The Minneapolis journal., 1904-09-30
AT THE THEATERs
etropolltan--EtheI Barrymore, in "cous.
In kate.n


poItan-EtheI Barrymore, in "cous.
In Kate"
With comedy that is truly gem, and
star with true claims to stellar rank,
on the one side: with sold-out house
that was a society event in itself, on the
other, there is everything to justify the
characterization of last nights presenta-
ton ofS"Cousin Kate by Ethel Barry
more as triumph Essentially it was
Miss Barrymore's triumph, but likewise
was it something for the playgoer to feel
proud Of, too. For did it not mark the
acquisition Of a new acquaintance, a
friend, who seemed to take her new
made friends sto her heart and be taken to
theirs?
When, half in play, half in earnest,
Heath Desmond halls Cousin Kate, one
Of the "elect" to whom it Is given to
dwell in the land of eternal childhood
and declares that it is the elect that live
free and true, he sounds the keynote Of
Ethel Barrymores art. He calls her to
witness that she, as Kate, is the child Of
nature and of truth-the child who has
not learned self-consciousness, repression,
affectation, or, if she has, has learnAe
more-that her creatures of the stage are
real as flesh and blood only as they are
made beings of fact by their naturalness.
Leaving the Metropolitan last night some
one, doubtless deVotee Of melOdrama,
criticized Miss Barrymore, saying: ooh,
she was good but she was not really
stacy" He, too, touched a keynote, in
chord with that which Heath Desmond
struck more deeply in his lines. She is
the child and so the genius, this daughter
of long line Of actors. Who but such a
child would give herself to spontaneity in
such completeness that she goes past the
actress portrayal and becomes the woman
herself-that she seems at once cousin
Kate" and Ethel Barrymore, living, laugh
ing, suffering, as her hour of life speeds
on? We feel we know her, then that
we are in her romance, tho not of it, and
perhaps it surprises us just little that
today we not meeting her of
US and, maybe, seeing the next steps in
her love story and her life. 1t matters
not that the play is clever. the lines
bright, the situations natural-above it
Is Miss Barrymore: her genius pervaded
and dominated ALL
This romance Of Kate's, this love-
comedy cousin Kate is likewise the
romance of three other beings. Kate, who
has written cynically of love in several
novels, comes to attend the wedding of her
cousins daughter, Amy-a girl whose
thin, unsympathetic voice indexes her
shallow character in her first speech.
Kate laughingly tells of a meeting on the
train, filtration which, she subtly dis
closes to all of us but Amy, has stirred
more than her desire for recreation. She
learns that Amys fiance has seemingly
Tilted his betrothed almost on their we'd
ding eve, and as Amy confesses herself
at fault, the girls false notes awaken
Kate to admit her own views of love
were wrong, and move her to conjure the
girl not to throw away the chance OF
nome ana love and wifehood. She bids
the girl call back her fiance-for he has
returned to town. And by quick dplo-
q to holt
pulse to give her hand to the clergyman
whose sermons are at the bottom of the
lovers quarrel. Then, escaping from the in
toleraple atmosphere, Kate goes to air the
mouse Heath Desmond and Amy have pre-
pared. Ihere, suddenly, appears the un-
known OF her train Irritation, and there,
| CARVING on their playtin1e when the ur-
known leads her back to chidhOod's game
ana falrytale, the knighthood of affinity
selzes sway of both their hearts and
kate's hour Of love is lived Without a
sudden storm has passed and Amy comes
1-lhe unknown hides-and Kate learns
that Heath and her unknown are one
Here is Miss Barymore's great moment
In the play. She speaks no word. but her
race tells all-astonishment, realization
grle1, pain, despair. Mastering her an
gulsh with repression that is not of arti-
nclallty but Of nature. she declares her
ioVe-confession was but play, carried on
| - oop' "eoAiilS lOf ler DOCKS, and here
1nHectlon, emphasis reveal her genius AL
most as plain as did her pantonime the
moment before. Heath goes-and the
stricken woman sinks down with the crv.
On kate-you-you-poor
VI course the story ends as the audi
ence would have it end. Amy is made
formally to release Heath-and here is a
| tnree-Word re1o1nder to her thanks which
Heath speaks with infection worth half
an act of an ordinary comedy. Affinity
rules again. and we go away half certain
We'll be hidden to Kate's wedding eyen
II we are not to that of Amy and her
clergyman
Miss Barrymore is the play, yet tho
her versatility and the simplicity of
her art dominate, they do not so over
shadow as to hide Bruce McRae. whose
Heath Desmond is just the man who
would be Kates complement in the wed
ded playtime Of their adult childhood
| His faithfully, jovialIy-11ted lines have
the Irish eloquence intended: his move
ments ever are within the picture: his
personality is always that to which we
feel' Kate would be won. Five others
complete this typically Frohman company
and "typjcally Frohman" means perfect
ly-balanced and thoroly adequate. Annie
ADAMS Is Arny's mother, who has lived
beyond Illusions to the point Of watchful
ness for opportunity. Her work is wholly
admirable. Beatrice Agnew is Amy-the
automaton, the creature whom one ex-
poets to be the wife Of a preacher who
| ''sees unse1flsh dutifulness il, doing lust
what he wants to do And James Kear
ney Is this clergyman-artifcial didactic
always the preacher. Anita Rothe is the
maid, Augustin Wilks the schoolbov-both
acceptable in their little roles
Harry B. Wakefield.