The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-17
AT THE THEATERS
Observation-Disclosures Holland in "The
Triumph of an Empress.n

Mildred Holland presented at the Met
ropol1tan last night a highly interesting,
but not at all truthful, portrait Of the
little Saxon princess who became one of
the greatest rulers Russia ever had. The
real Catherine abjured her religion, mar
rled besotted and half-mad grand duke,
whom she abhorred, won favor at court
thru profound discrimination, signalized
her husbands accession to the throne by
procuring his deposition and conniving at
MS assassination. openly acknowledged
the 1llegltimacy of her own child, shame
lessly consorted with long succession
or lovers. whom she loaded with favors
and money, and yet ruled wisely and well
Tor many years the huge and heterogen.
eous empire gathered by Peter the Great
The Catherine whom Miss Holland has
localized for us is very different person
she marries only for love, she is faithful
to her husband whose fault she forgives,
and instead Of having him assassinated
she thWarts the conspiracy of his favor
ties against her and wins him back. There
Is an endeavor to give the picture some
llfel1ke detail by making Catherine in
glrlhood merry hoyden, rough Of speech
but kind of heart. Yet this is in some re-
spects unwarranted, for while the great
empress undoubtedly swore like a trooper
on occasion, 1t must be remembered that
when she first went to Russia she was a
strait-laced young Lutheran princess,
very carefully reared. She acquired the
rough ways and the unspeakable morals
of the Russian court later on in her ca
reer.
Theodore Kremer maker of countless
melodEamas. Is the author of this unhis-
torlcal drama, which, to tell the truth, is
considerably above the grade Of "The Fa-
tai Wedding" and the others of that ilk.
1t is really two distinct plays with the
| same set of characters. The first two acts
are devoted to the woong and winning Of
the princess. When the curtain descends
on the foiling Of a plot against her life,
the suspense is resolved and the play is
over. With the third act begins the Sec
ond play, which Is concerned with a new
conspiracy and a new foiling thereof. Mr..
Kremer, with his gift for melodrama, has
contrived some very tense situations that
| appeal to the groundlings.
| Miss Holland certainly makes a very
human and entirely lovable character of
| the empress. She is at her best in the
| opening scenes, where her spirits have full
scope in picturing the hayward and mis-
chievous girl, who amid her FRANKS be-
trays the queenly qualities which were
later brought into play. AS the empress,
| fighting for her husbands love, her child s
| life and her throne, Miss Holland evinced
great dignity and emotional power. The
contrast between that figure and the
royal hoyden of the first acts is indeed
striking. The climacteric effect of the
denunciation from the throne at the CLOSE
of the fourth act won for the star clam
orOuS recalls.
The supporting company, tho giving a
necessarily inadequate picture of court
life in Russia in the eighteenth century
suffices for the purposes Of playwright
and producer. William Clifford is the
grand ducal sutton who becomes car anC
is a pleasing tho rather over-demonstra-
tive prince. John A. Miesen plays ePotem.
kin, the greatest among GATHERINGS his.
toric lovers. In the play, however, he is
a incoming and hopeless lover, giving nc
hint of the figure he is to cut in the
later career Of the empress. George War.
rington plays the metropolitan Of st. Pc.
i tersburg with a benignity intended to be
sacerdotal, but falling something short o.
!. it. Del La Barre makes a pompous anc
faffected Count Orloff mounting his words
in absurd fashion and yet contriving tt
u give the character an air Of distinction
! Alice Holiday, as the confidante of Cath
crime, is bright and girlish in the open
ing acts, but finds the demands of thu
role too heavy later on. Rita .ONeal /:
everywhere effective as the ambitious con
| spirator against the empress. =
The play is well mounted, the variou!
scenes,ar we'll handled and the costumes
one may easily believe, are much nearer
historic accuracy than the play itself.
I ' w. B. chamberlain.