The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-30
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It seems unnecessary to write a single
word of .Shore Acres,' that charming
pastoral drama, which, more than any
thing that ever emanated from his pen,
will make3the pane of James A. Herne
rememberHd. Years have passed since it
was first presented, years that have been
marked bslr dramatic productions of al
most every character, and that have
ranged from the classics through the
problem play sand down to melodrama
but its Simple beauty, its heartfelt di-
rectness, its truthful portrayal of the
humble men; and women who figure in
its pages, and whose prototypes are the
Very bone and sinew of our national
greatness have not lost their potency to
charm. Nothing more sweetly idyllic
has ever been seen on any stage, unless
it be Alabama and there will be those
who will be inclined to award the palm
to the New England, rather than the
Southern, picture. The one is full of
the sensuous languor of the Southland
the other Smacks of the rigorous North
where life is a struggle and where only
the fittest succeed in the strife for
wealth and place. Martin Berry, mar
row, self-willed, obstinate, avaricious,
bigoted-Who of us that We're reared in
the East has not met him, not once, but
d
minded guileless gentleman, generous to
fault, lust, kindly, one of those Iowa
BILE characters of whom it may be justly
said ''of such is the kingdom of Heaven,
the very antipodes of his brother-who
has not seen him in the real world and,
realizing the beauty of his character,
'tgrappled him to his side with hoops
of steer? Blake, the village merchant,
shrewd calculating, devoid of sentiment,
proud of the little fortune he has slowly
accumulated and secure in his belief
that his wealth will prove the open
sesame to the possession of anything to
which he aspires-he exists today in a
thousand ham1ets in the East. The viii
lage doctor, fresh from college and i'm
pregnated with the doctrine of evolution,
which is worse than infidelity to the
simple-minded people among whom he
moyes-wllo has not met him and adj
mired him for his worth, and for his
sterling character? And SO on throughout
the whole range of the characters that
are presented in the course of the play.
1t is all very beautiful, true to nature,
and, therefore, the highest type of art.
1t would, be a pleasure to be able to say
that the presenting company was equal
to the demands made upon it's members,
But cand9r compels the statement that it
is not. JamesiT. Galloway gives fairly
good presentation of the part of Nathan
iel Berry, and Charles E. Fisher is salts,
factory in the role of Josiah Blake, the
village postmaster and storekeeper.
Belle THEODORE, deserves credit for her
work in the part of Mrs Berry. The re-
mainder of the company is hopelessly me-
diocre.
The engagement is for the week with the
usual matinees.
The opening performance of the week
at the Metropolitan opera house is an
engagement of three nights, beginning
tonight. with a special New Years mat
inee, of j. H. Stoddart in dramatiza-
ton of Ian MacLaren's Scotch classic,
Beside the Bonnie Bfier Bush The
play. which has been fashioned from
these disconnected sketches of Scotch
life by the dramatst, Mr. James Mac
Arthur, has proved to be one of the
most notable successes of the season.
Mr.. Stoddart has long been known as
one of the most masterful character
actors on the stage. He has served as
an actor for a period of siXty-eight
years, but this is his first year of ap-
pearing as star. Mr.. Stoddart has
reached his seNenty-fifth year, and yet
his ability was never so clearly and dis
tinctly demonstrated as in this proGuc-
ton. His Interpretation of the role of
Lachlan Campbell has been universally
commended as one of the most master
full pieces of character acting that mas
been seen in this country, and Mr.. Will
liam Winter, of the New York Tribune,
the dean of American dramatic critics,
unhestatingly declared in his review that
it transcends anything that has been
seen on our stage.
A more merry, musical and picturesque
performance than that given by the Ro-
hemian BurleSquers at the Star yeSter-
day has not been seen here this season.
Even the scenery is good, especially that
of the opening piece, entitled UNITED
States Cruiser Bohemia" which is
vehicle for numerous nautical jokes and
lots of action. The whole show is full
of surprises, the most pleasant of which
is the lack of stereotyped stunts > The
audience fairly gasped when Fred
Wayne, who seemed to be in perpetual
motion, jumped from the stage over the
heads of the orchestra and landed in
the aisle. He didn't jump back, but he
looks as though he could do it.
First in the olio are ST. John and
Nicolai, whom the programme describes
as 1.-The efferyescent girls" 'Efferves-
cent will sdo,-in the absence of time to
search the dictionary for better. They
ing as the sound of sizzling soda the
morning after. Riley ard Hughes, Plan
tation comedians and dancers are as
good as the press agent said they were,
which enconlium is delivered deliberate
ly. Gracy and Burnett in a sketch, .Ma-
loney's Visit are clever people in a sllit
which has little to commend, being of
the ''as-there' s-no-one-here- i Using "a
song type. Maddox and Wayne, in 1.-The
Messenger Boy and the Thespiau,' are
entitled to several more lines of praise,
but lack of space ccmpels the condensed
staten ent that they are 'the best ever
There are living pictures and moving
pictures, also sorgs with pictures. The
col GLIDING burlesGue "a Bowery Ball.
gives Edgar BiXley a chance to demon
strate his versatility and general ability
to be truly funny. The only criticism IS
that he doesn't sing enough.
The Royal italian band will be seen
in st. Paul again this week at the Peo-
pies church, a concert having been ar
ranged for Monday evening, when a re-
quest programme viii be given. The
sale of seats begins tomorrow at Dyer's
music store. Next Sunday afternoon the
band will play at the Metropolitan at 3
o'clock Tickets for the concert will be
on sale today and throughout the week.
SENATOR'S YOUTHFUL sAGACITY.
.'They tell a story of the senator that is
to tn point" said Jimmy. When he
was six years old his father, who was
clergyman, lone day brought home a