The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-27
At St. Paul TheaterS

Edna Wallace Hopper made bid for
theatric favor as a star last night in a
London comedy entitled "A Country
Mouse" by Arthur Law. The play
handicaps the player. 1t is too patent
attempt to SatiriZe the smart set. The
women of the play unduly emphasize
their desire to be reckless. One of
them, for instance, seems to delight in
her inability to remember when she
had last seen her husband. Another
not married, but willing to be, resorts
to the false representation that she is,
In order to captivate the fancy of a
favored British scion of nobility, who
nnds IT impossible to love d spinster.
into the society of these female rep
rooates. Angela Muir, a simple rustic
maiden. is thrown, and is at once at
lacked by the male vultures who hover
over them.
1t Is conceivable that material of this
Kind might be SO artisticalIv dressed nv
Hnero as to command admiration if
not approval for its morals but the an
tnor OF TINS play is not Pinero or anv
other dramatiSt of his cleverness ON
Ihe contrary the dialogue is Extensively
frank 1t is not content with ,,,a,.a
suggestion, but leaves nothing TO tbe
imagination. And just as the charac-
ters or these supposedly Respectable
women, who puff cigarettes with paIna-
Ole effort in the London drawing room,
or Lady Sylvia Bowlby. in Park lane
are forced and artificial. so is the maid
en-, Angela, who repeatedly reiterates
the assertion that she is from the
country. In short, the play does not
ring true. It's artifciality is too trans
parent. The playwright does not give
the SPECTATORS imagination a fair
chance. You lose interest in his wom-
en- Like the ghost of Banquo, there is
no speculation in their eyes. You can
guess what they will do next.
The last of the three acts is easily
the best. A skillful playwright might
handle 1t effectively. AS it is, its dia-
logue is smarter than that of the first
TWO. which is tiresome. and situations
occur which appeal to the sense of
humor
Possibly the play suffers somewhat
owing 10 the shortcomings of the play
ers. for truly they are apparent. Miss
hopper herself does not scintillate in
the role of the unsophisticated country
girl No opportunity for the display
or spirit or animation is afforded.
Nothing but the exhibition of gulIible
simplicity devolves dpon Angela and
the character is consequently monoto-
nous. and Miss Hopper does not make
it otherwise
only one feminine individual is a
readily recognizable human being. and
that is the serving maid who waits on
the table at the apartments of Hon.
Archibald Wyse in Bond street. The
role was played with refreshing natu-
ralness by Mabel Norton.
The masculine persuasion is not ade-
quately represented in this company.
Paul Everton was by all odds the most
human in the role of John Bowlby.
NJ. p. the husband of Lady Sylvia. one
or the cigarette characters. His scene
with the butler. which closes the first
act, received due recognition Edgar
Norton supplied a fairly good charac-
terlZation of the white haired Duke of
St Kits. but the other impersonations
We're cOlorless.
Captain January" dramatized from
the novel of Laura E. Richards, served
as curtain raiser. Paul Everton play
ed the title role and Miss Hopper i'm
personated Star, the child. While re-
pIete with the affectionate sentiment
existing between a sgirl and an aged
man who had rescued her when a babe
from drowning. this one-act play lacks
the dramatic intensity and variety that
JustifteS the one-act drama.