The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-03
] ADJUSTMENTS.
MetropoIItan-"The Crossino,' u

, The play Of 1.-THE Crossing resembles
Winston Churchill's "well-known novel
just about as much as a cabbage does a
caulif1oWer and only a blind man who
had lost, his sense of taste and touch
would confuse the two vegetables. It is
not at all necessary to read the book to
grasp the meaning in the play, and after
you have seen the play you can read the,
book without the slightest fear that its
plot has been revealed. Playwrights
take all sorts. Of liberties with books
when they go sa-dramatizing. But "The
Crossing" has been robbed Of little save
half dozen characters and the title
The book Is the story Of the conquest of
the west, while the play tells only Of the
search of a young man for his erring
mother. r.y staid Davie Ritchie, the hero
of the book, Is made to give place to that
rollicking. blade, Nick, Temple, only In
the play Mr.. Temple is transformed from
a young daredevil into romantic
dreamer. You are told that his audacity
and hunor have won the attention
OF the peppery Spaniard,g Baron de Car
aondalet, governor of Louisiana, but you
cannot for the life Of you see why-for
Mr.. Temple shows a woful lack OF humor
to the audience. The play has more talk
than action; and only; in the third act
does 1t rouse more than passing interest.
1t is rather a. sonber picture, frightened
only occasionally sby Etienne Giardet as
Auguste de- ST. Gresv the gambler and de-
generate. slstss. . s..s-z.er- =. . e.5s.z..s . sast<
Mabel Bert as Mrs. Temple, dominates
the story, and very well does she repre-
sent the woman who left husband, son
and home some. fifteen years before to
run away, with, Harry Riddle. Under the
name Of Give Riddle has won an in
fuential y position with the Spanish
army in New Orleans and is planning to
marry Antoinette de st. Gre Hating the
man she once loved, repentant and dis
traught, Mrs = Temple is yet forced to do
his bidding for the fear Of the 1nadhouse.
in which he: threatens to hide her, Is al
ways before her eyes. 81 Miss Bert's work
is quiet and restrained and the third
act, where she strives to rouse some feel
ing Of pity: for the mother in the heart
Of her son. her agony when she sees
son and lover with their swords drawn
her thought only, of the son when the
lover lies dead by his hand, shows real
emotional power.
John Blair scarcely fills ones idea OF
the hot-headed, fmerry Nick Temple Of the
novel He is romantic and thoughtful,
rather than gay, and careless. His best
work is in the, scene with his mother,
when, without knowing who she Is, he
hears. her story and later avenges her
wrongs. ? Mr.. Blair has a most melodi-
Gus voice, but he might we'll infuse more
spirit: in his work. Alex F. Frank as
Harry Riddle, who nnasquerades as Give,
has the ungratefu1 part of the Villain,
and despite the fact that he occasionally
| munlbles his lines, plays it In most de-
ternnined fashion Violet Houk is a sym
| pathetic Antoinette de st. Gre, for whose
hand hero and villain aspire. The other
members of the company are satisfactory
and the play Is staged with a careful at
tention to the period and the place.
The final scene was robbed Of much of
| its impressiveness last evening by the
fact that the man in charge of the cur
tain was SO absorbed in the denouement
that he neglected his duties, and Mr.
Blair stepped out Of his impersonatior
to ask him to ring down the curtain.
! -.4.z.-s. IF. r. Sterrett.