The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-07

Carl Sonntag played the role 81 Fabri-
cius In The Daughter Of Fabricius"
at the Apollo Theater. In 1892 the great
Possart appeared in this test role Of char
acter playing at the Olympic Theater. and
exactly ten years later .Adolph Ritter Won
Sonnenthal comes here on his second visit
to st. Louis to present this same play and
the part that has made him famous all
over Germany.
Perhaps it is right to say that the grada-
ton of these three performances, memoir
able because the greatest actors in Ger
many appeared in them, should end in the
superlat;ve degree for the star of last night
at the Germania Theater. The story which
Adolph Won Wildbra1dt tells in his drama
is common to human life. Carl Fahricius
marries a frivolous young woman, who sud
deny discovers that she has a voice and
must go on the stage. She becomes the
vogue. The poor man, who would nave
been good enough for her, but for the mil
lionaires, who lay their wealth and adula-
ton at the feet Of the actress, in jealous
rage attacks her and che drives him from
her with disdain and hatred He SINKS
lower and lower and finally attempts to en-
ter a house to steal. He is caught In the
attempt by the proprietor Of the place, who
attacks him
The would-be thief. in self-defense. seizes
a knife and stabs the man who holds him
for the police. He is sentenced to the Peni-
tertiary and t~wenty-four years afterwards
Is released.
At this point the story ceases and the
come an inhuman mother. She abandons
her only child. born after she has discarded
the husband. Years afterwards, when the
world has not made good all 1t promised
and life seems impossible without some tie,
she seeks that daughter, but is spurned
by her. The daughter has been married
and left a widow with a child. To work for
this child in honor and with deprivations
Is her sole aim. Rolf. a philanthropist,
who has written a book on the betterment
of the condition Of criminals who are set
free after serving sentences. Is her EN-
ployer. To this benefactor OF n
also appeals The father. after his release
from prison, and father and daughter meet.
It is in his scene with his child that
Sonnenthal rose to heights of dramatic
feeling which left no eye dry. The criml-
nal. s~elf-confessed and humble. haif
shrinks from his daughter. half yearns to
smother her in his embrace. These same
contending emotions. rend the daughters
heart. until at last parental and nliai love
outweigh all other considerations. The
portrayal Of this scene will be forever re-
msmbered by those who witnessed it
Fnther and daughter part. agreeing to re-
main away from each other for the sake
of the daughters child. Rolls helps the
outcast to mak an honorable LIVING. put
before he sets out for parts unknown his
desire to see his child once more drives
him Jack to the home that shelters her;
He is surprised and taken for a thiet anu
again arrested.
The most pathetic scene Of all is that IN
which he denies his daughter before the
Judge, and is willing to go back to the mar
row cell from which he came, without re-
vealing the true purpose Of his visit to her
house. Fnial love finally overcomes all MS
~scruples and the play ends. as 1t shouia'
uniting father and daughter. and the latter
with Rolf, the phiianthropist, who loves
her anu has asked her to marry him.
An artist less great than Sonnenthal
could not have carried out the difficult part
OF the convict without marrins the picture
and dispelling the Illusion of the spectator
now and then. AS 1t was. the delineation
was 80 perfect and finely shaded that the
very acme of realism was reached at all
times.
Conried's stock company, with which Herr
Won Sonnenthal Is appearing. gave him ex-
cellent support, especially Alexander ho,t-
mann as Rolf. Hedwig LANCE as Agathe
Stern. the daughter OF the convict; Meta
Buenger and Wilhelm Kupfer.
1t may be in line with the play 50 graph
ical,y presented last night, to say that Herr
Won Sonnerthal, who has made and spent
many fortunes in his life, Is in America, to-
day to earn another competency.
ss
Richard Mansfield and his company OF
players reached the city last evening at I
o'clock over the Wabash Railroad on a spe-
cial train. Immediately upon the arrival or
the train Mr.. Mansfield left his
private car and was driven to the st. Mich
olas Hotel. where a suite Of apartments had
been reserved for him.. The work OF trans
ferring the scenery and properties from the
baggage cars to the stage of the olympic
Theater was begun just after the train
landed and everything will be in running
order for the first production OF Beau
caire'' tonight.
MIR. Mansfield came to st. Louis from
Chicago. where he has just completed a
1ve-weeks' engagement at the Grand opera
house, that city. to record-breaking receipts
only equalled by those of "CyIano De
Bergerac" on its original production by
Mr.. Mansfield.
"The Belle Of New York. began its thru
engagement in St. Louis yesterday at the
Grand Opera House. The present ompany
Is almost il not quite as good as Its preoe-
cessors. e. ]. Connolly. who is being fea-
tured with the organization, Is easily the
hit Of the show. Ordinarily 1t would seem
that AFTER playing a part cohtlIiuoue'y
two or three years there would be a iach
Of interest and ambition. but that condition
was not evident In the work Of the per-
formers yesterday. Miss Dodge, who is a
former schoolmate of Edna May. is equal
ly as fascinating as her predecessor In the
role of Violet Gray, the Salvation army
lassie. Arthur Deagan and Pearl ReVafe
also are to be commended for their clever
work. Mr.. Deagan's rendering OF she Is
the Belle Of New York; song received sew
eral genuine recalls.
Buril Barberetto introduced a new song
yesterday afternoon with considerable sue
cess. It 10 on the patriotic order, with 8
good march chorus. Joseph Kane. as thu