The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-19
THE THEATERS.
Old Friends With Some New Faces
at All the Houses.
" Mr. Wiikinson's Widows" Not Grown seedy
Captain Swift" "A Texas Steer"
George 0sbourne's Reception.

There was nothing new In the openings
of the week. "Mr. WikinSon's Widows" is
continued at the Baldwin, and at the other
houses revival Of we'll known pieces was
the rule. For the most part the attendance
was good and the audiences seemed quite as
well pleased to meet an old dramatic
acquaintance with a few new faces in the
cast as if they had been introduced to an
entire stranger. What blessing this easy
going disposition Of the San francisco pub
lie must be to the sO-caled managers" of
our theaters! Like tile barrelful of
sermons some divihes are said to have, the
manager may be in possession of the same
number OF plays, and as the preacher does
with his theological material, so they re-
verse the package of dramas periodically,
playing them through and through and up
side down, confident in the exhaustIess
patience Of their auditors, and certain that
the receipts at the bOX-ofiice will meet all
expenses, with something TO boot in the
way of profit.
MT. Wnkinson's widows"
Opened its second wesk with the same
average attendance that marked the first
of its production. 1t is the cleverest, as a
comedy. of anything now before the public,
and it is surprising that this fact is not
more generally recognized. The acting of
MIR. Joseph Holland as Mr.. Percival Perrin,
and that of Miss George Drew Barrymore as
wife, is brilliant This lady won her stage
laurels long before she WAS met and
WOoed by the dashng Englshman, Barry
more. She may be said to have been nur-
tured on the stage. of which her illustrous
m other, Mis-. John Drew, is such q bright
ornament. One can see traces of the moth
ers method all through the daughters
manner in the finish and complete convey
ance to the auditors intelligence Of the idea
with which the actress IS dealing Her
powers as a coincidence ought certainly TO
afford pleasure to all who have heard or
read of her This comedy will be continued
for the week, and Frohman's players will
be succeeded by
MISS MINNA X. GALE,
Who is said to be a remarkably good Juliet.
We knew she was a beautiful woman and
finished artistic, but her personality has
heretofore been sub0rdinated to the domiu-
ating influences of the two famous actors
she has supported. Even to those who had
seen her often before she was revelation
last night. Her conception of the character
is in accordance with the best studies and
conventional only as it agrees with the
highest standards Miss Gale has rare in
teligence, facile sympathy, unaffected ease
of the vibrant intensity Of BernhaTdt with
delicate quality of pure girlishueSs and
ingenious ardnr. She is said to be the best
Juliet since Adelaide Nelson.
The Hoyt Farce Comedy,
"A Texas Steer" crowded the New Cali
fornla to its utmost capacity, aud it was
played for all it was worth. Considering"
said its ingenious author, who was standing
by with every sign of q pleased aud pros
porous man, THAT this is the Steers second
visit, and times are represented as dull and
money slow in San Francisco. have every
reason 20 be satisfied" And then he beamed
on those who congratulated him, and adjusted
his black silk handkerchief more gracefully
in its resting place on his fashionable
low-cut vest. Hoyt dresses we'll His even
ing suit was point-deyiee-as neatly finished
as the play he had invited the public to see
once more. We noticed, too, that with
characteristic pessimism he had been at
work on the steer" since he first presented
it here and had made some alterations for
the better. Hoyt is peculiar in this re-
spect. He Is never satisfied with his
work, and lie is right in this respect
because his plays will suffer by crys-
Utilization. They are current in their ma
ture and must be kept abreast of the
times, political or other, which the author