San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW November isth, 1899 Zangwill' s Career jyjAX Skelton, of Indianapolis, tells a few things about the early life of Israel Zangwill, the Hebrewnovelist, who recently went back to London loaded with chagrin over the criticisms passed on his play, The Children of the Ghetto. "I have been in touch with Zangwill, or, rather, to be more exact, he has been in touch with me," said Mr. Skelton. "I was born in Totten Court road, London, and went to the Jewish free school there. There were seven teachers and a master. Zangwill taught the first or youngest class to which I belonged, and I learned my A, B, C's under him. Zangwill was a chum of my brother's. He was educated in the same school in which he was afterward a teacher. There were s;ven classes, or, as you would have them here, grades, in the school, each grade averaging from sixty to one hundred boys. Zangwill never had a college education. He was cited in the school as a model of industry. From first to last he was the top boy in all the classes, and had the highest record all the way through. He was a teacher for six or seven years, then a newspaper man, then the famous author of The Children of the Ghetto and other works. His people were poor, and it was to Beerbohm Tree, the actor, who is also a Jew, that he owed his start in the world. Zangwill wrote a little sketch, Tree presented it at the Haymarket Theater and made it a success. That was the beginning of Zangwill's career." A Famous Actress as a Beggar ONE of the late Sir Francis Doyle's sweetest and most touching poems was a ballad (which, I believe, he never published) having for its subject a tale told to him by a fair descendant of Mrs. Jordan, the famous actress, whose equal Maeready used to say that he had never seen on the stage. This tale related that on one winter day Mrs. Jordan passed in her carriage a poor woman singing with feeble voice in the street, whose stony look of hopeless misery touched the successful actress' tender heart. .Stopping her carriage, Mrs. Jordan told her footman to invite the poor woman to call at her address in a street close at hand. The two women were soon alone together; and the poor street singer told her sympathizing interlocutor that she was a widow and had just been turned out by her landlord, together with her starving children, into the frostbound street. Mrs. Jordan quickly borrowed the wretched woman's shawl and bonnet and the skirt of her worn dress, and putting them on, told her to wait by the fire until she herself returned. In a few moments the silence of the street was broken by a heavenly voice issuing clear and sweet from the throat of the most exquisite ballad singer ever heard on the England boards. From beneath a tattered bonnet, from within a greasy shawl, That unebbing tide of music filled with life the souls of all: And the touch as of a spirit to their flutterd pulses clung, With a strange enchanting rapture, as that ragged woman sung. Arrested by a voice the like of which they had never heard, the workmen paused on their homeward journey to thrust pennies into the singer's hand. Presently the windows of the houses that she passed opened spontaneously, and a stream of silver fell at her feet. For three-quarters of an hour she continued to gather in the money harvest, which included several gold pieces contributed by carriage folk. Then she hurried to the starving widow's side, restored to her the bonnet, shawl, and gown, and poured a flood of money into her lap. The ballad ends: — Not in vain from out her bosom had that music torrent leapt, For beyond her earth-born hearers starcrowned angels smiled and wept; And a solemn utterance floated from our Father's place of rest, Lovers of their fellow-creatures are the beings I love best. Mr. John Sutherland, the chaplain in A Lady of Quality, will be remembered as the Earl in the dramatic version of Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett's first famous story, Little Lord Fauntleroy. This was one of the reasons which prompted Miss Blair to secure his servicesin her company. He portrays the part with a naturalness that has made him popular with the theatergoing public, The Passion Play Of the Passion Play.Chauucey Depew says: "I have seen all the great actors of all countries during the last twentyfive years. Each of them has moments in which the personality of the actor is subordinate to the character and temporarily spoils the play, but in the presentation of the Scripture characters at Oberammergau this fault never occurs. Christ, Judas and Pilate have no equals and have had none on the modern stage. If The Passion Play were presented at the London Lyceum or at any great New York theater it would be sacrilegious beyond toleration. But in the secluded Bavarian village the vast audience is transported to the Judea of the beginning of the Christian era, and swayed by the same emotions, as if they had been witnesses of the infinite love, frightful sacrifice, resurrection and transfiguration which constitute the pain, hope and glory of Christian faith. Indeed, I have never been so much impressed in my life." Miss Marlowe. "Give the lines to me." Without waiting for permission, she declaimed the lines with such feeling and force that even the cast was affected. On the opening night and until the season ended these lines remained in the play, and Miss Marlowe made them one of her most telling successes. "In another scene," according to Mr. Clarke, "the heroine shed real tears — not stage ones — and she went to one of the early rehearsals with a dainty lace handkerchief, prepared to weep. Remember, she was playing the role of a Scotch girl and she was poorly dressed. The handkerchief was an incongruity, and I objected to its use. " 'I haven't anything else to wipe my eyes on,' pleaded the actress, 'except this old shawl.' " 'Use that,' I replied. "She did so, and this touch of naturalism made one of the most pathetic incidents in the play." Thrilling Lines Sated Learys New Hit HThk appearance this fall of Miss * Julia Marlowe as the heroine in the dramatization of Mr. Charles Major's novel, When Knighthood was in Flower, brings prominently to notice the admirable work done by this painstaking actress in the past. Miss Marlowe actually "puts her life into another's life." An illustration of this took place during the first rehearsals of For Bonnie Prince Charlie. Mr. J. r. C. Clarke, the author of the English revision, attended these rehearsals, which were held in Buffalo, and on one occasion he found fault with the way one of the male characters spoke the appeal to the Highland men in the first act, which runs: ' Where is the heart of Olammoris, the heart that was dauntless and leal? On the sea, on the land, in the front of the fray, your blue bonnets ever were seen. Ye fought under Bruce and ye won under Wallace. Ye hungered and thirsted, ye struggled and died, and never a cry from your lips but the cry of the clan and a shout for the flag of your King." "We'll have to cut that out," Mr. Clarke exclaimed in desperation. "It sounds sing-song as he reads it." "Oh, don't cut it out; I like that passage very, very much," interposed I I ERE is a verse that goes with * 1 terrific roars, composed and sung by Tommy Leary, now with The Rays. THE SHAMROCK (air — THE shamrock.) Since 18.il America's won the cup. Kach English boat came after it — We always dip them up. Sir Thomas I.ipton built a boat Of good old Irish stock, He then jumped on the Hlarney stone And called it the Shamrock. Choriti The Shamrock, the Shamrock She came over here, and received a good cheer She was left in the rearNow we've nothing to fear From the beautiful Shamrock of Ireland. cA Theater Party r"\ thing an evening of the last week of The Musketeers at the Alcazar there was a very pleasant occasion, planned and executed by Juliet Crosby. She had a number of young ladies, friends of former school days at Van Ness Seminary, as her guests to witness the play, after which she entertained them at a very enjoyable supper. The Dramatic Review, $3 00 per year. Subscribe for it.