The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-25
lHEpTRIoalo

The beautiful poetic tragedy. liking
Charles L. one of the most appealing
things IN the whole realm of dramatic lit
erature, subtle as it is sad, its sadness dis
sipated here and there with the innocent
prattie of childhood, It's tense tragedy
sublimed by the divine devotion of a
great womaE-received adequate interpre-
tation last night at the hands of Irving
and Terry.
IN few productions which these great
artists have presented does an audience
leave the theater SO wholly satisfied.
There is lack of continued dramatic
intensity such as the Shakespearean trag-
edy eXemplites, but there is a wondrous
subtlety of Characterization, a marvellous
blending Of the light and shadow, a pc
etc glamour and tenderness and, above
ALL that high quality OF imaginative sug-
gestion which is the divinest attribute of
all art.
The play affords truthful and reaIis-
tic historic picture of the times. a picture
heightened and impressed by the wealth
Of scenery and costume, and that mas
terly stagecraft in which Henry Irving
has had no equal among the actors of
his time. But the historic setting of the
story is it's least essential and it's least
impressive part. 1t will live long in the
memory as a beautiful and thrilling por-
fection-the picture of a queen more regal
in her splendid womanhood than in all
the glittering trappings of a throne.
Ellen Terry is the spirit of this poem.
To have seen her in the role of Hen
rietta Maria is to have had new birth
of faith in woman's love. AS pictured by
Miss Terry, the queen of the Inflated
Charles is fit to stand with that of Por-
tia, who was indeed the better half OF
Brutus. 1t would be impossible in this
small space to do her full justice Her
Interpretation of the part was worthy OF
her art, and no more need be said. She
has lost none of her power, none or her
charm. Indeed, if such a thing is posi-
bic, the years have only served to en-
phasize and accentuate those personal
attributes which, in player. make for
truer art and wider appeal. No one who
admires this grand woman could wish
more than to remember her ever as she
was last night, the impersonation Of all
that is divine in woman.
Mr.. Irving's work was marked by that
| fine ,Sensiblity and nice discrimination
which long years of patient study have
rounded into perfect art. Perhaps moth
ing could give a clearer idea of his power
than to say that throughout the play
the sympathy of the audience was at
all times with Charles rather than with
Cromwell. Irving shows the unfortunate
king as weak, not wicked; vacillatlng,
not vicious; lacking judgment, but not
honor; his faults of character and his
errors of judgment; wholly overwhelmed
in the tenderness of his nature, in his
love for wife and children, in his fidel-
ity to those things in which he believed.
The close of the third act, in which ne
surrenders his sword to Cromwell alter
his gentle rebuke to the reereant servant
who has betrayed him, was as fine a
bit of acting as is seen in these days.
Mr. TyarS, to whom was 1ntrusted the
difficult role of Cromwell, is deserving of
| unstinted praise for his consistent por-
travail of the Inconsistent character of
| the Protector 1t is enough to say that
| he shared the honors of the evening
with Irving and Terry. Mr.. j. II. Barnes,
| as the Marquis of Huntley," the one
| true friendslof the king through all the
| changes of his fortune, was wholly ade-
| ollate to the demands made upon him,
| and his work was at all times commend
| able and satisfactory. The entire COM
pany, with the exception of Mr.. Roys-
/ ton. who played the part of Moray, the
deserter, did excellent work and con-
| tributed in no little degree to the har-
| mony of the production.
The counter attraction of Christmas
eve tended to keep many persons away,
| and the audience was not nearly SO
| large as on the previous evening. But it
was an appreciative audience, and the
| actors had no reason to complain for
lack of enthusiasm or acquiescence with
| their efforts. Mr.. Irving was called be-
fore the curtain at the end OF the third
act and made short speech, wishing
all a merry Christmas.
This afternoon at O'Clock there will
be given a special Christmas matinee
at the Grand opera house, Whitney &
Knowles 'Quo Vadis." In his dramatiza-