The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-19

play, for it met all opportunity for adverse
comment boldly and vanquished it. The
main feature of the play is its virility, its
strength and its power. Blank verse is not
an easy form of diction, especially III these
latter days, and its limitations are very apt
to make performance STACEY and
stllted; but the verse of Mr. Har-
rison flowed easily and readily, lending
itself gracefully to the exigencies of all
the varying forms of dramatic expression
and situation, and at times rising into
poetry which had the truth of tenderness
and the melody of music. The main fault
and only an occasional fault-of Mr..
Harrlson's lines was the varying diction
at times Shakespearean, at others it is es-
sentlally modern, and the transition is
sometimes markedly rough.
As to his main plot and the way in
which it has been developed, Mr.. Harrison
is deserving of much credit. Inmain his
torical facts-although much of what is
Earl is really fable-and in details the
work shows great if not entire fidelity.
The connection between the outlawed
Robin Hood and the signing of Magma
Charta is in all probability an Imaginative
conception of the authors; but the use
made of these materials makes we'll
connected and coherent plot sufficient to
with the Vaccinations of the crafty John
pure breath redolent of the trees and the
flowers OF Sherwood Glen
The cast that presented this play to the
audience was in every way worthy of hav-
ing lntrusted to it a performance of the
dignity and the importance of Mr.. Harri-
sons work. The illness that has inca
pacitated Mr.. James for most of his en-
gagement was fortunately ended, and both
the stars used their best efforts toward
ensuring the success of the production.
As Robin Hood, about whom the play
revolves, Mr.. Warde was a distinct and
pronounced success. His manliness, the
general force of his bearing, his heroism,
bravery and courage were admirably por-
trayed by Mr.. Warde; and his love and
devotion for Marian, to ayenge whose in
suit he assaults the King and risks his own
life, shows another side of the character of
the banished Saxon, into whose lines Mr.
Warde threw wealth of love and a stream
OF poetry that aptly carried out
the ideas of the author and bore the au-
dlence away by the fervor of its enthu-
siasm.
Mr.. James was equally a success. As
the jolly Friar Tuck, the father confessor
OF the outlaw band, himself hall an outlaw
IN soul. companion in their carousals,
presented large number of oppor-
tunities for good acting, OF which
Mr.. James took every advantage.
The pathos with which he addresses
his companions in the forest when he
promises to reveal to them the story of his
only love--who followed his steps, obeyed
his wishes and even yielded to him--wind-
ing up with an invocation to his dead dog,
was an excellent bit of work and the real
pathos, where his eyes '1fell fellowly
drops" when about to part from the con-
demned Robin for the last time, was as
pathetically tender as the mournful cry for
the dead Virginia, with which some few
years ago Mr.. James used to thrill his au-
dienccs.
The John of Anjou of the cast, Mr.. GUY
Lindsey, was forcible in presentation, and
the actor made strong character out of
the, part-perhaps too much of King
Richard, for history does not give
King John SO bad a reputation as
it gives the latter Shakespearean char
acter. Mr.. Lindsey unfortunately
rants at times, and at tines overacts-
more pity because he has many of the
| traits of very good actor, and this tend
ency led him beyond his part several
times last night and deteriorated from the
effect of an otherwise admirable presenta-
ton.
Mr.. Turner as the Cardinal, Stephen
Langton, was dignified and stately,
admirably suited to the character and i'm
pressed with its earnestness to which he
gave full expression.
The other parts were also well
taken by Messrs. Hodges, Royce, Ernest