The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-06
AT THE THEATERs
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. NEW Ministe,

Metropoitan-"Our New Minister"
The popularity of the down east play
rests upon the secure foundation of it's
Daturalness and the appeal ofNits Yankee
hUmo1 anu its homely pathos s. ..Ou: New
Minister. one of the latest af .the So
called pastoral school, comes from Dem
man Thompson and George w. Ryer, the
authors OF 1.-The Old Homestea II a .L,o-
neer, success of the same scho)l. Like
nearly all Of it's predecessors, ii is strong
IL Characterization and weak i'll action.
The story OF Our New Minister" IS so
f11msy that 1t scarce holds together. With
tho single exception Of the episode in the
ttlrd act wicn. the wild man makes
a forced exchange of clothes with the
village policeman, nothing of consequence
happens. The whole thing depends UPON
the utterly inexplicable and indefensible
silence OF the reformed convict as to the
responsibility for the crime But the
characters OF the play are drawn with fine
realism and a subtle Understanding Of the
New Hampshire Yankee and his ways.
win great daring the authors have
MADE their play center about a religious
controversy that RACES in the villa ge, IT
is In little the same controversy that goes
on eternally in the. religious world. be-
tween the liberals and the strict construc-
tlonlsts In this old village, the bitter
ana hard Puritan spirit is painted in bJa ri.
co!ors, against which the, sweet reason
aoleness Of the sinners and the Chris
tlans of advanced ideas. stands ont
orishtly. indeed, the hardness and hypo-
10y y. Inc conservatives are badly over
done' IN the effort to Justify the nau
| minister and arouse symnathv for his
supporters. Nevertheless, the NAV annea1 s
| strongly TO theater-goers, who as a, cla &C
aie hot likely to sympathize much with
| Inc victims of it's satire. - .
| e coIneoy nit OF the piece is Josenh
Conyers as country detective. The IN,
p =" though doubtless exaggerated
80 ltIh IN original humor. It is a picture
v, the pucollc officer Of the law. vain
glorious but shrewd professionaliv s,1s
plclous and dlscharging his duties with
an energy that is nicely tempered bv oreat
CONSIDERATION for his own personal 90 fetv
ooi1ll 6arker is the village infidel, l1indl,
ailu sooo-natured, but gifted with sharr
sa,Is 1: WI. IN vivid contrast is the con.
serVatlVe church member PLAYED bv T,ouis
flerce, great ,stickler for the. old ,for,,,,
ana pellefs, but without any understood.
ing OF the spirit of true religion. A fourtl
III thls quartet of quaint old village char
acters IS the. postmaster and storekeene
~ I1enrv X. Scott, who prides himself or
80 ,. GAact memory and who does his deed
S+aa-.a less Wltnoutr ostentation. Charles
otedman plays the reformed convict wit,
spirit and fine feeling, while John ferris
as the new minister is satisfactory with
OUT being impressive. One of the has
thinss in the performance is the Bower,
10y 10y OF John F. Drawn. who has beef
tlahsplanted to New Hampshire, AM
whose picturesque and varied slang is Tx
an an unknown tongue to the Simple Villagers
Etnel Brooke Ferguson plays the minis
terls sweetheart rather artificiallv. tho,1e1
me character is not one giving. nue.
opportunity for strong work Phila Ma
as the minister's sister is rather color1ess
The other players are Grant Fore,,s % y,
VINO plays the old minister and later tn
escaped convict; w. G. Tanner, who is tn
hypocr1t1cal squire, and Clara Rainford
VINO IS a prim and harp-tong,,ed 11en,
Der of the church. '2I5 :. '''o1l