The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-25
AT THE THEATERS


In these melancholy days Of the drama
when one failure has followed upon an
other SO close that it has almost trod
upon the others heels; and when man
ayers, in desperation, have tried dram
atizations Of pretty much everything ex-
cept the alphabet and the; multiplication
table, it may occasion surprise when at
tention is called to the fact that Swimmer
toms Mount Ararat,, Sunday supplement
pictures have not yet reached the stage.
The series, you will remember, depicts the
doings Of Noah and the various animals
who accompanied him on his memorable
voyage 1t presents practically unlimited
opportunities for the dramatist.s Why
does he not utilize them? A dramatized
Ararat, with Hagenbeck's animals in the
several roles, would make such a hit as
the theatrical syndicate has not known
this season. .y,
Hagenbeck's animals are no more like
ordinary animals than a bake shop mince
pie is like the kind mother use to make.
They have been civilized and have ac-
quired the ways of polite society," together
with it's vices. Their instinct has been
developed into intellect, and If the lion and
the lamb do not lie down together, that
Is probably because the idea never oc-
Cured to their trainer.
AS animal trainers Hagenbeck and the
men under him stand alone Their power
over beasts seems limitless. They have
taught seal to smoke and enjoy it; ar
elephant to drink out Of a bottle; tiger
to leap thru a hoop Of fire, a polar beaI
to wrestle and to wrestle scientifically; q
dog to do a back sonlersault; and Other
animals to perform stunts equally
amazing.
One Of the acts presented by this troupe
displays tigers, lions, punas, polar bears
(, leopard and two dogs working togethe,
Sy, Il, k,.s11 i
no more remarkable than the concord
with which they IRE accomplished. Her
man Boyer, who puts these animals thr,
, their PAGES, tho q German, has no persona
acquaintance with the word "furcht.' HI
compels his charges to eat meat from hi
hands and he holds his hands aloft 81
the beasts have to stand on their hind leg!
! to reach 1t, The act has had no parable
for daring and it always causes shudde
| Of apprehension to run thru audience
which, however, Is just as invariably fol
lowed by an enthusiastic outburst Of ap
plause.
| The program presents acts by birds
goats and pigs, as well as the animals al
! ready mentioned. One of the most re
markable exhibitions offered is a juggling
act by a school Of seals. 49,.
| Minneapolis has seen nothing like thes
Hagenbeck animals. They have not onl,
been trained, but they have been edu
Gated. j. S. Lawrence
observation-disclosures"
! The presence of large audience a
| the Lyceum theater last night, despit
the coolest weather Of the season, illus
| trated the general eagerness to see a pla
| founded upon Marie Corellis popula
Morse romance. If the Scandinavian Min
neapolitans wished to recall their pictures
| fjords and fields to hear that nineteenth
4 49,
! cor Of the hammer-throWing god, othe
theater-goers were no less DESTROYS of ad
miring their lowlylofty heroine, youn
Thelmas and her model aristocrat, ST
| Philip Bruce Errington. .- -
Some spectators of the play, like som
readers of the book, may not agree wit
self -willed Marie Of the golden locks a
to the literary art, the aesthetic discre
ton, which she observes in ''Thelma.
Such critics soon find their pains as need
| less, however, as the worrying of tn
! boy about the core Of his companion
apple 'There hain't goin' to be no core,
declared the other boy with Alexandria
incisiveness; and Marie, in her first chap
ter, her first act, makes, clear like SO
luton.
| Yet whatsoever would wander blitheI
between possible fact and improbable fan
cy revels with Miss Corelli in this tale {
a viking farmer who calls upon Odin
London English as easily as his daughte
rises from an unsophisticated child to
i society woman within four months. Th
play, indeed, sometimes improves upon tn
novel, thanks to the dramatist, Charles "
Chase. The pathos is most moving in tn
last act, where Thel1na is made to hol
farewell interview with her father be
fore ne goes, down to death and his las
flaming voyage.
Il Against background of stern mouT
tains effectively painted, Miss Grace Hay
ward appears dainty, interesting "prir
cess Of old Morse lineage. Her fathe
the heather bonde, is put forth with tt
clear-cut vigor typical of Ben Johnson
j. acting. "A. Byron Beasley and Joseph To-
ten fill agreeably the respective roles I
Errington and Lorimer. Some of tt
lesser actors could well improve, but Mi:
Maise Cecil, as Britta the maid, with
newcomers couture and broken Eng
lish, .persuades the house, from time
) time, Ito laugh like Jupiter
n..,s. HI. B. Curry.