The St. Louis Republic., 1904-04-24

The tragedy of Ivan the Terrible
which Richard Mansfield will produce al
the Olympic tomorrow night. is in five
acts and eight scenes. all laid in Moscow
during the las, year of the reign and life
of Ivan ". 1t is q play of conspiracy
the greatest play of this class the Rus
slams contend. since Shakespeare's Julius
Caesar"
The character of Ivan towers over every
other in the play.
The Gar is epic in the thorouGhnsss OF
his cruelty. the steadfastness OF compla-
cency. his unfaltering religious supersti-
ton.
Despotic by nature spoiled by the en-
joyment of unlimited power from his
third year. as we'll AS by the hattery and
adulation of those near him, Ivan saw an
enemy in every person of birth and abil-
ity. Systematically he swept them ell
away One after another they fell under
his relentless cruelty. until in his latter
day he found himself in the ruins OF his
czardon. He knew his great power. the
he loved to exercise il.
Next to his uubTidled love of power the
SInost conspicuous trait of this remarkable
Character was his intense exeitability.
Like Henry VIII of England. Ivan the
Terrible was very much married man.
He had in all seven wives.
Those that didn't die or were not poi
soned he placed in monasteries when he
tired OF them.
Ivan grew more and more ferocious and
morosa.
During one of his spells he killed his
own son. the CZarowitz. The blow
that meant death to his son also meant
the beginning of the end for him. For
three years he grew more and more fee
BILE AT last he was seized with fatal i'll
ness.
Just before he died he called for the
Metropolitan Dionysius of Moscow. who
bestowed upon him the tonsure In the name
Of his favor1te monastery Of st. Cyril. BY
this act he renowned the title of Car
and the name of Ivan to become the mere
monk. Jonah.
Such was the fear OF the man that for
some time after his corpse was cold. 81
lence reiyped throughout the palace. and
the courtiers gaZed mutely at the Gar.
fearing to touch his body.
was dead they burst into lamentations. 1t
Is this character. so rich in deeds and mis-
deeds that the dramatist. Count Alexis
Tolstoi. seized upon.
Lawrence D'Orsay planned to visit the
Worlds Fair while in ST. Louis, but he
will be unable to do so.
What do you think of my jolly well
luck?' he moaned to Kirke La Sheile just
before the manager departed for Europe.
The Fair will open on Saturday. the Goth
of April, and We have a matinee on that
day and leave the town that night. 1t is
too absurd altogether. don't YOU know.
There / shall be in the livery of that boun-
der. Lord Darlington. in The Earl of
Pawtucket.' just when / want to be
dawdling through the fair grounds. ] say,
La Shelle. can't YOU postpone the matinee
for once? 1t would be a jolly favor to me
'pon me word
Mr La Shelle looked thoughtful for a
II don't know about postponing the mat
ss, nss Do rs tSe sut IN ense wea
What? Put in an understudy?" asked
D'Orsay eagerly
No I couldn't do that. But ! might,
Government" answered Kirke La Shelie.
"Of course-spoofing again $What
are the only home government that can
help me-"
Among the attractions Mr. Short has
secured for the Worlds Fair period at the
Olympic are Francis Wilson in a revival
f"Erminie FRITZ Scheir in in her ;,, rev new
once Boy; the Drury Lane spectacle.
..Mother Goose Way Down East" and
"a Country Girl" The company playing
the latter piece will also be seen In a
repertoire of the late Augustin Days
musical comedy productions.
Marie cahill returns 10 the &C, Gent4ry y, in
"Checkers." "The Girl From Dixie and
the Four Cohans
The play with real vogue. the vogue
that carries it from country to country,
across seas and across the limitations of
divers tongues. is rare. One comes only
every few years.
The last one was "Cyrano de Bergerac.
Curiousiy enough. Richard Mansfield. who
gave America that celebrated play, has
"old Heidelberg" for this season. and
Meyer Forsters comedy has the most cos
n,opoiisan reputation. of anytning since
"Cerano" ''Oid Heidelberg was first pro-
Guced Friday. November q. 1862 at the
BeTliner Theater in Berlin. The role OF
Prince Karl Heinrich was played by Herr
Walden.
Within very few months il was the
fad all over Germany and Russia Engen
Burg Mayed Karl Heinrich in Hamburg;
Herr schnidt Lorens enacted. the role in
by Julius Strobl; In Dresden by Curt
Sydow. and in stuttgart by Georg Raselt.
"Old Hei5elberg" has been in the roper
toire OF all these theaters continuously
since 1t has been translated into Polish.
Danish. Swedish. Magyar, Greek. Italian
and knglish:.
AT Conried's Irving Place Theater, New
York. 1t holds the record as the most pop
ular play the German PLAYERS have ever
.,,x, of