The morning call., 1894-10-16
AT THE THEATERS.
kremer's Play "Church
and Stage.
Success of "O'NeiIl, Washington,
ID. C.'-GEeason in the "Messen-
ger From Jarvis Section

Theodore KIemer's "Cburch and Stage"
created sufficient interest in the COM
munity to fill the Bush-street Theater last
night. The object OF the piece, according
to the author, is to realize Cardinal Man
ning's remark that, ''If the church and
stage worked hand III hand it would
strengthen the one and purify the other" "
But this laudable purpose will never be
accomplished by the peculiar dramatic
method Mr.. Kreuer has adopted. Such
presentation as he made of representative
people Of both professions could only tend
TO widen The chasm between them to an
unbridgeabIe extent. His church digni-
taries, as well as the society ladies intro
duced. are beneath contempt. The church
rector Charles Thorn on, father of AL
bana; The cuTate. Prescott. played by the
author; the archbi hop. Tandy, by j. j.
Sanbrook. and the rabbi, David, by
George BOSwOrth. have no existence what
ever in real life. The rector is without COM
mon sense, the curdte IS a rake VINO Is
gathering the result of wild oats seeded
In his youthful days, The archbishop
a nondescript, who apparently houses
with the rector; the rabbi, in his makeup
and acting, is an insult to ordinary lntelll-
gence The construction of The piece Is
faulty in the extreme, and the leading mo.
tive strikes one as having been taken from
"Magda" and The Dancing Girl" Mr..
Kremer will see the necessity, we are
sure. of reforming this play altogether,
compac,ing the material he mas collected
in more acceptable share, and so come
nearer realizing the prelate's views he
puts forward as his cause of action.
Jeffreys-Lewis, as ALBANIA, the famous
actress, and the recalcitrant daughter of
the Rev. Mr. Dexter, the rector. was the
principal feature of this dramatic expert
ment and bv the breadth and protective
ness of her stage work she seemed deter
mined that the audience should know that
she herself was aware of this fact. She
propriety, and beyond it at times.
She gloried in her disgrace and
in the loss of every virtue
woman prizes. She told her father that
after she ran away from the paternal roof
and reached London she had been ruined
body and soul, Ihe ruinatiOn having been
commenced-but this she does not tell her
father-by Evan Prescott. the cnrate. who
met her in the English metropolis while he
was pursuing his studies at Oxford. He
betrayed ana deserted her, and then she
became an actress and a woman Of
the world. She eXulIed IN the
destruction of the better part of her ma
ture. because it enabled her to rise 10
worldly importance on the necks of the
meD who groveled at her feet and 10 fatten
on their wealth. Her old father is deeply
affected by this confession, because It will
iniure his reputation and standing; but
instead Of reasoning with his unfortunate
aud misguided daughter. as a we'll
bred and Christian gentleman ought
to do, he has wrestling match
with her, drags her all over the stage and
threatens to dirk her if she refuses to
make an honest woman of herself and
save him by marrying the man who be-
trayed her in the first instance and who
happened to be his own curate. Miss
Lewis acting in this part may be accepted
as sort of reView-with the exaggera-
lions begoten by time and bablt-of the
strong but far more graceful methods that
made her accountable 10 the earlier years of
her career Church and Stage" again
Tonight.
"O'Neil, Washington. D. Co." served to
attract large audience to the California
Theater last evening, and as it was really
the fist presentation of the play before
critical and capable audience the oc casion
was one of more than usual interest.
The stamp of approval when given by San
Francisco playgoers means great deal
for the ultimate livelihood of a dramatic
conception, despite the assertion of
some Fasteners that this is
''jay" town. Daniel l.. Hart. the
author, has every reason to be
satisfied with his work. The story is full
of interest. well told, snappy ard drama
tic. 1t is thoroughly modern and free
from clap-trap. Some of the lines are