The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-09
ST. PAUL-
T II EA T RE S

!
Elaborate Scenery and a first rate
cast will go far toward redeeming the
nercest sort of a melodrama. These
TWO merltorlouS features combine to
make The Suburban." what is known
IN common rparlance as "a good show"
| Inc AUDIENCE which witnessed this
/ spectacle att the Metropolitan last
nlghr proclaimed as much.
II perchanee any admirer of the pos
SlDIe drama,I whether tragedy or COM
cay or genuine farce, strolled unwarily
| into the Metropolitan last night, ex-
pectlng the intellectual pleasure afford
ed by a clever play of any class. he
must have been disappointed-grie
ously. But if he knew that an up-to-
uabe melodrafna was on the boards, as
! mas Deen widely and frequently an
nounced, he had-again borrowing from
the street IexicOn-"no kick coming"
The Suburban" is no better and no
worse than a. hundred other melo-
dramas. 1t is better than eighty or
perhaps ninety we could mention. No
experienced theatergoer looks for rea-
son IN modern melodrama. He knows
better than to ask foolish questions or
lind fault with the audacious defiance
OF physical laws that enables the au-
thor to perpetrate his dramatic sur
prlses and evoke the ear-splitting
Whistles and ecstatic shriekS of the
gallery. 1t is all-sufficient that virtue
is tr1umphant-a victory which, ac-
cording to Gilbert's sagacious Mikado,
is achieved in theatrical performances
only"
But to return to ''The Suburban" 1t
is written, or built rather, around the
greatest horse racing event in this
country. This. at once insures for it
the sympathetic interest of a goodly
proportion Of the people resident in
large cities, in close touch with the
race track-by wire. A story is re-
qu1red as an excuse, and this G. T.
Darcy, the author of In Old Ken
lucky" has supplied. Tt is an interest
ing one, as melodramas co. furnishing
good situations in the Safe-robbing
scene in the first act, and supplying one
character bearing distinction. 1t is
that of James Hyde, the Scheming old
attendant I'M the rich. household. This
role was capitally portrayed by John
Jennings. Eae
The scene for which everybody waits
is that representing the grand stand
and section of the track at Sheepshead
Bay, This is an unqualified success
in the eyes of all those who occupy
seats in the body of the house. The
track is between the audience and the
grand 'stands which is shown in the
distance. tits packed with humanity;
to all appearances At least 10000
people you would guess. Something
tells you the great sea of human faces
is but a painting, but when you see
them waving handkerchiefS, hats and
| programmes as the race progresses
you doubt your senses. How all this
is done, it wouldn't be fair to tell, even
if the writer could. Suffice it to say
that the spectacle is surprisingly eff
fective and the race scene scores
heavily. Ten horses gallop across the
stage twice, the last time in an excit-
ing finish, but the main interest is
| focused on the grand stand, which
seems to be alive with human beings,
not supernumeraries.
Managerial sagacity in the selection
of the company is Enthusiastically in eV
idence. J. H. Gilmour, an actor of un-
questionable talent and wide expert
ence, playes the role of Robert Cor
| don, the elderly landed proprietor, with
commendab1e dignity and excellent
taste. Mr.. Gilmour's bearing possesses
the dignity and gentility essential to
a convincing portrayal of the charac-
ter.
w. S. Hart impersonates the despic-
able Sir Ralph-one of those impossible,
simon-pure villains destitute of a sin
gle symptom of humanity, so dear to
meIodrama, with much intensity.
Charles r. Gotthold is allotted the role
of Donald, the maligned hero, who has
all, the sympathy and applause. He
is satisfactory. So is Theodore Mars
ton, who plays big-hearted, unso-
phisticated man from Montana.
George C. Staley, in the role of Died
rich, a German servant, and Annie
Mack Berlein, as his Hibernian oppo-
site, were breezy and entertaining.
| rFanchon Campbell, as Helen Gordon,
and Jessie Izett as the young wife of
the hero, were acceptable.
Cfeditable character bits were con-
tributed by Kingsley Benedict, as the
honest stable boy; Taylor Granville as
the crooked" jockey, and George
Wright as the drunken son of old
Hyde Fred G. Hunt.
Primrose & Dockstader's Minstrels
| will be the attraction at the Metro
politan opera house Sunday night and
the first half of next week, with the
11c,,nI dranssda1z tinnn