The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-26
AT THE THEATERs.
METROPOLITAN.

Now and again word has foated west
ward that Arizona" one of the few
new plays Of the season, Is better than
Alabama, more true to life than s.In
Mizzoura." The large audience that wit
messed it's opening last night at the Met
ropolitan will heartily indorse the state
ment. And to excel Alabama" means
a great deal.
Arizona" is the most consistently sus-
tanned in its equilibrium and rounding
out of character portrayal of any play
that has visited st. Paul this season.
With the exception of the villain and his
victim, all the women are pure and all
the men with hearts of oak. 1t is for
tunate, too, in the line of its presenta-
ton, for 1t succeeds 1.-THE Sign of the
Cross drenched as is that piece of dra-
matte deeadence with Babylonish immer-
atty, CHASTITY superstition and maudln
sentiment 1t is a play into which q
Western audience, particularly, can enter
heart, soul and sympathy into all its de-
tails 1t Is a play in which virtue Is the
test. honor the soldiers watchword. It
is a play overlooking with human nature
the rock foundation Of the greatest sue
cessfui dramas in any age. And. more
than all this, 1t Is a play of lifeiike ac-
ton, superbly staged, and presented by
a cast eminently satisfactory in the
smallest detail.
This crownng effort in the merito. ious
dramatic work OF Augustus Thomas is
out for its first season. In Chicago for
many weeks 1t played to splendid busi-
ness It carries a story of woman's tit
full lapse to the brink of dishonor and her
rescue by one of the Chevalier Bayard
type of heroes. Estella Bonham, wife of
the colonel of the Eleventh United Statcs
cavalry, has been raised a rancher's
lad tn, +ha olxyr ffx
of San Francisco. The narrow horizon
of her life at an army post becomes irk-
some. Through the perverseness Of
wonan's nature-Detter appreciated, per-
haps, by her sister wonlan-she imagine5
herself In love with a Capt Hodgman,
of her husband regiment. An elopement
is planned. On the eve of its success she
is saved by the daring act Of Lieut.. Den
ton, who, like the hero of THE Galley
Slave falls victim to unjust suspicion
by Col Bonham. The latter demands his
resignation from the army unless Denton
can explain his presence In the room of
the wife. To explain means the incrim-
nation of Mrs. Bonham. Instant res:gna
ton is the only way out of the difficulty.
| and Denton rises to the occasion and
makes the sacrifice This, however, is
but the threshold Of trouble. Denton loves
the sister of the cofonefs wife, Bonita
Candy To her comes the plausible Capt.
Hodgman, and vilifies the name of her
lover, even accusing him of the very
crime of which he alone is guilty.
A faint shadow of this completely Is to.
be traced in I'VE Tins of Tennessee" In
Arizona" the situation Is many fold
more graphic. Lena Keller, the victim
of Capt Hodgman has a lover in the
person of Tony Mostano. vaauero. To
him Lena has confided her secret, and,
Some time I meet him; he go to hell"
| says Tony Stung by the taunts of Capt.
Hodgman, Lieut. Denton wipes the cheek
| of the vfIiainous officer, and two shots
are fired From the effects Of one IIodg-
man falls n1ortaIly wounded. The vaauero
has kept his word, but Denton Is accused.
arrested and court-martialed for the