The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-14

Harry Girard, Harold Blake, w. H.
Fitz-Gerald, John. Dunsmure. Lillian
Walbridge, Emmalyn Lackey and
Lolita Cheeseman. The chorus Is
said to have been selected for ability
ito sing. S.
S The engagement IS for the last
half Of the week with a matinee on 4
Saturday.
Bijou-''The White Slave
BARLEY Campbells great play, The
White Slave" commences an engage
ment of one week at the. Bijou to-
morrow afternoon. BARLEY Campbell
was considered the best n1elodramat-
ist of his day. What does the great
middle class of humanity like best at
the theater? This question was his 1
starting point-and he answered st
rightly; they want something to rouse
their sensibilities to unusual interest
and even excitement. They want the
terrific eruption Of a volcano, not the
incOnsequential flame and flare Of a
lime kiln. 1t was Mr.. CampbelIs
faculty to supply the volcano. He did
not care for nor stop to produce nice
points. He hewed his spade to the
shape Of spade, and each scene in
the development of his cardinal theme
was strongly individualized, as itswere,
so as to have a direct and forceful
bearing on every other circumstance
of the play. His best production on
this line is "The White Slave In
writing this play, MI. Campbell bore
in mind the sensitiveness in the south
about slavery delineations in fiction
and on the stage. He tried in 1.-THE
White Slave to deal with a form of
moral abuse which had some existence
in slavery days but was no moree
generic as applying to the character
of southern people at large than to
depictNa northern drunkard would be
to IMPLYING people of the north.
Viewed, then, as confined within its
own boundaries, the play can be prop
er1y called a strong and vivid melo-
drama bringing into action the live
Hest interest and sympathies Sof hui
man nature. The argument of the
play is better in enactment than in
recital, because coldlyato analyze its
| motif and Its development is to find
defects, ethical and constructive,
which do not appear In the represen-
| tatfon.
I "A rakish young planter, firing Of his
octoroon slave and mistress, seeks to
install In her place a beautiful slave
he had recently bought. The audi.
| ence at first Is made aware that this
girl Is neither slave nor negro, but
pure white, the child of an INSANE
| titled union, sold to slavery to hide
| the shame Of the parents. But for
| this confidence with the audience, the
! base proposal by the master and the
honorable proposition of love and
marriage by fine Kentucky planter
would be intolerable. Under the deft
treatment by the dramatist, this con-
fidence is withheld from the people of
the play not concerned in maintaining
the story. The play moves thru a
4 series of dramatic situations which tell
| powerfully on the emotions of the au-
/ dience. The villain meets his death
finally, the lovers learn the truth Of
the girls birth, she is restored to lib
erty and marries the man she loves.
The scenery illustrates the prettiest
hooks to be found along the lower
Mississippi, and the mechanical and
electrical effects. including the rain
storm, never fail to win rounds OF APP
plause. The company which will pre-
sent it here Is said to be a remark
ably strong one, and includes some
well-known members of the dramatic
profession.