The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-07
AT THE THEATERs
MetropoIItan-"The stroIIers..

etropolitan-"The StroIlers.''
The melange of vaudeville, music and
dancing strung together under the title Of
The Strollers, which holds the boards
at the Metropoli tan this weeks Is pre-
scented by the Margueritas Sylvia opera
company. is 90 little difficult offcharacter-
ization There Is so little story that 1t.
barely suffices to string together the
seriesof stunts allotted to the members
OF the company. The stroliers, George c.
Bontface, Jr., and Sylvia, are wander
Ing couple, who live by their wits, get
into Jail In the first ACT, impersonate
prince ahd bogus princess In the Sec
ond act, which IS laid at a mountain hotel,
and hobnob with the genuine prince and,
his runaway ballet dancer in the third
act
The frst act might with great propriety,
so far as its success Is concerned, be
entirely omitted. It merely serves to lay
the foundation of the story, which is in
reality no story. The praiseworthy efforts
of the entire company fail to make it CO.,
The second: act laid in the mountains,
is much more interesting. The scenery is
pretty and the costumes charming. The
solo by Sylvia, accompanied by the male
octet. Is well sung and the dance which
accompanies 1T very pretty.
The third act, entitled the fete of the
fans, affords an opportunity for much ef-
fective costuning,. opening with, the first
Few steps of the minuet. In the course
aof the act large fan spread at the rear
Of the stage is shown, displaying medal
lions art the end of. the sticks filled by
the pretty girls Of the company, and each
ceit. .s5-s. ~. .ye<e. .55<,Ss rs q
Marguerite Sylvia, as the bright particu-
lar star Of the company, does Enotss1ll the
requirements of that position. She,is a
little too fierce to be coy, and her eyes
are too sharp to be winning. She is, how
ever, bright and energetic. and works
hard to contribute her quota to the sue
I cesssuf the play. AS theswife of the wan
dering philosopher and the better half Of
| the, team Of strollers, she IS but fairly
L satisfactory, Her singing, too cannot be
commended as in any way remarkable.
George: G. Boniface, in, as the always *un-
lucky husband Of the fair Sylvia, was Of
but mediocre excellence: -
The osculatory judge played by David
florence seems a complete anachronism
in such a play-as to the judgeship and
not as to the .osculatiOn, be- it borne In
mind-but Mr.. florence possesses a fine
| barytone voice which he uses with ad-
mirable effect especially in the ''Loretta"
song. Miss Dorothy Hunting as - the
candidate for judicials conjuga honors,
sang Looking Into Eyes of Blue with a
fine mezzo voice, which it seemed pity
she could not have more opportunity to
display. " = go -. . = -
Much of the fun of the piece is fur
| nished by Neil McNeill as, the jailor whose
antics and green pants u afford much
! merriment. p. II Don, as Prince Adolar
| de Bomsky, has a grotesque makeup and
his atrocious Jokes and his devotion
| to Mimi the ballet dancer, Miss Lou
Middleton, are very ludicrous.,, The other
| characters are but passable. The chorus
| is, of course, largely overbalanced by the
| = - D. - h,,+ SC
| fresh and tuneful. 81 NJ - =
Howard Boardman.
Lyceum-"uncie TOMS Cabin"
It is difficult to understand the popular
| ity Of "Uncle Toms Cabin among play
| goers of the present generation The
! book, though the most successful. work
| ever turned out by Its; author, was by no
means her best. Il, was designed chief
| 1y as an argument against slave-ho1dfng
and; as such, it was effective, but slave
holding does not now obtain in this coun-
try and to preach agatnst=it is like tilt
| ing at windmills. =
Guriously enough, the popularity 6f the
stage version Of ::Inele Toms Cabin has
outlived that of the book. The book, OF
| COURSE IL still read but itss sales &are
small. On the other hand, scores OF
companies are presenting the dramatized
/ version iii theataEEsahd even in tents, al
ST il! st Uiffels Pom Cabin judged
1 from a. merely dramatic standpoint, is the
! Veriest rot. The version presented a.
| the Lyceurf by the Ferris Stock. company
i this week, is no better than others -tha1
have gone before. @<It is somewhat pic
torial, but the adapters has allowed zhim
self to be swamped by a plethora of ma
terial and, in attempting to make his pla,
! comprehensive has succeeded only in max
ing it episodical. %... Ass.l
GTIn one scene the playwright shows us
cotton field, its white blossoms glistenin,
| under. southern sun. Here comes Eliza
with her child, 4runaways: both. seeking t,
| escape from a, cruel master. Then tn,
season changes and, a minute later, Eliz;
| Is seen totling across an ice foe whicl
cannot be more than, a mile or so distan
from the cotton field. However, seriou
consideration of Uncle TOMS Cabin /
neither possible nor desirable;, and this i
only one Of d number OF glaring absurd
ties which the play presents. -~,-..s
Il w. D: Corbett is cast as Uncle Tom
w. H. Murdoch is the Simon Legree: Be
Johnson as Marks; Maud Gilbert as Eliza
Robert Folsom as Phineas; and Herber
EBrennon as George Harris Miss Maisi
), Cecil plays Topsy and Miss Laurette AL
lien, Aunt Ophelia. .s The Eva lis Bah
Il Blessing. t,r
The Lyceum orchestra has been aug
, mented and the entr' acte musictis a dis
, ltinct Improvement over anything accom-
! plfshed by the RihgwaH orchestra here
! to1ore. .,*S.5 p sfSS j. S. Lawrence.
Z Last Week: Of Opera.
IT., For the remainder of their engagemer
in St. Paul at the Metropolitan the Cas-
Ia TlSS SS<s,1,, ~ Layr