The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-19
AT THE THEATERS

AT THE THEATERs
Metropol ltan---Nance o,Nell n "Magda.''|
When you stop to consider II. the ma
terlals which HermanN Sudernnann has I
used In constructing his tragic story of
'Magda are OF the tritest imaginable.
Is 5choleric father turning his daughter ontsI
Of his house for refusing to carry out his I
matrimonial plans, and then, after long
years, forgiving her It'd taxing her back T
to his heart, Ven tho She has become +
rich and famous-that Sounds like a mere
variant OF a type Of melodrama that has
been the standard & for years. II |
is IN the treatment Of the story
that the hand OF s. 1.-The master
is evident. What would serve the ordi- 1
nary playwright for a whole melodrama is
for Sudermann merely the preface to the
real dramatic home coming of the err
rant daughter is but the beginning of a
play of such vital and tragic interest
that it lays hold with Tightening clutch
upon every heart. The battle between
those two stern and dauntless spirits
the father who sacrifices every feeling
upon the altar of duty. and the daughter
who has lived her own life" and is un-
ashamed--is typical of the struggle in
modern life between the old Journalism
and the new demand for individual free
dom of action. Relentlessly and in a man
$ner# quite like Ibsen the conflict is pushed
to it's bitterest extremity, without palpa-
BILE effort on the part of the play-writer,
to Justify either combatant The sym
pathy Of the beholder cannot go out en-
tirely to- either and yet one gets with
terrible distinctness the point of view of
EACH and sees how irreconcilable their
positions are.
The pastor standing as a mediator be-
tween them, sternly depressing his own
feelings and striving 10 bring each to
common ground, is the one noble figure
|%of the play. Does it express concretely
Sudermann's admiration for religion as
the best human solvent for such difficult
ties, While confessing in the pastors %ulti-
mate failure his pessirnistic view of it's
efficacy? z5tfaSF
Technically the pIayis a return to first
principles in it's unityeof scene, time and
action. Its characters! ARE few and the
minor ones introduced merely to give
atmosphere and reality5to the story, are
sketched with cynical frankness in their
revelations of human insincerity. Magda
herself is the character which Nance
TO'Ne1l eliminates. 1t is a role that makes
the severest possible demands upon the
actress requiring her to express in rapid
succession the strongest passions that
sway the human heart. Miss o Neil is a
| magnificent Woman, to begin with-tall
ana erect, OF commanding poise, with a
strong, finely expressive face and a vi
brant voice which reflects in its changing
tones her changing mood. She is, too.
| Womansof Intelligence and Of sympathetic
insight. Her Magda is strong even in her
weakness, firm even when she is most
yielding, fine creature struggling in
the grip Of circumstances. The fault of
the chara cter1zati ion lies in it's lack of re-
straint at certain points. Take, for in.
stance, the bitter scene with her former
lover IN which she expresses the loath-
/ ing of her soul for him and his self
centered cowardice. a5 less sboisterous
denunciation would indicate more certain
1 " and more powerfully the feelings of
hatred and disgust that possess her. If
! Miss O'Neil once masters the lesson Of
restraint-the paradox that the less you
obviously express, the more you seem to
feel-she will become the peer of any
emotional actress on the English-speak
1 ing stage Even with these occasional
/ outbufsts she makes a powerful impress.
sion with her Magda.
Mckee Rankin veteran actor of the
old school, makes Epitiful and picturesque
figure Of the stern old man, with his un-
/ yielding old GermanSid ideas as to filial duty
| family honor and the place Of woman in
theSordering of life.s The influence of a
military career on such "a, character, the
changes wrought In itsby the, religious in
t1uence and by bodily in trinity are. won
| derfully brought OUT III a Mr., Rankin S
masterful irnpersonat aaon. fFhe old man S
Keen and mot to-be- dAurted eye and his
threatening ehngen re- Seutward signs
of the brave but sfana tic pirit that dwells
4 within Aside from The fact that man
4 with a fatal strelseaof a poplexy would not
be able$t shake his head even in refusal
4 Of forgiveness to his daughter, Mr..
4 Rank1n's stimulation of symptoms is not
the least marvellous part of his work
i E. J. Radcliffe contributes a finely con-
/ ceived portrait of the pastor. He never
4 forgets his cloth even when 3, walking
s across the stage, but he artfully contriVes
4 to dispel as the play proceeds: the first
4 impression of insincerity. It soon de-
Il Yelops that here is a large man. Of wide
q andesnoble sympa thies, q man who has
conquered himself and thus stands where
he may give aid to his fellows Charles
A. Willard is also satisfactory as the one
4 time lover, whose snallness of soul quite
prevents his appreciation of the supreme
selfshness Of his own actions. A most
amusing turn is given to several scenes
by the glimpses given by Miss RIGA Allen
Of the small and vainglorious soul Of the
4 aunt Miss Agnes Rankin plays the
younger sister with girlish impulsiveness
= Mrs. Charles w. Brooke, who plays the
old mans second wife, Charles Bertram
who is the young lieutenant Eliza Oldfield
who is the servant. and Messrs. L. r
i Stockwell and Hal De Forest, as the two
worthless who come in to play cards with
the old people, complete a very compe-
tent cast.
w. B. Chamberlain.
"a lyceun1-"Fo Home and Honor.U
Il Within the past season the Lyceum
:. clientele has applaudedi many m elodram mas