The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-08
soTHERN AT THE METRoPoLI-
TAN.

Tomorrow evening at the Metropoli
tan E. H. Sothern presents 1.-The Proud
Prince" the miracle play by Justin
Huntly Mccarthy, author Of IF 1 Were
King" in which Mr.. Sothern will be
seen in his creation of King Robert of
Sicily.
THE Proud Prince" is called a mi
racle play, because it pictures the mi
racle that befell Robert Gf Sicily, of
whom Longfellow tells in his sublime
verse and Leigh Hunt in his charming
prose. The story of the downfall of
the naughty monarch has long been a
favorite with clergy and poets. Nc
Carthy has conceived it's value as a
dramatic presentation and in his play
has introduced the religious, super
natural and ethical teachings that are
found in the legend. He has made of
it a poetic drama, with scenes laid in
romantic and medieval surroundings,
enveloping an intense love story.
The play, like the poem of Longfel-
lows, is based upon the words of the
scripture: 'He hath put down the
mighty from their seats and exalted the
meek and humble" The proud King
Robert of Sicily, who SCOTS at good
and the chanting of monks extolling
the magnif1cat, is transformed into the
likeness of his court fool, and under
the boots and derision of the populace
comes to a realization of his wicked
ness. While king he has desired to de-
stroy Perpetua, daughter of the eXecu-
toner, who had humiliated him. In his
humble position as court fool his en-
ergieS are now bent to save her, and it
Is their love adventures in his changed
state that furnish the action of the
play. In the last act he is restored to
his throne with Perpetua by his side,
after he has saved her life by masque
rading as the kings champion, and has
chosen voluntary defeat so that the girl
who has been charged with sorcery is
saved from the flames.
Like the poem, the play has a deep
meaning In the Transforming of man
of evil nature, yet with handsome ex-
terror, into a being with exterior as
evil as the inner self. The drama re-
Veals the steady ennoblement of this
being as he rises through successive
moral stages. In the ethical scheme
of the play Mccarthy has allowed to
enter the idea Wagner utilized in his
religious opera, "Parsifal," in which
the hero is beset by alluring enchant-
resses and resiSts them. In Mr.. Nc
Carthy's play the heroine is subjected
to temptations, but safely emerges
with the aid of the humiliated king,
who himself becomes emancipated
from his evil life by contact with purity
and sincere love for good woman.
The supernatural element that enters
the play gives Mr.. Sothern, both as an
actor and stage producer, unusual op
portunities. In rejecting the scenes
of the miracle, with its accompanying
tremendous storm effect in the appear
ance of the archangel, and in the
TRANSPORTATION of the king, the dra-
matte Illusion is enhanced by ingenious
and impressive stagecraft. The action
of the miracle gives Mr. Sothern dual
role to perform. First, he Is seen as
the proud, handsome king, and imme
diately following is the court fool in
grotesque motley. The character gives
Mr.. Sothern an opportunity not only
for the expression of soft love pas
sages in which his art Is seen in much
advantage, but allows scope for broad
character portrayal as we'll His Rob-
ert of Sicily is generally conceded by
scholars to be the most wonderful
study of character seen on the stage in
recent years. Through remarkable
psychological indication Sothern shows
the progress of morality over british
ness and the steadily growing ennoble-
ment of a human being. The trans
formation from powerful king to grow
cling fool is accompanied in an instant,
and Sothern causesS the character to
reveal the kings desires and ambitions
while placed In fools exterior. 1t is
the very summitof great dramatic ex-
preston.
Sicily in the thirteenth century is the
locale of the story. The play Is divided
into four acts, and embraces stage