of yon1n 0fof ion
won particular appreciation. That was
the correct costuming The lapse Of
the years covered by the drama was
marked by the dress and appearance of
all of the characters. The aging Of
Dantes and D AnglarS, of Mercedes and
Fernando was so thoroughly represented
that the audience travelled along with
years, and was made to feel the lapse or
time.
The staging was effective in every de-
tall The scene on the rock in mid
ocean when Dantes effects his escape from
the prison was particularly effective
The canvas ocean rolled naturally and
| broke across the footlights in the most
effectual manner. The prison scene,
wherein the information of the location
of the buried treasure is impaired to
Dantes, the death of the aged prisoner
and the exchange of cells, was all realis-
| tic and formed small portion of the
general success scored. None of those
! who took part in the presentation were
unequal to their undertaking, and the
! players of the stronger roles were fully
! supported by those who took the parts
| of less prominent characters.
| GRAND.
With a less powerful drama than For
Fair Virginia" the company which APP
peared last night at the Grand might have
| failed in securing a favorable reception
| The play however, one which has been
an attraction in St. Paul on two previous
occasions. was founded on scenes which
| could hardly have done less than to stir
the enthusiasm, and with this advantage
! the company were well received and
were able to give a production which was
| enjoyable as a whole, and not without
| merit
The cast contains three people in prom
| inent roles who are competent THESE are
| Russ Whytal as Stephen Dunbar; Miss
| Angelina Pulls, as Virginia Esmond, and
! little Isabella Harr;scal, who, to all APP
| pearances, is less than twelve, as Jul
! EsmorG a juvenile character. Of these,
| Miss Pulls won the most generous ap-
! plause, and as the Southern natrOu with
| a husband fighting under the Union flag,
presented a role displaying ability and
force Her stage manner is pleasing, and
| IN SDOUOn6l Sc6H6S SIZE pGSSSSSCS lllS
| happy faculty of depicting real feeling
without the commonly apparent forcing
! process behind 1t. AS Edward Esmond.
| her husband, scarcely as much could be
! said of Charles Ha,ton, and the rOle
which he presented was, characterized by
! indifference to opportunity. mechanical
| action, and utter lack of feeling. In
scene in which the husband. after
/ stormy discussion with his partisan wife
Of he nnDNSiflOr ClIaSt,Gnc of the ROnfiiCE.
leaves her in her Southern home and de-
/ parts to enlist with the Union army his
| lines contained little but what town
crier might as well have put there. The
| climax of the act was ruined. Much
might be said in favor Of The graceful
| presentation of the role CT Julian, the HI
| tie son of the 'Southerner by adoption
In one act at least. the child won a
| larger share of the attention Of tie au
| dience than the older members of the
cast Little Isabella showed careful study
! of her lines, and read them with an ear
| nestness and attention to detail and feel
ing which is uncommon in so young an
actress. Russ Whytal. strangely enough,
gave the first impression Of being some
what i'll At ease, but. with the develop
ment of the plot, overcama what may
/ have been an incipient stage fright, ami
| presented the character Of Dunbar a 10y
al and chivalrous Southerner. with
strength and case.
One of the strong characters OF the
! play. according to the author of the
drama, is that of Gen. John Laugh,in. =
renegade Yankee, and a Confederate iead-
er. Its Importance was little appreciated
by c. H. GeIdhart. and, though cast in
a role with little to command respect, he
| descended TO rant and main force Of
| lungs in attempting to give it its dues.
The scene in which he declares his base
passion was without strength or skill,
| hackneyed common and uninteresting.
Miss Helaine Hadley's presentation of
| the character of Nell Esmond showed
nothing to stamp it as more than good or
worse than fair. George Walters, as
| Uncle Zeb, a negro servant, showed a
familiarity with negro manners and dia-
| lect which he used to excellent advantage.
Claude H. Cooper was cast as Mcintyre,
an Irish sergeant of the Confederacy, and
improved his limited moments before the
| fcotlights to good advantage and gave
several entertaining touches Of comedy
for which an excellent brogue was re-
sponsible. Joseph Boyle and William C.
| Hartman in minor roles were other men,
| bers of the cast
Next week 1.-THE School for Scandal"
MOZART HALL
The adventures of a man who sought
for wife and won her through the
agency of matrimonial ad in a news
paper We're worked into light musical