The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-14
THE STAGE
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

One OF the finest exhibitions OF arr
that the Detroit stage has seen for
many a day was Robert Mantells por'
trayal of Bulwer Lytton's Cardinal
Richelieu" in the Detroit opera house
"Wednesday night. before an audience
that gave frequent and hearty manifes
tations OF its appreciation. Mr.. Man
tells versatility seems to be limlt!ess'
but in no personation does ne
chow such consummate are III
makeup. dress. polse, gestures
and reading as In the course
OF Lytton's masterful. ever-interestins
story OF conspiracy against the power
and life of the grand old man. Inc
subtle evidence OF the cardlnai
waning physical powers. the dehcate
handling OF his humorous sallies, WIN
cut marring the dignity OF the charac-
ter. the sublimity and reyerence-com'
manding force OF the lines beginning
Mark where she stands com
bined 10 make Mantelrs Richelieu
beyond question the best on the con-
Itemporaneous stage. Aside from the
Julia de Mortimer Of Miss Marie Booth
Russell. which suffered from that
lady's whimsical. eternally tearfui
meditation. the supporting cast In the
present cast was so uniformly good
that The Times feels constrained 10
retract the unfavorable criticism that
seemed warranted by some OF the dis
appointing interpretations or the
characters in Hamlet" Tuesday even
| ing. Fritz Leiber's personality fits the
character OF the noble. brave De Mau.
prat admirably. Ethelbert Hayes was
fully up 10 the requirements as Bara'
das. the royal favorite. Guy Lindsay
always capable and satisfactory-in-
terpreted Francois. Richelieu's page.
admirably. and Walter Campbell as
the faithful Joseph showed most intel
| ligent appreciation OF the requirements
of the part.
The Merchant OF Venice" Is the bill
for Thursday night.
Shakespeare's beautiful romantic
drama. Romeo and Juliet" was the
Mantell Offering in the Detroit opera
house Wednesday afternoon. There
was an unusually large audience for
appreciation OF the telling passages OF
.
order OF the performance.
The production might very properly
be called succession OF a score or
more pictures OF gorgeous coloring,
delicately shaded ending with the har-
rowing death scene OF Juliet and her
two lovers. for, even as the bard him
self has said. Never was a story OF
more woe than this OF Juliet and
/ Romeo"
While the play is handsomely
dressed, as BELTS the station OF the
royal personages intimately connected
with the tragedy. that feature does not
predominate
| The ardent, passionate lover. tempt.
ing fate by scaling the wall OF the
! Capulet orchard for the satisfaction OF
a glimpse OF his lady love- and at the
end swallowing poison when he be.
lieves she Is lost TO him forever. has
an able exponent in Robert Mantell.
In his Romeo one could we'll picture
the distracted lover, torn BY the con-
F.. fiicting emotions OF love for Juliet
and fear lest she be taken from him
because OF the enmity between the
house OF Capulet and that OF Montague.
He invested the character with the
poetic imagination demanded. and read
the lines with intelligence and clear
ness. Besides. he has a splendid
physique and a manliness OF bearing
that counts much for success.
AS Juliet Miss Marie Booth Russell
showed a tendency to eYaggerate, but
she has beauty and displays a serious
ness Of purpose that makes amends
for many shortcomings. Ii would be
difficult 10 conceive, however. the girl
ish Juliet OF IA years, impersonated by
the stately Miss Russell. She was
much more happily cast as Lear's
daughter. Goneril, or as Julie In
"Richelieu." Excellent work was done
by Fritz Lieber as Mercutio. and Ethel.
bert Hales as Friar Lawrence.
Beatrice Mckenzie, who appears
With Walter Shannon in the Temple
theater next week, was leading woman
with Richard Carrie in The Tender
foot" prima donna Of THE Woggle
Bug" and The Land OF Nod" and
prima donna of several OF the George
Broadhurst productions. Walter Shan
non was with Maude Adams. later was
baritone in The Sultan OF Sulu." with
Maybelle Gilman in The Mocking
Bird" and played important roles with
the Belasco stock company. San Fran
cisco The chief act on the bill in
the Temple next week is The Gibson
Girl Review" said to be the richest
offering OF the year in the Temple.