The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-18
AT THE THEATERs.
METROPOLITAN.

James A. Herne's plays bring to the
theater a large number of people who
are apt to pass the farces by, to look
askance at the modern society drama
and to turn their shuddering gaze from
the posters which call attention to the
merits of the comic opera. In each of his
plays are recorded only the simple an
nails of the common people and the
wholesome atmosphere that surrounds
those dramas attracts home loving peo-
ple. His Hearts of Oak" presented last
evening at the Metropolitan is not the
greatest of his plays, but it has enough
of the pastoral charm about it to make
il popuIar. and Il large audience wei
coined its temperance in st. Paul last
evening.
The company presenting Hearts of
Oak this season is fairly capable one.
Thomas NJ Hunter is excellent as Uncle
Davy, a typical Herne character. The
buff old fisherman, owen GarfoWay'
was ably presented ty Nat D. Jones. F..
p Sullivan. who plays the part of Terry
Dennisou. the hero Of the story, is hard
Nv satisfactory. III one or two of the
situations where only the most natural
acting can conceal the fact that the play
wright has strained point MIR. Sullivan
was ineffective. The same fault might
be found with Richard Darrell Allen as
Ruby Darrell. Helen Lowell was good
as Chrystal The two children in the
MAY. especially the baby, were decidedly
attractive parts Of it. The staging was
excellent A Eaai9 quartette sang a num-
her of selections in 1t pleasing manner.
.'I1earts of Oak viii be at the Metro
politar the remainder of the week with
the usual Wednesday. and Saturday
matiuees.
GRAND.
After several years absence from the
stage Charles Hoyt's popular satire on
spperstftion "A Brass Monkey" has
been revived and was seen at the Grand
Yesterday in the initial performance OF
a weeks engagement. The reception ac-
corded this clever little farce-comedy
was gratifying and from the Manifesto
lions of appreciation so frequent during
the evening it was apparent that the au-
dience was not disappointed
Only two seasons has this one OF MI.
Hoyt's many fascinating comedies been
played, this being it's third year of ac-
tive life. The brevity of its career was
not due, however, to any lack or pubic
appreciation, but rather the opposite. At
the time the author first presented "A
Brass Monkey it's reception was so phe-
nomenal that he was constrained to adj
vance some other of his productions with
the view Of reserving this ingenious little
fun-producer for later years, when per-
haps few of it's contemporaries in the
realm of Hoytian comedy might have
become less"attractive.
So the little farce has come back to
stay, bringing with it all the gayeties of
old. vested with the original attributes
which made it such a favorite when first
presented. 1t will continue for a long
time to be one of the most irreSistably
funny plays of it's character on the stage.
1t will also retain it's old popularity, both
for itself and the veteran author, whose
name has long been cherished by all
comedy-loving folk.
The present company is a good one
All the parts seem to have been assigned
with the particular fitness of the player
in mind and each character Is quite
pleasingly sustained. The principal roles
Jonah and Baggage, are taken by Mr.
James K. Wesley and Miss Maize Trum-
bull. Miss Trumbull is a talented little
soubrette, and her many difficult acts are
rendered in a pleasing manner. Mr.
Wesley is one of the most fascinating
little comedians that has been seen on a
local stage for some time. Miss Mayme
Taylor, who appears as the wife Of Jo-
nah, sang 1.-THE Holy City last night,
much to the delight of the audience.
Mr.. Marcus L. Monroe is very good as
revengeful man.
If the unstinted applause which greet
ed the first appearance Of the company
is a criterion, the week will be a very
successful one for "a Brass Monkey"
STAR.
There is no lack of entertainment at
the Star this week, and entertainment Of
superior order at that. Harry Nor
riS Twentieth Century Maids come near
er making good on the promises of the
press agent than organizations of sim
liar character are usually wont to do, and
the bill they present is a pleasing one
from the standpoint of burlesaue
There are two skits given, both of
which are fairly pleasing, and they are
we'll staged and costumed. The olio is
the strong part of the entertainment,
however, and 1t contains at least two
specialties that are far above the orli-
nary turn" one meets in vaudeville OF
these the best one from an artistic point
of view is contributed by Miss Carrie
Massoney and Miss Martha Hableman.
two young women whose vocal endow-
ments entitle them to a place in some
thing better than burleSque. The three
numbers they give are pleasing and re-
fined, and the manner in which they are
sung is wholly commendable. There Is
little doubt that Misses Massoney and
Hableman would make a hit in polite
vaudeville, judging them by their work
yesterday, and by the favor with which
they were received by the audience. It
is entirely within the realm. of sober
statement to assert that nothing even
approaching their act in merit has been
seen on the stage of the Star this sea-
son. Martella and Mareena contribute
an acrobatic speciality that Is deserving
CT highest praise 1t is gem in its way
and is not inferior in any respect to the
best turns of this kind with which
one meets. Melville and Conway have