The morning call., 1894-05-15
AT THE THEATERS
Robson's Adaptation of
COMEDY of Errors"
William Emerson Makes a Hit at the
CaIifornia-Sandow's Dumbbell.
"Kidnaped''-"Clover."
MIR. Stuart Robson and company opened

MIR. Stuart Robson and company opened
an engagement at the Baldwin last even
ing with his favorite adaptation of
Shakespeare's 1.-The Comedy of Errors" I"
we'll staged and adequately mounted in
regard to scenery and costume Great
care has been taken in all these respects
and evidently a good deal of study be-
slowed to make the different situations
consistent and realistic. We would advise
those who wish to thoroughly enjoy this
mad play growing outO OF mistaken Identity
to read the Shakespearean comedy. They
will by this means be the better enabled
to follow the intricacies of the stage pro-
duction and gain more perfect apprecla-
ton of the wonderfully constructive
skill of its author. Mr.. Robson in his
arrangement has retained the principal
features, taking great pains 10 preserve
the comic business of the two DromiOs as
closely as possible without impairing the
position in the evolution denOuement of The
Ephssien merchant as we'll as his twin
brother of Syracuse. Antipholus of
Ephesus was neatly played by John j.
Farrell, and his Syracusan brother quite
as we'll by Mr.. W. II. Elwood. The ladies'
of the cast were in splendid presence.
Mrs. Robson as Adriana. wife of Anti
pholus of Ephesus, mas developed into
Juno-like woman with bearing of classic
gracefulness, and her sister, Luciano
(Grace Fraoklyn Lynch. was pretty
companion fgure-not OF the same pro-
portions. it is true. but quite as neat in
action and as clearly fluent in speech.
These ladies adorned the stage whenever
they appeared on it. The persOnatiOn of
Pbryne, a woman of Ephesus Miss Ca
mile CampbelD was marred by slight
indistinctness OF utterance.
The two Dromios-ths Syr2cusan by
Mr.. Robson and the Ephesian by Mr.
}. l.. Wooderson were counterparts
that result; the lack OF complete similar
ity was in the veice. Wooderson could
not master the RObsonian squeak nor that
peculiar vocal click, which is hall
chuckle. The squeak and the click are
Mr. RObson's dramatic trademarks, and
while his alter ego may twin him IN other
respects he cannot in these. The two
made a great deal of fun, however. but ii
Is dollars to cents that many people in the
audience got twisted up in it, and this is
the reason why a reading of the printed
comedy is advised before seeing the acted
adaptation
When Billy Emerson. the "prince OF
omedians," as he is dubbed on the pro-
<
fOrnia Theater last night mighty sound
of applause went up. Twenty years ago
he was prime favorite here as minstrel.
for many a season he drew crowds to the
old Standard, when he and Charlie Reed,
now deceased, put on bits of delightful
nonsense, ana now 1t seems that ths fas-
cinating power that he has always had in
the wrlggie of his leg and the dainty
tip OF his hat is not in the
least diminished. Last night. when
he sang "Could l Only Back the Winner"
the sporting element of the audience SYM
pathiZed. In "Maheney's Fourth of July"
patriotism was everywhere manifest. and
when he gave his italian opera work u
stamp went up in the gallery and applause
came from the dress circle. Then he had
to make a speech. and the audience felt
like singing 'Auld Lang Syne." Frisco
always did like Emerson, and be is as go cd
as ever. The rest of the Programme of
fered by Mr. Hopkins and his specially
company is even better than last weeks.
Pepita, with her new French cos umes and
bewilderiDg mirror and light effects made
a happy hit, while Will H. Fox in his Pa
dere wskian limitations created much merri-
ment. better variety show than that
now offered at the California has seldom
been seen at that theater.
A very good audience listened to the
pretty bits of music in Suppe's Glover"
at the Tivoli last evening. Oracle Plaisted
was suddenly taken ill and at a very short
notice Alice Nelson took her part, and
mos: acceptably. The resources of the
Tivoi are apparently inexhaustible, and
in any emergency capable unGerstudy
may be found.
Young Mr.. Ziegfeld, Sandow's manager,
continued the series of performances of
that marvellous athlete at Stockwell's last
evening. His faith in the drawing pow wers
of his attraction was well founded, for the
house was we'll filed. For variation In
his bill the disciple of Hercules lifted a
dunn bbell. either end Of which had a
diameter of over two feet, and did not look
as though it were built of iron. When
sufficiently elevated two attendants made
a lab at the middle of the balls, v hich
opened and therefrom arose two young
men, smiling and happy. ln his Roman
column" instead OF otraisiDg pair OF weights
from the floor, he leaned over backward
and grasped two of his attendants by the
place where their pants were pressed and
conveyed them up into the atmosphere.
The rest of the programme included Elsla
Adair, who did some new dances; Carrie
Northey- Roma. who sang some new songs,
and the Levinos, who sang some songs and
drew some pictures. An apparently im-
promptu verse about Adolph Sutro and
his endeavor to reduce the rate to the
beach to cents, sung by Miss Levine,
while Mr.. Levine drew picture of the
seal proprietor, brought down the house.
On Saturday special rate will be made
for schoolchildren who want to see to what
an extent muscles can be cultivated. and
admission to all parts of the house will be
% cents.
kidnapped" by D. K. Higgins. was
produced at Moroseo's Grand Opera house
last evening, with the author in the prin-
opal role. The piece is splendidly staged,
The company is competent. and the large
audience present manifested its approval
frequently. Morocco IL making a success
of his new venture. and deservedly so.