The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-20
AT THE THEATERS.
The Insanity Play Draws
at the StoCkWell.
Mikado" Crowds the 1iyoIi-The
Grove Presents ga Man of the
People THE National.

Inherited" Miss Changers own play,
was presented at the Stockwell last evening
to a good attendance. The story is alb
sorbing, the dialogue more than clever, the
wit Keen. A bright comedy vein through
out seems to lift the pail usually cast upon
such plays where the heroine is continually
on The dark side of nature. The situations
are strong. and the characterizations ac-
curate, sharp and consistent. The story is
Interesting, intensely so.
A lovely young woman loving and loved IS
confronted on the eve Of her engagement with
warning from her dead father In tile shape of
sealed letter, held In trust for her by her
guardian. announcing TO her that she must
never marry, from the fact that her moih her had
died IN an asylum and insanity was hereditary.
Love stronger than all warnings ptompts her TO
brave the curse and marry her lover, who
Swears to care for her no matter what happens
The terrible curse descends and she becomes
insane. AT first mildly insane she Is
suffered to remain al home under watch
ful care OF loving husband and frIenQs,
but soon becoming violently MAD. coniin ment
In an asylum Is finally enforced. For five years
the poor mad wife IL confined in tue asylum
and her case pronounced incurabie For the
mere SAKE OF providing for his little daughter a
mother. the heartbrOken husband, thr ough act
OF Parliament, annuls his marriage with his in
sane wife and matries her foster-sister aud
friend. On the very day OF this wedding the
asylum is burned and the mad wife. escaping
md din and confusion, is restored TO reason.
She fees from the burning building aud finds
berset In her own home; discovers her little
girl and through the medium OF her own pie
ture In the chlld's locket recognizes her own
Guild. AT this moment home returning
comes the bridal party, and the climax reached
upon the entrance OF the husband with his
newly made wife and the meeting is most
powerful. Helen Carruthers, tie woman re-
stored 10 reason. repels her husband, claims
her child and goes out upon the world alone.
In the last act is shown The abode of the mother
10 oil Ehn "a
piescri bes most powerful drug, poisonous II
given an overdose. The Effect upon the child
Is TO induce comatose state and the mother
mistaking 1t for death in the strain feels the
return OF the terrible Insanity and despalrlngIy
swallows the rest OF the drug.
In the cast Miss Maude Granger, as
Helen Carruthers, the insane mother
(ward OF DIR. RaymOrd) gave fine study
OF MIND diseased and held the audience
by it. Ii IS not play to amuSe one, but
1t is Just as well to see it as an Incident in
human life. Ii is the sorrowful side of
existence, and we may ask ourselves while
witnessing IL whether it is good policy,
from managerial standpoint, to pre-
sent it,
Old plays have their uses. They live In
the memory, and when revived find
ready response from the public. This was
the case with 1.-THE Mikado" at the Tivoli
last evening. One would suppose a cor
poraps guard only would have been pres
ent at the presentation of this Gilbert s.
Sullivan chestnut. On the contrary, the
house was crowded, and the laughter and
applause called forth from the audience
was such as might have been expected
from a bright novelty, never before wit
messed in San Francisco.
1t is curious fact that old pieces put
on as stop-gaps at the Tivoli-as 1.-THE
Mlkado" IS previous TO the presentation of
n ~ 70 n,
better than the unknown" that is to
come after. OF course 'he company that
dealt with 'Ths Mikado" were we'll up in
their respective parts. and each went into