The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-12
10 Important Changes at the Play.
H0lsGs This Week.
WAITING FOR CHAMBERS "IDLER."
The Twelve Temptations Draws Young
San Francisco Like Moths to an Ilcal-
descent MeStYer'S "GraD-Bag" Plays to
Increasing Attendance at The BQSh-GTaCie
Plai8ted-ThG ThQrSby COlCGTt-NeW
Oriental Opera Company Due at the Or
Dhalm-F0Teigl and Domestic Notes.
Promised at the Baldwin.

~ Promised at the Baldwin.
THE Charity Ball." which floats like a
cork on the surface of public regard, will
be continued all the present week. 1t has
drawn well. The audience appear to he quite
willing to forgive De Miles literary larcen-
les, because of the neat and Ingenious way
in which w. j. LIE Moyne, Mrs Walcot, and
the rest of the company, who stand in the
light of receivers, handle the stolen goods
Next Monday week is the time set for the
production here of the new society play,
"The Iiler," by c. Haddon Chambers,
who wrote Captain Swift. of Australian
interest, and who is himself of Australian
rearing. Some of the most mar ked contri-
buttons to English literature seem 10 come
from the British possessions in the other
hemisphere. We have Rudyard Kipling in
India. and HaddOn Chambers in Australia
whose stage writings have caught the at
tention of the world as quickly as a ''cooey"
catches the ear of a Wanderer in one of his
own gum-tree forests. This play ran the
major portion of the past season at the Ly-
ceum Theater, New York, and is said to
call for stronger dramatic work than any
Aanand yet made upon the Lyceum Conn
pany. We are pleased at this, because it
Will give our fayorite players an Opportun-
ity TO rise to the occasion, and which they
will be sure to do.
OLD HEADS AND YOUNG HEARTS,"
Being through with Chambers the company
on Monday, the 9th, will come to Bouci-.
cault and his exquisite "Old Heads and
Young Hearts" which must always remain
a standard English comedy, even if the same
liberties be taken with il that Lan9try and
others OF her kind took with GoldSmith's
she Stops to Conquer" and Tom Taylor's
Unequal Match" in cutting and fitting
their amplitude of word and action TO the
measure of the dwarfed hiStriOnic ability the
Vandals possessed. The jesse Rural in tue
cast OF this play has been the test of al the
best actors on the English stage In this
couniTy-Chippendale, Blake, Placide, John
i. Scott Charles Fisher and others of that
class. Mr.. Lemoyne will assume this exact
ing character when the play is produced at
the Baldwin, and where the company will
give II as they DID at the home theater for
- the first time in the United States. dressed
- IN the correct costumes Of the period, about
1914
COMEDY AND OLD FAvoRITES.
The fifth and last week of the Lyceum
Company will introduce "Nerois," new
work by COmynS Carr, in which all the
members OF the cast appear IN comedy parts.
xviii be contrast to their usual work
was such an one, in fact, in New York
when the piece was brought out. that it
created quite sensation among the blase
theaicr-goers of the metropolis. With one
or TWO performances of The Wife" and
sweet lavender. the great success OF
New York Lyceum Theater Company will
close the engagement
Alabama" New Departure.
The Book-Buyer of a recent date contains
several paragraphs concerning a theory of
Mr.. Howells to the effect that in the drama
as in literature the hero and the heroine in
VOWED in an intricate plot has become old
fashioned nonsense; that the former So
called principles of construction are defunct
~and that literary taste is being substituted
for dramatic one. Perhaps he is right
3 ut il would seem, from the friendly but
moderate temper with which Mr.. Howells'
play, "a FOregone Conclusion" was re-
ceiVed by New York audience and by the
critics, that his theory is a triae extreme or
else little premature. He has, perhaps,
mistaken what is in reality a period Of
transition for an inaugurated revolution; a
modification Of public taste for a change.
The Book-Buyer says, in conclusion, that
"Aiabama," the new American play that
has won such immediate popularity in
New York, is an illustration of the same
theory that underlies Mr.. Howells' play.
There seems a slight discrepancy here, for
Alabama" has done what "a Foregone
Conclusion" failed 10 do.
AND WHY?
A gentleman who has seen both plays
says that Alabama is leading to the cuI-
minatiOn that "a Foregone Conclusion" has
attempted to force. The author of ala
bama," while recognizing the incpient
lAsrary tendency of the public taste, has
VT not ignored the waning dramatic de-
sire, and by joining hands with these two
forces he has produced an effect that is sur
prising. He has shown that the public
can be coBtented with simple things, but
the simple things must be served invitingly
and not forced upon them by the recon-
mendati0n of a theory which says, This
is good for you" They are pleased with
details which carry them along in the de-
velOpment of character III which they are
interested, as a mathematician is delighted
with the almost imperceptible steps by
which a faVorlte problem is demonstrated.
They Will listen TO a conversation about
Madeira vines and the consequent bugs not
as pastoral record, not because the held
up-tO-nature mirror would reveal such sim
plirity as a fact, but because it shows the
artlessneSs OF all old Squire who has pre-
viously touched a sympathetic note by his
dialect.
MAKES AN ANTI-CLIMAX FIT.
Mr.. Thomas has demonstrated also the
great fertility of American soil for Ameri-
can characters and themes ano American
interest in them, 1t is this which elected
from the NeW York Times the statement
that Mr. Thomas is more nearly the ideal
American playwright than any man now
AElAlH5 1UI lut Stage, bronson
Howard not excepted" Another element
Of surprise in Alabama" is the refreshing
lawlessneSs with which the author cultivatss
the hitherto reprehensible anti-climax.
The last three acts of his play close with
- what may be called the under-tow of a
dramatic breaker. This, too, is true to ma
ture. A man is killed. Your interest
ceases only with the arrest of the murderer.
a man is hurt Your heart becomes quiet
when the ambulance has carried him
away.
The atmosphere Of peace which pervades
Alabama" nhe author appears to have
carried into his play what its name i'm
parts, Here we rest') has been spoken of.
1t is only another link in the evidence of
transition of public taste. Nowadays the
theater-goer does not always frequent the
playhouse 10 have his emotions deeply
stirred, his brain excited or his disabilities
Hinduly provoked. He is sometimes willing
TO 90 for what may be termed intellectual
rest" Taken all in all, the accounts we
hear of Alabama" it is bursting with
promise.
MI. Lewis Morrison
VIII resume his performance Of Mephisto
in Faust" at the Alcazar tomorrow even
ing, supported by the same company that
lent their aid during his week at the New
California. This engagement will give Mr..
Frederic Bryton- leading man of the