The daily sentinel., 1902-04-26
Faust.

very large ana representative audi
epce witnessed the production OF Goe-
the's immortal play, Faust" at the Park
opera house last night Notwithstand-
ing the price on the choicest seats had
been raised in accordance with the de-
mand of Mr.. Morrison's contract, they
we're all taken, as were all the other
seats in the house and standing room
was at premium.
somewhat rudely disappointed at the
very beginning. however, by the an
nouncement that, on account of sickness,
Mr.. Lewis Morrison would not be able
to appear, as advertised, in the part of
Mephi,to. but that that character would
be taken care OF by Mr. William Ewing,
Mr.. Morrison's understudy. The fact
that Mr.. Morrison could not appear was
not we'll taken by the audience, owing TO
the facs that many Of them had gone to
the theater believing that they would
see him as Mephisto, as the management
OF the opera house had been advertising
that fact very extensively in connection
with the performance. However, in
spite of their disappointment, the major
ity Of the audience we're bound to admit
| that MIR. Ewing made a very pleasing
devil, after all.
While, taken as a whole, the general
effect of the stage work was good; ct.
Individually, there was much lacking in
| the work OF the actors.
Francis Yale, as Faust" has very
good enunciation; but, when that is said,
all is said His acting was away off"
The work Of the three students, Bran
der, Wagner and Altmeyer. taken by
Messrs. Lavigne, Hubert aud Hsnshaw,
lacked much in expression and stage
presence generally. The trio. sung by
these gentlemen in act l, was q magnifi-
cent effort-we cay effort.
The acting of Miss Rosabel Morrison
was the best Of the evening and deserves
much praise, but at times 1t seemed that
even she lacked force in the part. With
Mr.. Ewing as Mephisto. she did the best
part of tho entire performance. Miss
Morrison las very pleasing appearance
| and good figure. which perhaps assist
ed greatly in making her character one
OF the best
The village maidens. Martha, Liza, Ell
sa and Katherine, as portrayed by Mrs.
Selby Tapsfield, the Misses Benson and
Miss Lorraine Dimond, were all right to a
certain extent, perhaps, but it does seem
that here the stage manager neglected
his work In all the versions OF Faust"
generally seen. the German village maid
en- 10 of the blue eyed, faxen- haired type,
looked more like the maidens of Spain
or France than those of Germany. Mrs.
raps6sld, as Martha, was very good. and
the way she perplexed his satanic majes-
ty was greatly appreciated by the audi
ence
While, as said before, the individual
work lacked much, the performance as a
whole was quite satisfactory; but the
patrons would have been better pleased
had they not had so many absolute as
surances beforehand and right up to
date, that Mr Morrison himself would
actually appear in the part Of Mephisto.
This thing OF stars being advertised to
appear in certain plays and the people
led, on the siren tn OF that, to pay their
money to see them, and then being in
formed at the last moment before the
curtain rises that SO and-s is 'sick," or
for some other reason not able to appear,
should be stopped. The people Of this
city are ever ready to patronize good
show. but the matter has 30 frequently
occurred that many OF the very best
patrons Of the opera house are complain
ing OF the unfair treatment they have re-
ceived in this respect.