San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

5 July 13, 1901 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW The Columbia Dlanche Bates, in her third week, ^ is still attracting tremendous business. It looks now as though her four weeks in Under Two Flags would establish a new record for box receipts for four consecutive weeks. Besides the great interest manifested in Miss Bates by her old-home friends and the real merit of the performance, public interest has been greatly stimu- lated by some very brilliant adver- tising of the star and play. Next week, as indicated by the advance sales, there will be a large business done. The Central T^HE Central has its Gillette play * on this week ; and in the estima- tion of many, Held by the Enemy, although a little old, is the best war play ever written. James M. Brophy plays Colonel Prescott and gives a strong, manly portrayal. Willard Blackmore, a recent addition to the Central stock, and a strong one, is Lieutenant Godenhayne, and he wins immediate favor by a magnificent bit of playing. Margaret Marshall acts in her usual clever style the part of Euphemia McCreery. Juliet Crosbj^ as Rachael McCreery, was at her best in the strongly emotional scenes which Rachael has to go through. Georgie Cooper was dainty and pleas- ing as Susan McCreery. James Cor- rigan, Frank Readick, Frank McGinn and Ernest Howell enacted their roles most satisfactorily. Stanley Ross was pleasing as Thomas Henry Bean, the intrepid correspondent. T/ie Alcazar Clorence Roberts has appeared before our theatrical horizon this week in the part of Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal. The piece was produced under the direct super- vision of Barton Hill, who in his time has been one of the finest Charles Surfaces on the stage. In later years Mr. Hill has been identified with the part of Sir Peter Teazle, and he is to- day a very excellent exponent of the character. In detail the staging, the costuming and the scenery, were in every way sufficient and admirable, and if some of the members of the cast did not seem to fit exactly into the picture and atmosphere of the play, it must be remembered that the character of The School for Scandal and the manners and customs it sat- irizes are as far removed as possible from present day life and stage de- mands, and the spirit and atmosphere of one of these old-time comedies is not to be developed in a week. Bar- ton Hill made an admirable Sir Peter. George Webster was one of the strik- ing characters of the play as Sir Oliver Surface, and Lucius Henderson was thoroughly good as Joseph Surface. In fact, it is one of the best character- izations Mr. Henderson has given us. White Whittlesey was graceful, easy and buoyant, as that merry rogue, Charles Surface. A little more sug- gestion of deviltry, a little more of harshness, would help the portrayal. These merry, happy-go-lucky fellows are selfish, the adulation they receive make them a little hard, and too much fineness of interpretation rather spoils such characters as that of Charles Surface. And just now when Mr. Whittlesey is placing the greatest value upon proper artistic develop- ment, his one obvious failing is a too fine discrimination. Later on this will give way to discrimination just the same, but one broadened with more robust accessories. As his Charles Surface stands now, it is a pleasing, easy and commendable per- formance. The Lady Teazle of Flor- ence Roberts is splendidly done. It brings out in strong relief the sympa- thetic and enjoyable traits of Miss Roberts' best work, rather than the cold, keen, pedantic spirit that has characterized the interpretation by others. Miss Roberts was unusually magnificent in new gowns and millin- ery, and large audiences have appreci- ated her performances during the week. Marie Howe was clever as Mrs. Candor, fitting snugly into the picture, and the same may be said of Frank Bacon. Walter Belasco made of the part of Mcses, the money lender, a most amusing and artistic character. Carlyle Moore was good as Sir Benjamin Backbite. Very en- joyable music was specially arranged by Edward Lada and played by his orchestra. Horace Ewing has the managerial bee buzzing in his bonnet again. It is said he is going to take out a com- pany and exploit Maloney's Wedding. The Til>oli ''Phe second week of the Babes in the Wood has attracted large audiences to the Tivoli. It is an or- iginal musical extravaganza by Ferris Hartman, the popular comedian, full of fun and laughter, but, as Hartman himself confesses, the plot is some- what vague. As Lord Dundreary would have said. "Something no fellow can find out!" But it keeps the audience merry from first to last, and the grotesque make-ups, clever topical .songs and witty sallies and the work of an excellent cast is acceptable to the Tivoli patrons. Annie Meyers makes up charmingly as Sallie, one of the Babes. She is childlike and natural and makes a hit. This clever little actress has improved steadily in her art since she came here, and en- joys wide-spread popularity. She is a hard worker, vivacious and versa- tile, and never slights the smallest de- tail. Ferris Hartman, with his bright, quick brain and genius for stage work, appears with Harry Cashman as the tramps. Hartman surprised his ad- mirers by showing a line of work quite different to his comedy style, when he gave a most touching reading in the second act. Those who had laughed at his wit sat silent at the pathetic story of the sensation caused by the appearance of a baby at a circus per- formance among a rough miners' camp, and his rendering proved that those most ready to smile are often deep in human feeling, and Hartman scored another leaf in his laurels. Maude Williams was attractive a^ the school teacher. The rest of the cast includes Alf Wheelan, Arthur Boyce, J. F'ogarty, Edward Webb, Arthur Cunningham, Tom Guise, Bernice Holmes, and others. A fine solo, Will o' the Wisp, won applause for Arthur Cunningham. A pleasant feature of Monday night's performance was the presentation of a beautiful jeweled pin to Maude French, who won the prize in the contest for the most popular chorus girl from The Dra- matic Review. Ferris Hartman made a happy little address, and the pretty young lady expressed her thanks amidst a storm of applau.se. Grand Opera House Secret Service has been filling the big Mission-street theatre all I ► I I week — and no wonder, for the per- formance as given by the Frawley company is even better than that fur- nished by Gillette and his company. Frawley himself, in Gillette's famous part of Lewis Dumont, is magnificent. He enacts the character to a turn. He does as much with it as does the author. It is seldom that an actor gives as finished, as thoroughly a convincing performance as does T. Daniel Frawley in this part. Theodore Roberts, as General Ran- dolph, was a striking figure and far superior to the General of the original production. The same may be said of Mary Van Buren, as Edith Varney, and Phosa McAllister, as Mrs. Varney. Pearl Landers, who portrayed the young girl, Caroline Mitford, was close to Mr. Frawley in the interest she inspired in her audience. She~ was a beautiful, thoroughly delightful young Southern girl, and she gave the part great prominence. Never was the character of Caroline Mitford in better hands. Measured in the same light as the performance of the part by Hope Ross—that finished little actress—there is no one who will say that Miss Landers' portrayal was in any way less artistic and enjoyable. Clarence Chase presented a manly young Wilfred Varney, that was a splendid characterization. E. J. Morgan gave unusual distinction to the part of Benton Arrelsford by a strong, commanding performance. Christine Hall must be hailed as the best "wench" on the stage, after pre- senting such a triumph as her Martha. Frank Mathieu, J. R. Amory, Wallace Shaw, Minette Barrett, Harold Gilbert and Reginald Travers filled their re- spective parts very well indeed. Clarke Writes Mv Dear Review: —Here we are again 1 Congratulations to the win- ners, and the number is a beauty. Am receiving my Review regularly now, and can keep in touch with Coast affairs. Am .settled at the Chicago Beach Hotel for July and August; will then "do" the Exposi'.ion, and remain in and about New York the coming season. Yours as ever, Harry Corson Clarke. Chicago, June 7. Subscribe for the Dramatic Review