The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-05
MARIE BURROUGHS
IN THE PROFLIGATH. >
REAPPEARANCE OF THE CHARMING
ACTRESS IN PINER0'S STRONG
PLAY.
MILITARY HIT AT MOROSCO'S.
"OLIvETTE, " BLACK CROOKS" AND
VARIETY BILLS AT OTHER
THEATERS.

The temperance of one of our choicest
favorites, Marie Burroughs, and the first
production in this city of one of the best of
the modern school of drama, Pinero's
"Profigate," drew large and fashionable
audience to the Baldwin last night.
The story of the play is simple. Dun
stan Renshaw (Mr. Kellerd) has led astray
Janet Miss Perry prior to his marriage
to Leslie Brudenell Miss Burroughs), and
in the midst of life of dissipation. The
latter, "half a schoolgirl and half a
woman" as she describes herself, whose
only hope is to be good enough for her
husband, of whose delinquencies she
knows nothing, finally discovers this and
casts him off, but afterward, moved by his
grief at his loss of her, forgets the past
and they start life anew together.
There is no complication of plot, no
counterpart, really no other occasion for
other characters than those named and
that of Hugh Murray, who has known the
truth but is powerless to intercede. There
are two creeds: Murray's, that Renshaw's
vices will not be buried, but will always
rise before him, and Renshaw's, or rather
Lord Dangar's, that marriage is. the tomb
of the past as far as mans early life is
concerned" There is, too, another theme
upon which the play is built-that stated
by one of his characters, 1.-The world has
short memory for a mans disgrace; it is
only for women that it lays down the laws
of scandal"
In earlier days, and days not so far distant,
the dramatist would have made virtue tri-
umph and would have punished Renshaw for
his turpitude. But his redemption is his love
for his wife-oYe that was, without question,
pure and holy-and his attempted suicide in
the last act is stopped by her in much the same
way as was shown in the earlier play, "The
Dancing Girl
The "Prof1fgate'' is within its lines, and on
the theory OF the fin de steele play, undoubt-
eddy artistic; it is unconventional in treatment
and has few situations that amount TO a climax :;
but it is strong, and the story is well told with
little drag. The drama of Sudermann, Mat
teriink and Ibsen has been softened in parts
and toned down so as to remove the glare of
primal rudiments, the raison detre so
to speak, are still as prominent in
Pfnero as they were in his foreign masters
and the general trend OF modern drama is
marked by the ''Profligate' as one OF its strong
est examples. When the reaction will come
as it is surely destined to come, and as it
should come, under the conditions of our mod
ern life, is another matter-the artistic merits
of the play and the artistic ability of the
author are deserving OF much commentator.
AS the heroine Miss Burroughs achieved a
trusting, so confding that pity became akin to
love. With many of the characteristics OF
ner FORMER success rs IettF, IN saints and
Sinners" her work last night rose far above
the other parts and showed her great improve
ment in later years. There were no stage out
bursts of passion, no vehemence, no palpable
acting in her performance; it was all SUI
premely natural. The rendition of the part
makes Miss Burroughs prominent among
American actresses, and the manifest evil
dences of her great talent show her as destined
for very prominent place en- our stage
Mr.. kellerd as Dunstan RenshaW, the profit
gate, proved an excellent stage companion for
Miss Burroughs. The part was one which the
majority OF actors would have overacted, but
Mr.. Kellerd's art carried him through the play
work with great deal of success, and he justly
shared in the applause which greeted the per-
Torrance.
Mr.. Louis Massen, another old favorite here
was the Hugh Murray of the cast and played
the part excellently, with the utmost apprecia-
ton OF the authors idea and the greatest
fidelity in carrying that idea out
Mr.. Brown as Wilferd and Mr.. Saint Maur as
Lord Dangers were also quite successful in
their respective parts, and the other roles were
generally in good hands
The next and last week of the engagement
will be occupied with Jones Judah in which
Miss Burroughs has made very successful hit
heretofore.