The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-27
AT THE THEATERS.
METROPOLITAN.

ME-
An audience entirely fncommensurate
with the merits of the play and the play
ers, witnessed, at the Metropolitan last
| night. the first presentation in st. Paul,
of Clyde Fitch drama, Nathan Hale"
The play is asstrOng one. 1t commands
attention not by a succession of climaxes
although the playwright's fondness for
effecting these, even at the expense OF
detail and probability, is as evident in
Nathan Hale" as in any of his other
playS-but by the humanneSs breathed into
the story Nathan Hale is not reg
ulation hero. He does not stand aloof
as one who feels himself set apart for
greater things. He INDUCES in no hero
les In the first act indeed, he does not
appear in digniied attitude at all. He
is teacher of the district school, very
much in love with one of his pupils, very
anxious to disclose that love at every
opportunity. AS a member of the coun-
Gil at Col knowlton's house he modestly
takes a back seat and when he offers to
break through the British lines, the offer
is SO simply made that it is doubly im
preSsiye. The third act is the most dra-
matte in the play. Hale has managed
to pass successfully through the British
lines and join party of British officers
who are making life merry at tavern.
One of the officers, who is in love with
Hale's sweetheart, Alice Adams, recog
nizes him, but fails in his efforts to get
Hale to betray himself. BY a successful
ruse he manages to bring the girl to the
tavern, but she has been warned before
and does not recognize him. 1t is
servant, Jasper, who does this. Hale
manages to effect the escape Of his
sweetheart. He himself is condemned to
death. The fourth act is intentionally
sad. The first scene where Hale takes
leave to his sweetheart is so somber, that
it was almost relief last night when the
tent in which Hale had been sitting was
lifted suddenly from the stage and dis
appeared in the wings above The lights
had not been turned off when it was time
to change the scene hence the contre-
temps. The last scene shows the or
| chard and the gallows on which the pa
triot is to be hanged. The officer asks the.
prisoner if he has any last word, and he
| makes the memorable reply, "My only
regret is that [ have but one life to lose
for my country"
The company is a we'll balanced one.
Howard Kyle's presentation of the char
acter of Hale only increases ones rever-
ence for the young hero. Mr. Kyles act
ing is not finished, but his conception of
the part is excellent. Miss Jessie Izett was
satisfactory as Alice Adams. Perhaps
there was more giggling in the first and
second acts than is excusable even in
school girl, but she atoned for this by
her dignity in the following acts. An
toinette Walker a Dresden China maid
en- with a piquant nose and an adora bic
manner. played the part of Angelina
Knowlton. George A D. Johnson was
excellent as Lieut. Col. Knowlton. as was
John Miles as Cunningham
The play will be repeated the first half
of the week with Wednesday matinee.
GRAND.
cat Valley Forge as presented at the
Grand last night by the author, w. l..
Roberts, and fairly we'll balanced COM
pany, made hit, especially with the
balcony and the patrons of the gallery
| The play is a colonial drama, around a
love story, of the Revolutionary war, and
contains several stirring climaxes. This
is only the sixth week that the play mas
been puoduced, and Mr.. Roberts is MAX
ing several minor changes in it so as to
make it more acceptable to his patrons.
AS in all dramas of this kind, there Is
hero. and Mr.. Roberts himself takes
the part of Capt. MILFORD Fairfax a.
continental officer, in very creditable
manner. Miss Olive Martin, as Virginia
Preston, the heroine in the play is fair
ly good, but her reading is indstinct
AS III. ODSuldn willard, a SUiL0r Tor the
hand of Tabby Westbrooke. an aunt CT
the heroine L. c. Ingraham is very good
while the part of the aunt is cleverly
taken by Letta Allen F. Fred Jones is
acceptable as Maj. Henry Carlton a red
| coat officers, who is the villain in the
play.
TIE Tlay will continue during the bal
ance of the week, with the usual matinees
and special matinee on Decoration day.
STAR
Mabel Hazelton's Burlesque company is
considerably above the average of the at
fractions as they have been grading CT
late at the Star The specialties which
make up an unusually long olio, are ex
celent, as rule, and the action is lively
throughout The burlesque sketches
Whlch open and close the show. are old
variety stand-bys, to be sure but they
are given a new guise. Julia Natus. in
ooth OF them. showed considerable abiI
lty as comedinne.l Just to show her
versatility, she played double bass tuba
with good volume. Mile Beatrice ner-
termed some difficult contortion fea+s
MISS Lulu Darrell was another whose
scope OF accomplishments had wida
stretch. She sang contralto solo and
afterwards turned up in a Roman ring
act which required great nhvsioaI
strength. Pete Griffin's eccentric danca
MADE great hit. Hoyt and Clark man
aged to work up considerable fun with
their rapid-fire dialogue Fisher and
clark presented an acrobatic and song
anc dance speciality that had the merit
| OF novelty. The best feature of tbe nar
torrance, however, was a musical tl,r,,
by the Simpsons, James and Flora. The
former actually made the xylophone do
| duty as musical instrument Miss
Hazelton herself is a typical soubrctte,