The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-08
MUSIC AND THE STAGE.
METROPOLITAN.

| The third act of "a Young Wife" which
| opened last evening at the Metropolitan.
is, comparatively, strong one. For it is
IN the ante room scene of the Douglass
mansion that the motif of the play, a
| wite's undying affection, is fully accentt-
ated, and it is in this act, too, that Selma
| Herman, Malcolm Williams and Frank
| Sheridan do their best work. st5
For the past two weeks we nave had at
| the Metropolitan plays concentrated from
| popular novels. From "A Young Wife"
in the hands of a master of his craft,
| book of no unpretentious merit might be
| amplified. In the hands of one not a
! master it would readily subside into the
average penny dreadful" The play
comes TO st. Paul for the first time, fol-
lowing a seven weeks run at the old
Fourteenth Street theater, New York 1t
must be candidly admitted that it stood
the gallery test. A voice from the gods
| in the first act, where Hubert Douglass
robs his fathers safe of $50, 900, vehement
| ly inquired, What are you doing there,
old MANI"
The complication OF the plot hinges upon
the ignorance of the wife of Clarence
Douglass that he was but an adopted
son and the real Sen a disinherited alien,
a gambler and a burglar, sailing under
the name of Charles Ciemans. In the
first act Hubert Douglass, alias Clemans.
assassinates ibis father. Selma Herman
as Ethel Douglass, the young wife. dis
covers her father-in-law in extremis. Be
fore gaSping his last breath he says 10
her: 81 am murdered by my own son."
Mrs. Douglass, married but two weeks.
knows but one son-her husband The
first thought which captures her whole
nature is to save him from the hangman.
Here is a plot, conventional enough, 1t
is true, but much may be made out of
conventionality-mor in a play than in
book An idiosyncrasy In character
denineation or detail of plot Is quickly re-
proved by the average audience, and it
takes them tiTue-uore than one night
to forgive the innovation
All the ethics of strict morality are pre-
served in "a Young Wife" This is not
the title as one might readily imagine, Of
Ia society play. II is pure melodrama,
with American local color, and all possible
and plausible The young wife does not
become estranged from her husband. the
husband is as true and as tender AS
| though he had guided his actions from a
recent nerusal of Paul and Virginia"
1t is not a problem play, and, although
the Young wife is a woman with past, it
is not such a past as the conver-
tionaI term implies. Ethel Douglass is
sorely tried, but it is not the trial OF
copstarcy made heavier by unfaithful
ness The play is wholesome, and,
strange as it may appear, is free from
tairt, and yet ran seven weeks IN New
York.
Selma Herman, as Ethel Douglass, is
carried faithfully and conscientiously.
When the cloud of suspicion is removed
from her husband, to gather dark and
threatening around herself, she shows
plainly to the audience that burden has
been lifted from her soul All this re-
auires acting above the ordinary En-
NETT c. King, as hubert Douglass, Is
fully as villaiEous as the part VIII pear,
and Malcolm Williams as loyal husband
as the stcry demands.
Horace Neuman, as Horace Greengage
Dohbins. from Vermont, combines in him
self the whole comedy business, made
friends with the audience at once and re-
tanned them to the fall of the curtain
I,cllis Marks, cracksman, in the hands OF
Neil Florence, permeates the play with
an aroma of honor among thieves that
was not half bad Sydney Cewell-a LADY,
nv the vaylI despite the masculinity OF
What .Hoa'' Dobbfns would designate as
her .frout mime -sdutifully read the lines
of the very repulsive part of Mrs. Marks.
assumed mother OF Ethel Douglass.
The east. as a whole, is well balanced
The play will be seen three nights more
With the usual Wednesday matinee. Otis
Skinner in 1.-The Liars Will be at the Met
ropolitan the rest;of the week.
y GRAND.
Two previous appearances in st. Paul
do not detract from the enjoyment OF
seeing a new company at the Grand this
week in George Broadhurst's gleeful pien-
itude, "Why Smith Left Home. The
comedy contains jevery element OF 1uh
and &c thoroughly 1entertaining from cur
tain To curtain The happenings of
morning. afternoon and evening, in which
Smith maintains his love for his wife
through cycle of discriminating circum-
stances, were given by good cast and
presented with sufficient ginger to make
them interesting
C. J. Williams, in his old character of
Count Won Guggenheimer, is one of the
members of the original cast who remains
with the comedy in this weeks appear
a,oa With this execution ii Is present.