Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-02

hIlutTSOn Qe wolfe. THE SOCleLV
amateur" There has been talk OF it for
year past, and now she has signed a
| contract to appear with Charles Froh-
mans company. She is in Paris, where
she devotes herself assiduously to
preparation for work which she has
| undertaken to do. Unlike Mrs. James
! the recognized leader of the Society of
not seem to entertain any foolish dream
Of becoming a great star Immediately.
'She is fully cognizant OF the hard
work that lies before her." says a
| friend, land she does not speculate
upon public curiosity, but seeks appro-
baton simply upon her merits" Man
ager Frohman has assigned her to the
leading female role in Sardou's Thermi-
| dor, for its production at the Twenty
| third street theater, and besides gen.
eral training for the stage by Partisan
teachers, she has had the assistance of
| Mile. Bartet and M Marais, leading
actress and actor of the Theater Fran
cais, who played the principal parts in
the original French production of the
play. Sardou himself became interested
in her, and he advised her helpfully in
her studies. She was enabled to secure
such a schooling thi ough friends of her
father, the late DR.. Stephen de Wolfe.
They provided the money which
maintained her in Paris for a
year. She processes earnestness
in going on the professional stage,
and she takes the steps for the avowed
purpose of supporting herself AMI her
mother. After her fathers death the fam
lily was left without any great estate. al
though they had lived we'll in fashion
able circle of society. She thereupon
went with her mother to Paris, about
year ago, to study under French dra-
matte masters; and Charles Frohman,
deeming her desirable recruit, en-
gagged her for his forces. Miss de Wolfe
has figured conspicuously as an amateur
actress during the past five years. Her
first appearance was in the White Mil
liner, at the London Criterion, and one
OF early and often repeated performances
in this city was as Lady Clara Seymour,
in A Cup of Tea, at the old University
Club theater. She came into
high favor with modisn audi
ences, and played Lady Teazle
in The School for Scandal, Helen in
The Hunchback, and Lady Bloomfield
in Drifted Apart. Perhaps her most
ambitious essay was in Contrasts,
translation by Elizabeth Marbury from
the French, which was given by a
mixed cast of amateur and professional
actors. In person she is a pronounced
brunette, with bright, intelligent tace,
and comely figure. Her chief charm
lies in a well-modulated voice. In the
matter of dress she displays excellent
taste and much originality, many of her
elaborate costumes having been devised
by herself. Butshe is now to be Judged
by more severe standards than hitherto,
and the test OF her ability will be one
OF the interesting features of Thermidor
as we shall get it.--New York World.
Miss De Wolf will be with the original
company. that is to present Thermidor
at the Grand in this city next May.
SAN FRANCISCO NEWS.
Correspondence to the HERALD
For the double purpose of showing the
versatility OF the company and OF giving
pleasure to the lovers OF old comedy,
that sterling old play of Boncicault's
Old Heads and Young Hearts, was given
by the Lyceum company at the Baldwin
on the first three evenings of this week.
Old Hands and Young Hearts is not
very familiar to modern theater goers in
general, and only moderately so to those
of New York and Boston, who have been
favored with periodic revivals OF
the old comedies. But those
who knew the theater of generation
ago know it we'll and love it, too. It was
favorite then, and deservedly, for it
was one of the best of its school, and one
of the best, if not the best, play that
most prolific of playwrights ever COM
posed. 1t seems strange when you think
that the author of this play, which car
ries us 80 far back, who, when he wrote
it, was writing of his own times, was
living, writing and acting amongst us,
still almost in his prime, only few
short months ago. Old Heads and
Young Hearts was first produced in
1874, in London, and the action of the
play is supposed to take place about the
year 1885.
There is one word which Just de-
scribes the production by the Lyceum
company. It was charming. 1t was
also delightful, sprightly, novel, and a
compendium of agreeable adjectives
may be drawn upon for the rest. Not
that the work Of the company was fault
less, but when one enjoys performance
very much he need not look for faults
unless he has to, and it would be a
graceless task to seek for the flaws in
| this production. There is one impor-
tant innovation made. 1t has been GUS
! tomary to dress the characters OF the
play in modern costume. The Lyceum
company gave it its first presentation in
this country in the dress of the proper
period, that is, of about 1885. There
has been some difference of opinion as
to the wisdom of their course, but
/ in my humble opinion it is the
right and proper thing to. The speech
and manners of the play are those of a
bygone day, and with the dress OF the
! present seems inharmonious. The
speech and manners OF every age have
been characteristic and in accord with
their age. Anachronisms do not exist
until history has been made. But aside
from the question of historical accuracy
and fitness, the result is pleasing.
The lines of the comedy are quaint, the
doings are quaint, and the dresses are
quaint, and clever quaintness is always
delightful. Imagine Kelcey and Wheat
croft in stock and aowered
waistcoats, with brass buttoned
swallowtail, and trousers strapped
to the foot, and imagine Georgia
Cayvan in crinoline. But it is not the
| aggressive type of crinoline, and though