The St. Louis Republic., 1900-11-18


plays; but in individual performance his ar
/ mas ever been of the sincerest sort.
As far back rs ten or twelve years go
Mr. Skinner played in Henry WIZ to ,h;
| Queen Of Modieska. |; was one of his hes
remembered performances. He has PLAYED
Shyi"ck with resultant praise by fine hands
| nut there has been singular lack of ''tc "
to some Of The dramas with which he has
been associated
Air. Skinner is something of an idealist
! ms mental attitude is quite out of sympa-
| my with the dramatic tendencies of the pc
| Rod IT is doubtful indeed, If he would
care for notable success along lines that
| seem Just now. to he the vogue.
Good word for his prince Otto" which
| lie will present 10 81. tnuis Tonight. has
| come 10 me from many sources. In view Of
| this and the excellent seriousness of Mr.
skinner. to say nothing Of his fine company
| of players. il seems wise to presen, an ad-
| vance recommendation of the entertain
ment.
| 1here was much comment last week over
| a change in the quality of Miss Viola Allen $
| voice.
| 1t once had, somewhere toward the lower
| end of its range. 81 richness that found no
| exact duplicate on this stage. The tone has
never been described or hardly understood.
| for that matter. It was musical in high
degree. tear compelling. sweet and always;
| engaging. I have heard much comment.
year by year. on this peculiar voice quality.
! II is therefore a matter of resretful mo-
mont to note that the popularity has all
but disappeared. 1t may he that Miss Allen
mad cold last week and that the excellent
| tone Will come back again.
Let us hope for it,
When p!aywrights work ont dialogues and
situations for Miss Allen they will find il
profitable to pursue a middle course Com
edN Is not for her, nor high tragedy. She
fails in both OF these. Along center lines
She moves the heart and the frequent
tear. She cannot !. gay. like Marlowe. nor
can she put grace in a shriek as Bernhar,.t
can.
Miss Nethersole has arrived in the United
s'a'es. Her season began in New York
last week with n revival OF "Sapho" Miss
Nethersoln is this year under the lively
management of her brother Sir Louis
Nethcrsole, who has heen associated with
her theatrical enterprises for many seasons
There Is good deal Of twaf,die about
dramatized books in the public prints these
days
The facts are simple. Successful books
have always been valuable as stage stories
Take Uncle Toms Cabin as an example
Just now n lot of unworthy tales are going
on the stage. but these will die as they
deserve. The good will live. jus, as the
good aiwayi, lives. Playwrights with origi
nal IDEAS need not fear bread and water just
because of the booi;ish talk of the period
freshness in the drama is needed now AS
much as ever.
Months of promise of drama;ization OF
When Knighthood Was in Flower" have
prepared the public for Miss Marlowe's next
venture. Particular st. Louis interest at
tacrcs 10 the rev play because of the fact
that the piece is to have its initial produc
tion here AT TIE olympic Theater week
from Tomorrow night.
In another column on this page will be
some account of the plays manner OF deal
ing with the story.
.Jua Marlowe IS not woman given 10
making what are cOlioquially known
"hrsaks.'' her tactiulness both on and off
the stage. being one of her notable attri-
butes. HuL she confeSses that she recently
made the prize contretemps of her life
while visiting with the poet James Whit
comb Riley. II was at dinner part: OF
Miss Marlowe's friends. among whom WAS
the gentleman from Indiana. The conversa-
ton turned on the relations existing be-
,u,eer nlavars and dramatic critics Nj.s
Marlowe said that the only unpleasant tN-
perienre she ever had with one of the
critical guild resulted in a suit for
lin, ...rb. critic =, ebe said "r.as , mem,
60 ,,,,,r :, . ,-,,;oi
-" ~ " y" .i"-+.,'..,..., -.
ester II 'i.s anu Il ~, 80, ,,,,,;.,
was at 'he heau o, ,ae hiost eApeisNe
company OF players i,au eNnr enipioEeu'
ne declared tnat was ue.' .'au.l''s ,. .he pt"
nc ny SUI ilo''iuii's NY .,.., VI. ,i, % .,.'
,'eHp'i renee" ".,''s. 80 -. H.
'io'S W Su'l '' -, -. :.
10 hFseh wa coi"p..' .,,, ,u o'5 us, ~. ~,
"iftnS uii'c''! ~ -. -. '
istehen 10 ,his stols WI" :: ',,,,','
sie saia' he ie,i'is " - -. ~
.f Mail MI. i'ie!-l Wuh"e, II sou hHe"
MN ana .neIeupoi' NiSS MAJ 'o"e ii'eh-
o"ne' % ,"s l.',''e H., o,.,,
NJ. l "i'i MY" mn ~,
Swereu '"e poet III me- ttl'' S..' .s',n uia"''
nut my sister khe" mn ,erN well
lh"etu' sa:u MISS N,aii
AeS. said Riley, looking s'eaulastiy at
the ceiling. sire knew MN very "eii-iii
iact: she married NM
WheFeupoh II oeeo shehce se''ieo upon
poet ana ptaHer-'o De pFoheh Il 1e" sec
onds later by Mr.. Riley. who added com
GprtinplN. Know.