The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-13
At St. Paul Fheaters


Miss Percy Haswell made her re-
appearance at the Grand last night
after an absence of nearly two sea-
sons, in the role of George Du Mauri-
er's heroine of the Latin quarter, Tril-
by, she of the famous foot, honest
heart and hypnotized voice
Fascinating as this story was when
Du Maurier gave it to the world
decade ago, and admirable as Paul
Potter's dramatization of it is. ii is a
question if its selection to inaugurate
the summer season at the Grand is as
happy as could be wished. ''Trilby'
once possessed a vogue, which in this
period of Unsuitable desire for some
thing new is naturally on the Wane. If
1T We're sparkling comedy or farce, or
any dramatic creation with a felicitouS
ending, it's revival might be cordially
welcomed. But its baleful hypnotic
atmosphere, which envelopes the poor
girl, bearing her away from the arms
or her sweetheart to the clutches of
a demon and finally causing her death,
gives it sOmber, uneanny complexion
of a depressing character-at this sea-
son OF the year, rare and radiant June.
But possibly the box office returns this
week may demonstrate that the selec-
| ton was wise
Whether they do or not Miss Has
wells Trilby is an impressive por-
| trayal. altogether the most human and
vital yet Witnessed on the local stage,
full of color, interesting and artisticalIy
| conceived and executed. A well eollin-
| ped, sensible symmetrical actress Is
Miss Haswell. Her delineation of Tril-
| bys emotions is characterized by a
| nice, artistic appreciation, that gives
them full value without oerstepping
| the modesty of nature" She does
not indulge in audible sobs to drown
the stage with tears" nor, per contra,
/ speak the poignant grief of her heart
| In the icy, unmoved tones affected by
| the modern school of repression. All
In ali She is eminently satisfying. i'm
| parting. an earnest and appealing in
dlV1dual1ty to this heroine of the Latin
| quarter, manifesting her Bohemian,
| Iree and easy way, but surely indi-
eating her innate sense of honor and
horror of diShOnor Miss HasweIPs
voice lends itself easily to the ex-
preston of the tender emotion. notably
IN Trilby's distracted moments before
! the fireplace, when she felicitates her
| self upon the possession of Little Bill
| lees love. Her acting in the scene rem
! fesentlng the foyer of the the
alter in which Trilby is seen under
| the hypnotic spell of Svengai was
| enective, the vacant smile and eyes
! that saw nothing presenting a convinc-
ing picture of an abnormal condition.
| Trlby'S death scene was also depicted
by Miss HaswelI with admirable taste
and discretion. free, as it was, from the
| exhibition of any agonizing throes of
| dissolution of soul and body.
George Faweett contributed a strik-
| ing and decidedly original portrayal of
| the scheming, serpentine Svengali His
makeup was striking, his glance bale
full and his voice insulating. He por-
trayed the last scene, of all in Sven
galTs career in a graphic and intense
fashlon that won as much applause
for the actors art as was aroused by
| Svengali's death.
| All in9 all the company acquitted
itself creditably. There were minor
shortcomings, which seemed to be due
to lack of an intimate acquaintance on
! the part of some of the players with
| their roles. d. c. Jennings played the
Laird with confidence, and Alfred Hud-
| son Jr. made an acceptable Taffy,
though at times lacking in authority,
or perhaps ayoirdupois. Regan Hugh
ston was sufficiently ardent and i'm
pulsive as Little Billee, if not an ideal
| physical embodiment of the English
| youth.
| Edwin Evans played Gecko fairly
We'll and Molly Brady was commend
| ably volatile in the role of the con-
| cierege.r ,s-F. G. H.