The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-29
MRS. AFR MPBE
AS she will appear tonight in Paula Tanuueray.

Mrs. Patrick Campbell sees something II
"Magda-' There can be no doubt of this.
for she opens her every engagement In the
piece. She even opened her American tour
in 1t, and last night she spoke its tedious,
argumentative. problemish lines to a large,
and, for the most part. bored audience at
the Olympic Theater. Don't believe that
Mrs. Campbell. her company or her gowns
annoyed the good-natured gathering-it
was only the impossible play.
The interest in "Magda" is whatever in
terest one may find In a family quarrel.
There is an aside" to the thing. a problem
as to whether Magda. early deceived. Is
good or bad. and whether she or her father
is wrong in the view of it, but this cannot
be said TO be. the thing for which Twentieth
Century audiences care.
Mrs. Patrick Campbell Is a thing of
beauty. Her raven hair. her violet eyes.
the position of her excellent head, the
graces of her movements-all these are
wonderfully good. and for the most part
new to this generation of play patrons.
She has more height, and at the same time
more OF herself, than any other
living actress. In the second act of the
distressful Magda she makes something of
a scene by sheer f~orce-hardly magnetism,
for of this she does not appear TO have a
lot. But. when she quarrels with the man
who once loved her. the man who Is now
a hAAAh beHt IN NhN N"NiS Va Nc
lebrity, she ana to bring you up in
your chair for another look. She seems
very much in earnest. and the appearance
of perfect earnestness is often convincing.
But there are portions of "Magda' in
which Mrs. Campbell fails of the adequacy
we found when Modjeska and Sorma and
Nethersole and Bernhard played. These
portions involve the gloomy humor Of the
piece. Other actresses have got a wee bit
of fun out of some of Magda's cynicism.
but not much of this comes from Mrs.
Campbelf's rendering Of the part.
Last night the lady's voice seemed a bit
rough-too much American weather. per-
haps. When she spoke softly the hoarse-
ness vanished. but in the bigger speeches 1t
was evident. but not at all distressing. Her
gowns and cloaks, her height, beauty and
graces were all of more concern to the au-
dience than the play she had in hand, or
the manner of her playing. and 1t may be
that Mrs. Campbell feels that she is some
thing of a curiosity and that she would
better please the people with herself rather
than with a difficult part on an opening
night. There was polite applause when she
appeared. and much comment on the SUBJ
ject of her looks. her manner and the garb
of the lady. Magda didn't appear to really
matter much. When the first act was over
and Magda went to supper with her unin-
teresting relatives there was n settling
back in relief, for now the actress might
be discussed without interruptions from
the stage.
There was a pricking up of ears when
the second act got well started, for then
came the quarrel and the last acting of the
piece. The self-important chap who once
loved the unknown girl, Magda. in Berlin,
and who deserted her and her child in
poverty. was well acted by Mr.. Herbert
Warning. He was the best of plausible vii
In;n~ urifha,tt ony- of tta urhifapaI farnn1pS
effect of your American bad man of cur
rent drama, and drama dead and gone.
was glad. of course. to see the returned
Magda. the greatest opera singer of her
time; but he was equally anxious that
there should be no allusion to the old days
in Berlin. and he did it all so well that we
rather liked his villainy.
The father of Magda. the old gentleman
who has not forgotten his born decency
so far as to admit the problematic right In
his daughters wrongs was charmingiy
by Mr.. Titheradee. 1t is a bad part
for a good actor, which is something to say
for the gentleman who did so well last
This evening we are to have Mrs. Camp
bell in a play of a bit more interest-'The
Mrs. ~Tanqueray.' a drama that
has been much played the country over by
never Noon = keen,v interesting person. no
matter Who nIaved her hut Mrs. Campbell
,npht tn get much more of opportunity
III bar Than she bas found in Magda.
:heL ny, ~ W har God narts. |
aerins VI HAIL ~ e
=
Wright Huntington and ms COMPANY ~
. Stolen Kiss" is perhaps the best sKetch
IN the new programme at the colIom
dr. Huntington impersonates an
'oynter., a young army of1cer VINO has u.s.
Won fame as an artist. his ihasteipe Se'