The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-09
At THE THEATERs.
METROPOLITAN.

When Julia Arthur, as the Empress Jo-
sephine, gives her signature to the decree
of divorce in the last act Of More Than
Queen she adds the finishing touch TO
her potent share in making the charac-
ter of Napoleon Bonaparte odious and
contemplate.
"Ah," cries the man of insatiate greed,
whose cruel lust for future fame and
continuity of power, whose words and
acts have Wrung this last concession,
More Than Queen.''
mo; simply q woman, answers the
heartbroken wife, sinking in the abject-
ness of her desolation.
More Than Queen opened last night
at the Metropolitan to splendid audi
ence-an audience worthy of what Is the
farewell appearance of Julia Arthur to
the Northwest. Throughout prologue,
five acts and a magnificent tableau, the
coronation scene, the interest of the
audience was intense. 1t was not the qui
vive of excitement incident upon the I'M
folding of an intricate plot. The theme
itself is world enthusiastically platftu-
dinous. 1t was the actress, Julia Arthur,
who held her auditors so completely by
her charm and grace. She was more
than queen because she dominated kings,
queens, princes, diplomats, courtiers and
generals; aye, the great Napoleon him
her beauty, wit, rarest of feminine judg
ments, proud, indomitable spirit and last,
not least, the pure goodness Of her loyal
womanhood.
1t was the highest altitude of acting.
And why? Because Miss Arthur forced
us to forget that years ago she played
in stock in local theater to which we
went and came away. not exuberantly
impressed, It's true. We forgot all this
cha nj
ing part; we saw her not as hand
somely featured stellar attraction Of a
grand company of polished players, but
we saw the historic Josephine, the young
widow selling coffee, the young Creole
hesitating between democracy and roy
atty, devout in her religion, yet putting
aside her scruples to make way for her
great love for a young Corsican officer OF
rather shabby personal appearance and
abrupt address; as the wife OF the frSt
consul; as one sorrowfulIy awakening to
the gross lust of ambition in her husband;
as a wife tortured by the narrow jeal-
ousies of Napoleons family; as a-gente
mediator for peace between brothers; be-
set with traps and springes to test her
wifely fidelity; loving and tender at all
times toward the man who tigerishly de-
mands an heir; high-spirited and imperf-
Gus to the treacherous sycophants
around her; torn by doubt; bruised and
harassed by fate; clinging to the man she
loves, even while he seals the door Of
his apartment against her; tearfully
pleading that the cup OF disgrace forced
upon her may be permitted to pass from
her lips, and at last executing with her
own hand the instrument that banishes
her from a court in which she won a po
sition higher than empress and made
herself more than queen.
1t is the genius of Julia Arthur that
dominates the play throughout. Her spirit
seems to linger even when she IS absent
from the stage. Napoleon, Lucien Bona
parte, Junot, Talleyrand, all talk about
her and speculate upon her probable ac
lions under conjugal insult. Some back
bite her-her sister women. But even
these she conquers by her loyalty of pur-
pose and womanly tact. Junot refuses a
marshalship of France rather than de-
grade her. Lucien Bonaparte, at first sus-
picious, learns to admire and respect her.
She captures all-but Napoleon.
ITO the devil with him. said a man In
the foyer. "She made Bonaparte look
like 80 cents
Here was a rough criticism but trib-
ute, all the same, jointly to Julia Arthur
and Emile Bergerat, who first sketched
in the lights and shades of Napoleons
character in the play Whatever Charles
Frederic Nirdlinger and Charles Henry
Meltzer, the adapters, may have added to
the sublime malignancy of the role is
problematical. At least they would not
have improved the personality Of the no.
torious French war god-the man who
played with empires for stakes, whose
dice were human bones
AS the curtain falls on Josephine and
Bonaparte, closing in the most pathetic
scene of magnificent production. the
words of Byron tingle in our ears:
"'Tis done; but yesterday king,
And armed with kings to strive;
Today thou art nameless thing,
So abject, yet alive"
The Napoleon Benaparte of William