San Francisco dramatic review (1899)

October ii, 1913 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW Correspondence had. been removed from the stage a reception was held and a collation serveil. Charles Frohman devoted the first evening- of the Lyceum Thea- tre's regular sea-son to two new dramas hy i;,HHg-lish pla>^vrio-hts. One of these was no lesk fan-ious than Sir James Matthews Barrie and the other was Stanley Houghton, known to this city as the author of two such diverse productions as Hindle AV'akes and the brutally cynical Fancy Free. The in- tin-iation that Sir James regards the dramatic works of the \ounger writer \J'ith fayor may explain the conjunc- tion of the two works on the san-ie program. Air. Houghton's play is called The Younger Generation, while the new Barrie work is called Half an Hour; although it takes nearly twice that time to act it. Grace George en- tered the service of Mr. Frohn-ian to arssunie the leading role in Half an Hour. Originally . it had been an- ndimced that Blanche Bates would ap- pear in the play, but Miss George was selected after a change was found necessary. Associated with her were H. E. Herbert, Nigel Barry and Stan- ley Drevyitt. The actors who ap- peared in Mr. Houghton's play were Stanley Drewitt, who appeared in Lon- don in the same role he acted last Monday; Ernest Lawford, Rose Beaudet, who' has acquired a dignity which enables her to play the old la- dies with the same ease she once dis- played as a shapely figure in comic op- eras of bygone days; Clinton Preston, -:Katherine MacPherson, Rex Mc- -Dougal, Ida Waterman and Nigel Barry." - Mr.- Houghton's play dealt an-iusingly with the conflict between the ideas and customs of one genera- tion as contrasted with another. It was in the Kcnnion family, living- in more oi- less Victorian comfort on the outskirts of Manchester, that these differences were developed. Opposed to the conservatism of the father and mother is the desire for independence on the part of the children. There is Arthur, for instance, longing for the emancipation that comes with a night key. ■ He is only 21, while Rcg'^ic, still tv.'o years younger, is'planning a life in' the freedom of the colonies. In- ''dependeiice show.s itself also in the determination of the daughter to en- gag herself to marry a young man of her choice. An ally to these domestic rebels is an uncle who arrives from Hamburg and enli.sts on the side of ■^the youthful members of the family, who face an uncompromising trio com- posed of their ])arents and a mai len aunt. Representing the still greater '■austerity of an earlier generation is the iaustere grandmother, -who regards with tragic horror the backslidings of her descendants. Youth of course triumphs. The characters in Mr. Houghton's jilay 4ire well drawn and the more or less hypercritical austerity of a nonconformist family annisingly satirized. It must all have been much more, entertaining in a country to which such tyjjcs are germane. lUit the audience found ample i)leasure in the view of the three generations walk- ,ing ofif, unwillingly in part, to chapel. 'The two sons and the youthful suitor jare natural characters, while the ^troubled father was equally lifelike. ■Ida, Waterman as the scandalized grandn-iother was good, but it may be that the author contrives to establish ■an atiaospherje of agrecaJ)le satire and ■junior. J. M. Barrie's one-act play, 1 ialf an Hour, v.as in three scenes. The first showed a rich bounler, realistically j)layed by 11. E. Herbert, mauling- his aristocratic wife, who had disi)leased him and was receiving her customary disci])line. He taunted her with remaining faitliful to him because she always .^loijijed "where her bread was best buttered." At last, however, she rebelled, and leaving a note along \\-ith her jewels in his desk drawer, ran away to join a young engineer, who was to carry her ofY to Egypt. The second scene was in his rooms. I Searching for a cab to carry him and 'her to the railroad station this young ;lover "with the ball at his feet" has ibeen killed by a motor bus. A physi- Ician enters the house with the body 'and njeets the woman he at first takes ,to be the wife of the dead man lying ;in another room. He thereupon pro- 'ceeds to bullyrag her as if she were a jmurderess. The third scene returns to the drawing room of the unhappy married couple. Guescs are expected for dinner. One of them is the doc- tor. Previously the husband has found the jewelry, but not the letters in his desk. The wife is late. The physician, who had never seen her be- fore, recognizes the won-ian in the dead i-nan's chambers. He does not betray her. The suspicion of the hus- band and the guests is aroused by the suggestion that bolting wives leave their jewels behind and the doctor's story of a woman he met in the dead man's rooms. But the wife is not dis- covered. She even has the opportunity to destroy the letter she left behind. The little play is interesting. Grace George played the lighter .scenes of the tragedy brilliantly, and v/as ap- pealingly human and pathetic in what followed. Ruth Boyce played an ad- miring maid with irresistable natural- ness. The two ]:)lays make an uncom- monly delightful entertainment. GAVIN D. HIGH. PORTLAND, Oct. 6.—Heilig.The- atre (Calvin Heilig, mgr.; W. T. Pangle, res. n-igr.)—Kitty Gordon, in The Enchantress, was heartily wel- comed Thursday evening on her initial appearance in Portland. The oper- etta abounds with charming melodies, and Miss Gordon has a ])leasing sex-. l)rano voice. She is su])])orted with a cast headed l)y Arthur Forrest, who ably assists the star. Kitty Gordon is a most beautiful and satisfying ac- tress, and .\rthur i^'orrest, as the ])rince, disjjlays a chnrn-iing tenor voice. Miss (inrdon also displays some gorgeous gowns. Ouo \'adis, the masterpiece of I'iblical and his- torical romance, literally ])acked this theatre last evening, and vociferous ai)plause welcomed tlu' films. Nero, the vain, haughty and cruel emperor of the Romans, Tigellinus, Petronius, Binitius, Ursus, Peter, the Apostle and others, are unfolded by a group of talented Italian players that in filni form bring as living pictures the his- tory of dead ages. The ])ictures were made in Rome. The barbaric civili- zati(3n and culture of Rome, the cus- toms and conventions which make modern modes of life pale into in- significance, the burning of Rome, tlie vivid gladiatorial combats and the decay of ])agan Rome, and the rise of Chri.stianity, arc told in unrelenting de- tail by the Klcine films. (Juo \ adis will be the attraction all this week and will l)e followed by i)ictures of the I'endleton Round-up for four nights and afternoons. Baker Theatre (Geo. L. Baker, m^r.; Milton Seaman, bus. The Butler-Nelke Academy of Dramatic Arts Now lociUeil ill Golden Gatt; Commanilcrv IlaU, 21.37 Sutter St. Most complete aiui thorousrlily equipped dramatic school on the Pacific Coa.st. Cour.ses in Dramatic Art. Voice Development. -Vocal Expression, Pan- tomime, Literature, French. Dancins. Fen- cing and Make-up. .Vinatcin- clubs re- hearsed; entertaimn. iils fui nisiii. 1. .Send for catalog. Miiiaiu .Xrliu-. dir.. iiir; Fred J. Butler, princijial (stage directur ..Vlcazar TbeatriO mgr.)—Blanche Bates' highly success- ful comedy. Nobody's Widow, one of the cleverest farces of modern times, is the current ofifering. Dorothy Shoe- maker is an adorable v/idow and is thoroughly at home in the part as she was ]\Iiss Bates' understudy at the time she was making such a success in this i)art. Miss Shoemaker is bewitch- ing in the role, is gorgeously dressed, and displays a skill and grace that fairly carries the audience away. The play tells the story of a girl who, traveling abroad, marries an Engli.sh lord on a sudden impulse, and then discovers him kissing another girl on the very day of their wedding. She leaves him and writes her friends that he died rather than let them know the truth. Later she returns to America and goes to the home of her frien 1, Iktty Jackson to spend a week. Here she meets her husband, who starts to win her back. The situations are ex- tremely amusing and laughs follow each other in rapid .succession. Mary Edgett Baker has a great opportunity to display her talents as a comedienne, which she does and scores a positive trium])h. Louis Leon Hall, as the husband wdio v>'oes and wins his wife all over again, is handsome and charm- ing. Edward H. Woadruff is so much like certain ])eo])le on? meets at htnise i)arties that one like.s him im- mediately, l^orette Wells, llelva Morrell, Raymond, Wells, James 1 jes- ter and Nancy Duncan all contriljute to a n-iost ])leasing- offering. Coming, The Dee]) Pur]ile. Lyric Theatre ( Keating & i'dood, mgrs. )—The Ra- jah, with an excellent cast an 1 a large chorus of ])retty girls and graceful dancers, is the current offering. It is brimful of music and mirth and will doubtless anuise large atidiences. < )r- ])heuni Theatre (John Coffinherry, mgr.)—Has.sard Short's Dance Rev eries, Nellie V. Nichols, Rosaling Coghlan, I'rown and .\ewman. Mack and Orth, I'our Athletes and Heuman 'iVio. I'.mpress Theatre ( 11. W. Pier- ong, u'gr.) —Who Was He?, .\'ina Payne, The Village Chtdr. Kelly and Galvin, Sehreck and Percival, and rJerard. Pantages Tlieatre (John fohnson, mgr. )l—Twelve .\meen .Xbou llamid Cyclonic .\rabs, .\ndersi.n and (ioines, Jose Melcno & Co.. .Moore. Davey and Fifi, De Voie Trio. .Mliston and Trucco. .\. W. W. \\'lLLOWS. Sei)t. _'(;. —Willows ()])era I i nise o])ened for tlie season Se])tember 22(1 with the Claman .Amusement Company. The com])any played a week's engagement to good business. The Gladstone Company GOLDSTEINS CO. COSTUMERS Goldstein's Hair .. , aii<l Wig Store. .■.Take-up. Play Rooks. Kstahlished 1S7G Lincoln Building, Market and Fifth Sts. C. L. Richards Presenting the Princess Stock Co. Second Big Year Princess Theatre, Tacoma, Wash. MrKl^.?pio^ 103 W. 13th Street. N. Y. Meyer's New Style Paint lOc Extra Large Size 25c New Style Liners " lOc " Blending Powder >^lb. cans 25c Cold Oream, 1-lb. and lb. cans 50 and 30 Burnt Cork 20 and 30 Grenadine. Lip Rouge 25 No.se Putty (always soft). 20 Clown Wliite (never gets hard) 15 and 25 Black Wax 20 White Wax 20 Black Knamel 20 Broadway Rouge, Lt. and D 25 Mascaro, all colors 2.5 Mascarillo, all colors 50 Spirit Gum, with brush... 15 Blanc de I>erl Liquid Face Powder 50 I.,iqnid Rouge 25 Blue Paint, Finest and Best 25 Eyebrow Paint, Black and Brown 25 Amateur Make-up Box.... 50 Ladies' Beauty Box 75 Crayons, in metal cases, all colors 10 Rose Bud. Lip Stick (gold case) 50 Meyer's Rouge de Theatre (5 shades) 20 EXOBA Face Powder, white. Flesh, Pink. HruTie te 50 Cream. A\ lii(o. Flesh. F'ink, l!ruriclt(? 50 Cheek Bouere (darkest ma le I 50 Iii" Bonere (light, medium anil dark) 5ii Cerate (skin food) 50 Shampoo 50 Balm ■ 75 Biilliantine 50 Bousre de Paris 50 II' >.nil- d.ali-r will not supply you, we will and pa\' all charges to you, on vi c ript Id" |irice. Meyer's Make-Up Guaranteed best made opened the 2<^tli for the week and are pleasing our theatregoers. They are an excellent little company of six peo- ])le. Manager 1 iarbour would be pleased to hear from similar attrac- tions, 'idle Opera House will run pic- tures I'riday, .Saturday and Sunday and will book independent acts in conjunction, providing they can give good reference. .\ll letters addressed. Manager J. Harbour, Willows Op- era 1 louse. The Miliiurn Kenworthy Players are ])laying in Canon City, Ccjiorado. 'idle comi)any will soon head coast- ward.