The St. Louis Republic., 1903-09-20
REPURLIr SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
New York, Sept. 19-'Tis very long
time since the theaters of Gotham offered
their patrons such a host of successful
plays as are now being produced.
This is al! the more remarkable because
of the fact that the season has scarcely
got under way.
This week Witnessed the first produc-
tion of Ulysses by Stephen Phillips.
with Tyrone Power in the title role. at the
Garden Theatcr Most or the audience had
| doubtless read the play. They had prob
| ably found that. after the rather banal
prologue on Mount olympus with its
cheap reminiscence Of the spleuG.d pro-
logue which opens Coethe's "F'aust''-the
drama offered some fine poet!cal ines. u
good deal Of excellent rhetoric and sSme
vivid and stirring scenes.
But they may have been surprised to
find how much could be made out Of ii
us dramatic spectacle by the nelp of :.
good though not an extraordinary com
pany and some most effective scene paint
ing and machinery.
Calypso's Island in which the play
proper opens. was extremely satisfying 70
the eye. The scenes in the palace ~
Ulysses, al Ithaca. were a riot of color
and movement but the finest scene of all
was that in act iii. whore Ulysses de
scends into hell This was really shive-y
and awesome. even though the first a9-
pearance of the flying spectecs created
slight hysterical laugh
Mr.. Tyrone Power as Ulysses; Miss
Rose Coghlan. as Penelope, and Miss Ade-
laide Prince, as Pailas Athene. won the
chief applause. Long continued and the
most spontaneous applause greeted the
fall of the curtain upon Miss CoShlan AZ
the end of the second act, just after her
pathetic Invocation for her absent huS-
banGs return.
This the best bit Of acting in the
play. Miss Coshian's entire performance
was acceptable. but only IN this instance
did it rise TO more than the acceptable
ULYSSES OF TYRONE POWER.
Mr.. Powers Ulysses had dignity. force
and manliness. His voice is OF large COM
pass and possesses resonant quality
But it lacks pathOs. In the expression of
daring and heruiSm he IS better than i'll
the expression of the tenderer emotions.
In the comparatively small part of Pal
las Athene. Miss Prince was graceful and
dainty, and evidently made a favorable
impression on the audience.
Miss Olive divers Calypso was less
loudly applauded. The fall of the curtain
at the END of the second act. in which
forth less enthusiasm than the succeed
ing ones. Yet she acted with feeling and
sympathy. and made Il very charming toll
10 the Cightly) unresponSlve Ulysses.
The three chief sultors of Penelope. act
ed. respectively. by Ralph Delmore. d y.
Crane and William Owen, We're in capa-
Bile hands, the robGstious Anunous OF the
first and the comic braggart CteslppuS OF
the latter being rendered with especial
Yigor and point.
The TeIemachus of Edgar Selwyn lacked
Snfr
all that could be expected out of the small
part of the swineherd Eumaeus, and IN
the scene in which he recognizes Ulysses
there was successful blending of pathos
and humor.
scene on Olympus. Poor as 1t appears. 70
the reader. it appeared poorer IN actual |
rendition at the hands of a lot OF ungod-
iy gods. Miss Princes Minerva was the |
only thing that saved 1t from the appear
ance of cheap burlesque.
After the final curtain there were SIX
teen recalls and Mr.. Power and MISS
Coghlan had TO make brief speeches or
thanks.
John Drew, in the title role of Captain
Dieppe'' AT the Herald SQUARE Theater,
made the hit OF his life. and that's saying |
Mr.. Drew achieved triumph notable
even among his crowdin2 scores OF sue
cesses, and one sure 10 endure When
shall have faded True. much of this tri-
umnh was insured by the superb support
afforded the star by company of per-
formers of unusual merit. but, neverthe-
less, Mr.. Drew so colored the play with
his own personality that its future claims
to distinction must crystalline in his or
nate individual effort.
CHARACTER NOT NEW.
Not that Mr.. Drew created distinctly
new and original character. 1t was not
so written in his part, and IT was mainly
IA the familiar John Drew that we ad-
mired and appreciated his exposition of
theSpic art. But ii was his masterlv ma
nipulation Of the character delivered into
his hands as so much dramatic proto-
plasm, his coherency and power to con-
vince the spectator that the transient emo
tons of his projection were real. that
placed him on the pedestal of unanimous
appreciation.
There were no moments OF tumultuous
applause. The great audiences enjoyment
was too sincere for vociferation Most OF
The physical testimony of appreciation
,ame in ripples for smiles were ever pres
ent. and laughter always potential. The
suffaw was notorious for its absence.