The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-13
At ST. Paul Theaters

Miss Mildred Holland made her re-
appearance on local stage after an
absence of some seven or eight sea-
sons at the Metropolitan last night in
Russian drama, entitled THE For
tunes of an Empress" The empress
In this case is Catherine II of Russia.
one of the worlds famous women.
More complimentary things can be
said about Miss Holland than about
theodore Kremer's drama, though
candor compels the admission that
kremer has perpetrated worse Of
lenses than 1.-The Triumph of an EN-
press The Fatal Wedding" of re-
cent exploitation in a local theater is
PROOF OF this. Suffice it to say that
TINS drama in which Russian royalty
ngures improves as it progresses Its
fourth and fifth acts attain definite
FORM and color, diffuSe atmosphere and
present novel scenes. Therein they are
IN sharp contrast to the first three
acts in all these respects They are
not novel, their dialogue is most COM
monplace and trivial and their comedy
or the forced stripe that moves TO re-
greet rather than merriment. 1t is far
from spontaneous. Indeed Mr.. Kre-
mers conception of the conversation
becoming royalty and courtiers
whether they be true or false, is some
what lame, not to say impotent.
In consequence of this enforced COM
edy the Princess Catherine is neces-
sarily exhibited as a rough soubrette,
line OF characterization in which
Miss Holland does not shine. But as
soon as Catherine is permitted to don
royal robes and WELD the scepter the
play begins to assume dignity and so
does Miss Holland. Then it is that her
portrayal grows in stature and dignity
and commands respect.
You must wait until the fourth act
for the climax of this play and like
wise for the best dialogue it contains
1t represents the throne room in the
kremlin at Moscow. Here it is that
the resourceful Catherine poses as a
wax figure of herself. hears an envious
countess and her coconspirators plot
her dethronement and defamation of
her loyalty to her royal husband, and
fairly petrifies them with an outburst
or pronunciation that nearly costs her
life. The emperor rushes in Just in
time 10 thwart the sword of the plot
ting countess, and then-the curtain.
This Is Miss Hollands best scene,
best act indeed, as it affords her the
opportunity to portray the emotions
OF an outraged woman, undergoing a
fearfui ordeal, which opportunity she
rises to.
Not a queen of tragedy, Miss Hol-
land nevertheless invests the role Of
Catherine with authority, without
which the character of the famous
empress would be an absurdity The
royal robes she wears are of regal
splendor and presumably of accurate
pattern. They are certainly impress
sive enough 70 impart realism to the
picture.
The consort of the empress the
Grand Duke Peter Fedorowitz, as i'm
personated by William Clifford, spoke
his lines with lisp and in a stiIted.
stentorian fashion that tended to de-
stroy sympathy with the great Cath
crimes love for him. Mr.. Clifford never
dropped to a natural conversational
tone, but was ever declamatory.
A manly and sensible embodiment
of Lieut.. Potemkin, later prime minis
ter, was contributed by John A. ME-
sen. The role is a somewhat I'M
grateful one that might be easily over
done. Mannerisms that married Mr..
Miesen'S work last season were not
apparent last night.
A creditable portrayal of the treach-
erous Countess Vorontzof was that of
Irene Coffin Cooke, and George War
rington was sufficiently dignified and
stately in the role of the archbishop of
Novgorod. F. G. II.