The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-28
ADJUSTMENTS
Rose Coghlan In 'sForEet-Me-Not" at
the Metropolitan.


Although quarter of century has passed
since the first production Of z Forget Ne Not,
it's power and fascination endure: and that
too,s despite the fact that the play has be-
come obviously old-fashoned and QUITO joint
with modern methods of stagccraft. This is
one more proof--if proof were needed-of the
value of good writing to q play, The story Of
"Forget-Me-N Not" is strong and sufficiently
dramatic to satisfy an audience, but the
play has survived because OF Its splendid
dialogue. Wholly devoid OF situation In tho
common acceptance Of the term, teaching no
lesson and arousing no sympathy for the UNI
fortunate woman around which it has been
written, Forget Me- Not'' still compels adj
miration by the force Of it's dialogue. The
literary excellence of the scenes between
Stephanie aud Sir Horace Welby is seldom.
equalled nowadays, more's the pity, and is
doubly grateful because rare.
There are two characters in the play, and
only two. They are Forget -Me-Not herself
and Sir Horace Welby. The others serve only
as lay figures marionettes which move here
and there as the exigencies demand, but with
out in the least distractng attention from
this woman and this man. S..s4s
/ Stephanie de Mohrivart notorious under the
nom de gucrre of F6rget-Me4Not, was a
wanton; woman of brilliant intellectually
and no MOI ais, cruel, selfish, vIndlctiye and
unloving. Stephanie possesses not one trait
calculated to win sympathy. She is a. woman
of steel, bent upon securing her own ends
at whatever cost to others, knowing no
sentiment, DESTROYS of reforming not for the
sake of the reformation, but that she may be
/ able to realize her dream OF social triumph.
| She would assume a virtue to gain position.
| To accomplish, that end she does not hesitate
to descend to the most dastardly methods.
4 For such woman therescan be no sympathy,
but admiration is compelled by that intellect
! which Stephanie found her most potent
! weapon.
Sir Horace was an Englshman, stolid in :
different, persevering- match for the Wom-
an, as he himself admits, in war of wits;
but ultimately finding to his hand a means
ment of her plan which, carried to a sue
cessful conclusion, would have wrought ruin
| to the woman he loved 4
l The play is, in effect a duel between a
disreputable woman and man whose pre-
delictions in the past have taken him much
4 into that womans company On her part
the woman asks why should there be one
4 law for me and another for you; why should
my sin be regarded as mortal yours bu
q words. & He Undertakes no offence Of society's
laws. He only Shows that they exist.
Stephanie End Sir Horace have two grea
scenes together. These scenes make the play
The motive Of both is the same, an effort or
; the. part of the Englishman to drive from thu
home of his sweetheart this woman In whose
presence the sees disaster. The first open.
with banter. Then comes swift Transition
I into pathos. The woman pleads as though fo
her life. The man remains stern and unyield
ing. Finally the woman plays her last card
She plays it with a supreme confidence tha
it will take the trick; and 1T does. The tw'
are fencing with bare blades now, and tn,
advantage is with the woman.
The, scene which intervenes though neces
sary to the play, is tame and but payes th
:. way for the second duel in which the woma,
IS. made to relinquish her temporary victor,
through physical fear. To many in las
nights: audience the motive must have seeme
, inadequate, for it was not developed Wit
that clearness necessary to its proper zap
probation. sstephanies exhibition Of terro
when shown the man who seeks to kill he
: is sufficiently convincing, vet the cause o
that terror, remains - in neb,lla. The audi
) ence sees the effect without realizing tn
1 cause.
Miss Rose Coghlan, an actress of dis
! tinguished ability, played Stephane In las
]. nights production at the Metropolitan the
alter and played it we'll. Hers is a forcefu
: Interpretation. The wiles of the siren or til
> coquette are not displayed; the Tcharacte
/ dominates through intellectual strength. He
! sovereignty over men was the rule of tn
! stronger will over the weaker. There is moth
ing lovable in Miss Coghlan's Sterhanie, bu
there is much to admire and much to wonde
at Her work will not soon be forgotten.
, Emmett G. King as Sir Horace Welby I
1 effective in quiet way depicting the i'm
perturbability OF the Englishman even in til
face of adverse circumstances with fdelit
q to all accepted stage originals. The bes
thing about Mr.. Kings acting, however.
his admirable diction. The brilliant dialogu
allotted to him by the authors lost none Z
, its pungency as it fell from his lips
! sd. s. Lawrence.