The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-09


Aalre bruln... Nora q Brien
A Faery Child........... Mabel Taliaferro
cony. is a gem.
IL was written by Robert Browning in
the prime OF his life and of his power.
IL IL was not until a later period that
the art OF the poet was fully matured yet
with that maturity there was a loss Of
Ffreshness and simplicity which is always
inevitable to the development OF every
art. In Balcony was written at
about the focus time when the style OF
the poet was finished and the vigor and
warmth OF youth were still I'm evidence.
IL was at this focus time time Of his life
and his art that Browning seemed most
disposed 20 the dramatic form OF ex-
preston. What he then produced was
free alike from the unskilled workman
ship OF his earlier poems and from the
intense construction and elaborate re-
finement OF work which his more devoted
admirers think II Necessary TO take much
special pains TO elucidate. I'm a Bal
cony' is finished art and yet IL ~ warm
and extremely simple.
For stage purposes generally speaking.
the drama In entirely unsuted. II is Who'll
ly lacking In action or anything theat-
ric. IL IL not long enough for a rounded
play and In too big for curtain raiser.
II might be classed with the material
for "parlor entertainments. The three
characters in IL talk and pose. For re-
citation purposes, an exhibition OF elOcu-
tion and repose IL is eminently trium-
phant. As presented at the Providence
Opera House last evening ~ was a delic-
ious treat, albeit IL was a distinct nov
city I'm stage entertainment and would
probably not bear many repetitions In
that field or be undertaken with equal
promise OF SUCCESS by many actors.
There is no actor on the stage today
who speaks the English language any bet
ter than Mrs. LeMoyne. Perhaps there is
none who has so thorough a command OF
the art OF speaking well or whose powers
cover n wider range OF reading. She Us de-
llghtful 10 listen To and watch. There
was the atmosphere OF the parlor theat-
ricals In the opera house last evening.
large audience had sat through notably
tiresome intermission waiting for the cur
tain to rise on I'm Balcony and curl
ous as 10 just what sort OF a stage per-
formance was TO be disclosed
When the curtain rose n superbly sub
stantial balcony scene was presented so
arranged that the players were confined
close down 10 the footlights, veritably az
though the biz stage was only parlor
platform. For this dramatic poem calls
for little room and indeed much Of II
would he lost were its readers far re-
moved from the auditors.
The rendering OF the poem carried the
audience from tho point Of curious inter
est 20 the greatest enthusiasm. The
clever art Of the poet provides each one
OF the three characters with a scene" a
few moments when each Is supreme
above the others and commands the lit
tie stage like star. and upon these sew
eral occas asious each of the actors received
the cordial tribute or the audience for
spendid demonstration Of the noble art
OF delivering some OF the choicest diction
In the Angls-Saxon tongue. The audience
waited when the curtain fell 10 call for
bows from the three readers and
finally Mr.. Skinner made neat little
speech.
The piece selected for the first part OF
the double bin was dramatically quite as
long and in its way as quietly preten- !
tious as I'm a Balcony, II was poetic !
and dreamy and told the story of a hum |
ble Iris.. family. which included a young I
bride whose mind ran to the fairies and !
4 life removed from her sordid sur
To the cottage came a faery ,
,hild, an elf. a child OF Satan, who fail I
ng to capture the body OF the newly I
welded maiden from her husband, her 4
parents and the village priest flched her /
soul She died. Half a dozen excellent /
actors interpreted the queer little play |
With rare satisfaction TO the audience
Altogether IL was curious night at tho
heatre but greatly enjoyable TO
thoughtful audience. The engagement
vas limited to last nights performance.
a l..
ically limited 10 one night engagements
wen I'm the biggest cities.
Tonight Mr. Arthur Sidman. capable
old man" character actor will appear In
York State Folks" a story Of village
ife which is highly spoken of. The play
will hold the boards for the balance OF
he week with a matinee on Saturday.