Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-23
FROM FRISCO.
THEATRICAL EVENTS OF THE
PAST WEEK NOTED.
Grismer and Davies in Fernclif-First
Nighters at the Baldwin-Notes ana
Newsles.
SAN FRANcIsco, August 81, 1891.

and Phoebe Davies's season at the Bush
street. They are great favorites in San
Francisco-they are all over the coast
for that matter-and large audiences
have assembled every night to see them
in their latest production, William
Haunth's comedy drama, Ferncliff. The
play is essentially domestic in its ma
ture, with touch OF the melodramatic,
however, and while it is not great
play and does not rank very high from
literary standpoint, it is still strong
and effective. The story, briefly told,
is of two men loving the same woman.
One wins her and the other resolves
upon getting even. The action of the
play is supposed to take place in Rhode
Island at the time of the late civil war.
The young husband is drafted and his
brother'enters the army as his substi-
tute. Some time after the rejected lover
brings to him the news of his brothers
desertion. 1t is a lie, but the young
man enters the army to wipe out the
disgrace. Months lengthen into years
and the wife hears nothing from her
husband. Her former lover is kind to
her and keeps her and hers from want.
Out Of gratitude to him and to provide
shelter for her loved ones, she
promises to marry him. On the very
evening OF the wedding the husband
and brother return, the former having
been-a prisoner of war all the time. The
villain is checkmated and everybody is
happy. Mr.. Grismer. as the husband,
does the strongest work L have ever
seen him do. 1t is even and thorough,
and evinces his usual painstaking care.
He reaches real power in the scene
where the husband returns, worn
with illness and long impris-
onment, and learns that his
wife is being married to another. Phoebe
Davies plays the wife with sweetness
and strength. In my humble opinion
she is one of the best emotional act.
resses ON the stage today, full of power
and magnetism, and, what is somewhat
rare in the case of emotional actresses,
charm. Edgar Weir is back with the
company again and plays disagreeable
role, the villain, with discretion and
taste. Scott Cooper plays an old man
well, and Arthur Livingston, new ac-
QUESTION to the company, handles a
light comedy role in very clever fashion.
He will be a favorite in Los Angeles when
the company goes there. The piece is
we'll staged, the scene of the second and
third acts representing the interior of
an old colonial farm house, with broad
fire place, tall clock and other old-fash-
ioned heirlooms. | think Ferncliff is
destined to please the people on the
coast. 1t is very attractive perform
ance.
The audience the opening night of AL
ALBANIA was somewhat cold, as Baldwin
frst-night audiences often are. The cus-
tom obtains at the Baldwin of selling at
auction at the beginning of every seas
on the choice of seats Tor first nights
for the entire year. This results in the
audiences at the premires at this theater
being largely composed of wealthy and
blase or would-be blase patrons of the
drama, who consider it beneath them to
manifest their pleasure by any audible
demonstration. And as noted
above even the beauties of
Alabama failed to wholly thaw
out the frosty atmosphere. 1t was new
experience for the members OF the COM
pany they could not understand it. 1t
is true that each and every one of them
received cordial reception at his first
entrance, the round of applause which
greeted Mr.. Stoddart continuing for fully
three minutes, but the play was not re-
ceived with the warmth which it de-
served. So member OF the company
asked me after the performance, "What
was the matter? Didn't they like it?"
70
words of praise spoken as the audience
filed out and so assured them that the
people did like it. But the company
was dubious. That the people did like
it is proved by reports from the box
Office. Alabama, for its first week,
played to one of the largest weeks busi-
ness in the history of the theater.
Twelve thousand and four hundred odd
dollars is what the people of this city
paid in one week to see Thomas's beau
tiful idyl, and business still holds up.
xxx
Nearly everybody has seen, admired
and loved MT. j. B. Stoddart in one
play or another. In Alabama he is an
old southern gentleman, gentleman OF
rare courtesy and kindliness. Bitter
against the north, which has taken
nearly everything from him, he is yet
too courteous and hospitable to let that
bitterness be seen by the men OF the
north. In the end his prejudices are
melted away and naught but his kindli-
ness remains. That is the character of
the play, character that Mr..
Stoddart makes real. 1t is impossible
to imagine anyone else in the part.
There is no actor living who can play
such parts as Mr.. Stoddart can. Kindly
and courteous himself as few men are,
he imbues his characterizations with the
same lovable traits. Charles L. Harris,
the big man whom you will remember
in Los Angeles as member of Miss
Maddern's company, makes a Coosa
county justice seem thing OF life. 1t
is one OF the most artistic and humor-
ously quaint impersonations I have
ever seen. E. M. Holland, whose Cap
tain Redwood in Jim the Penman, you
will remember, plays Southern colonel.
a relic OF the confederacy, and repre-
sentation of the chivalric type: ''Mis-
tress Page, I kiss your hand" A
delightful character delightfully."- played.
Maurice Barrymore plays Northern
railroad man, who turns out to be a son
of the old man, played by Mr.. Stoddart.
He is always good, as is Edward Bell,
who plays a young lover. Renl. Wax
renders an artistic character study OF an
old colored servant; Walden Ramsay