The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-08
FIT The Zheaters.

from the debonair gentleman who
slhlieu with modern cynicism on his COM
pallloIls IN The Liars to the devil-may-
care rllce otto, was a short step back
IN history, and in taking it Otis Skinner
haa little need of disguise The affability
OIL the gentlemanYs was the affability of
the prince; the hight indedness of the
gentleman was likewise the high-minded-
ness OF the prince;l best of all, the love-
makins OF the gentleman was the love-
| making or the PRINCE although, much to
the delight of the feminine part of the
audience, the prince did more of that
| SORT OF thlng than the gentleman, who
was cynic first, lover afterwards.
In assuming the character Of Lanciotto
OF hlmnl Mr.: Skinner journeys far back
INTO history, indeed In very many
ways his Journey has rewarded him. In
that Journey, first of all, he has found
q character as crude and as tremendous
as the Middle Ages of which it is
part; miSshapen creature with great
nature distorted by the deformities of its
body; and with the barbaric sense of hon.
or that knows no satisfaction but in the
death of its insulter. Naturally Mr.. Skin
| ner's greatest reward is in the artistic
triumph of his impersonation. One for
gets all the other parts that the player
has presented; one remembers only Lam
ciotto of Rimini. The character of this
| Lanciotto is study in intensity. In pre-
Senting it Mr. Skinner may not have
invented a new SILVER. At least he uses
with subtle skill all of the old varieties.
The average theatergoer does not like
tragedy. Another of Mr.. SINNERS re-
wards in essaying the role of the deform-
ed soldier of Rimini lies in the fact that
his presentation of the character fasci-
| mates rather than repels when it might
easily do the latter.
-Four people tell the grueSome little
tale of Francesca Da Rimini. To be sure,
there are many more characters in the
play, but they are the detail that fill
in this dark picture. For a background
there is the feud of the Guelphs and the
Ghibelins, and for setting there is
semi barbaric Italy, the gloom of which
is only intensified by the occasional flash
OF scarlet from the cardinals robe. A
deformed elder son of the head of the
Guelphs marries a daughter of the head
of the Ghibelins; the girl, by trickery,
becoming betrothed to him before she
hears of his defornity. She falls in love
with the deformed mans comedy brother.
me court jester reports this fall and
Lanclotto revenges his honor by Staying
his brother, his wife, and finally himself.
Inc strength Of the story lies in the alb
solute quletness with which it is enact
eu. mere is no flash of Steel no war
ring factions, only the struggle of the
TOUR actors in the tragic drama. the two
primers, the girl and the jester. But be-
cause the rest of the players are little
more than DETAIL there has been no temp
tation apparently to Mr.. Skinner to allow
mediocre ones to fill in that detail. On
the contrary, these lesser players, like
the scenery, by their absolute fitness for
their various parts make the artistic sue
cess of the play OF the principals them
selves little in the way of criticism can
be offered. Mr., SINNERS Lanciotto is so
iJIIh
much higher opinion of it after the fall
of the final curtain than he has while
the grim tale is being unfolded. In the
scene where Lanciotto meets Francesca
for the first time, and especially where he
declares his love, Mr.. SINNERS acting is
superb. The cathedral scene is the only
one that demands of the player any great
| outburst of feeling or unusual action, and
this scene he dominates. In the fifth act,
where he Stays the jester, and in the
sixth, where he murders his brother and
his wife, there is absolutely no approach
to heroics.- The intense quietness and the
calm intensity of this part of the play is
| subduing, not exciting.
Marcia van Dresser was exceedingly good
to look upon as Francesca. Her best work
| was in the Secend act, when she reveals
SO plainly by her girlish denials that she
has fallen in love with the Count Paolo
Her acting during the rest of the play,
while it satisfied artistically, lacked the
warmth that one would expect from a
Southern woman who was tempted as
| much as she. She was Anglo-Saxon in
her passion, not Italian
Aubrey Boucicault's Paolo was simple,
sincere, clean cut and convincing He
caught the atmosphere of the time and
of the play. and was exactly what the
| writer Of the tragic poem intended-an
Italian of the Middle Ages, well born and
brave, but weak and passionate
AS Pope, the jester William Norris
portrayed hateful yet fascinating char
acter. A very Mephisto in his cunning
plotting, Mr.. Norris further carried out
this impression by a devilish suppleness
Of body that snaked its way through the
story; and by. facile gestures that were
impish Mr.. Norris voice was not entire
| Iy satisfactory, but his portrayal of the
character was a fine bit of acting
A large audience, the largest that has
attended any performance at the Metro
| politan this season, greeted Mr.. Skinner
last evening. The player received in
Vulnerable curtain calls, and an urgent
| invitation was given him to make a
speech, but he firmly and wisely declined
The stage settings, the incidental music
and the costun1ing are excellent
| francesca da Rimini'' will be repeated
the remainder of the week, with the usual
matinees