The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-07
ADJUSTMENTS
Nat Goodwin and Maxine Elliott IN
Gan American Citizen at the

Nat Goodwin and Maxine Elliott IN
Gan American Citizen" at the
Metropolitan. -.
The characteristic quality of Nat Goodwins
art is its spontaneity. It bubbles forth fresh
and unrestrained and carries along IN us
sparkling stream the sympathles anu the
laughter of his auditors His humor never
lacks unexpectedness OF it would not Do
humor but it is an unaffected, natural IN
expectedness. And tits very human humor.
a humor that we can understand because II
runs along lines parallel to our own thoughts
and sympathes. There is apparently no
deterioration in the quality of Mr. GoodWlns
acting except in one respect. He seems 10
have acquired the habit Of now and men
playing consciously to his audience Ihese
occasional appeals made with gesture or eye
or voice to those in front. OF whose very e2-
istence he should seem to be unaware, are
minor blemishes on an otherwise perfecL
artistry.
The role of Beresford Cruger in Madeline
Lucette Ryley's "An American Citizen is
one admirably to his measure good TEL
low whose altruism is the more lovable De
cause unconscious and Unborn, he sacrihces
himself like a gentleman. There are no
herocs about it. When he meets Brown,
supposed to be Dead whose defalcation ne mas
made good, there is no melodramatlc pose.
AS the curtain goes down, Cruger says
why, hullo Brown in a tone of the most
natural surprise. And when in the next act
he returns from an expedition 10 puhmsi
the said Brown, there are at the enc some
minutes of deliciousy funny pantomlme. as
he nurses his bruised fist and finally senos
bottle of liniment to his victim. mere lsn
q word said until that final one of direction
to his seryant Brown But the audience
watches every move in hysteric n,errlment
and goes off in hurricane OF laughter al the
climax It is in such ways that MT. Goou-
win demonstrates his entire mastery over our
risibles Thank goodness, he mas given up
thinking he can also compel our. tears. II
is not that he fails to touch US with Dit Oh
nathos now and then, for in his love scenes
and kindred situations he has a convincing
sincerity. But laughter is always close at
hand-sympathetic laughter, it is true but
such laughter as precludes long twanging on
pathetic strings.
Maxine Elliott's art has broadened and
ripened in the genial glow of Goodwln's
Originally cold and unpromising beauty,
Miss Elliott has made steady progress in her
development until her beauty is but one
element III the impression she makes. She
possesses that tombstone of the mummer's
art, dramatic instinct, and while her acting
is not characterized by depth or subtlety, it
is satisfying because natural and iluminat-
ing. She knows how to actualize a real flesh
and blood woman with all the little feminine
touches. Her role last night was not SO
full of opportunity as Phyllis in When We
Were Twenty-one," an achievement in char
acterization considered by many Miss Elliott's
best work. But her Beatrice as an admirable
foil for Mr. Goodwin's Cruger and is very
satisfying. Miss Ellott's chief obstacle is
an unsympathetic voice, which fails to res
spond to all the demands she makes upon it.
The company in support showed to good
advantage in the sketchy characters sur
rounding the principals Neil OBrien may
perhaps be singled out without being inyid-
ious for a. word of commentator for his
English servant. The play has long since
taken it's place as an exceptionally bright
and ingenious comedy and it needs no an
alysis here. The audience was one that filled
every seat in the house and seemed to enjoy
every moment of the performance.
w. B. Chamberlain.