The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-22
what was furnished at sutro Heights yes

what was furnished at Sutro Heights yes
terday afternoon.
Since LAS You Like IT, was writ, per-
haps, with its fresh. out-of-doors air blow
ing through it, its leather leggins treading
the measures OF it's rhythm, and the smell
OF the woods that haunts it, men nave had
a fancy TO see it said and done in company
with nature.
Since it was presented three years ago
in New York-and just out of New York
with such success the idea has become
passion or u fad, the growth of which was
slightly checked by the failure at Chicago
during the fair.
Then came some good people with sug-
gestion in behalf of the Charming Au2il-
larry Aid Society for Christian Work in San
Francisco. The Stockwell Company of
players is at the Columbia, and there out
by the sea is Sutro Heights. Presto!
Do you know-you who were not there
place down little way to the right of
the Sutro residence, where there is slight
depression of the land-a level place where
grow some tall, wide-spreading trees,
where two woodland paths meet and cross
and wander on?
There is tall fine structure thereto
one side-that no one seems to know the
purpose Of but which looks as though it
might have been designed as a music
stand, and around that is a high ledge, es-
pecially on the side toward the level
stretch of grass and the trees and the two
paths.
Well, all around this space, in the form
Of triangle, on tribunes erected Tor their
comfort, were gathered yesterday after
noon these thousands that have been re-
ferred to. They filled all the liberal space
that had been provided for them; filled it
completely, so that from the center of the
triangle, or any place within the level
n1n1 - CIT. oF0 lNo3r
or trlbune-only great rising framework
OF bright, and, by preponderating ma
lority, beautifully expectant faces. For
the majority were San Francisco womer
ged-arranged like San Francisco
women, to say which is to say thing
which passeth all other understanding and
directly maketh Solomon ashamed.
So when you who were not there paint
for yourself the dissolving pictures of this
tale of the woods presented in the life,
you must frame 1t as you have rarely seen
pictures framed. To the right of the lawn
which is to be the theater-the right as
you approach it from the gate of the
heights = the tribune has its greatest
length.
A shorter arm stretches to the left. The
line of the triangle to meet these two is
broken by the wooden structure men
toned, so that the spectators there are
less favored and comparatively few. In
the long stretch to the right fully two
thirds of the whole number are seated, and
toward these the players pose.
Over this inspiring frame of bright faces
and summer costumes, rising in its out
ward edge some ten feet above the inner
edge that has its feet upon the grass, you
must allow the grateful shadows of the
trees to rest and then to shift and change
and sharp high lights of sunlight to touch
at places where the sun breaks through,
which, however embarrassing to the in
dividual that sits here or there, is telling
as picture-maker.
On the seats of the upper and outer ex-
tremity, perhaps a little beyond the in
fluence of the trees, you may place
brightly colored parasol or two. The Cliff
House train has broughtits last laggard-a
couple of hundred OF them. They are late
They work into the last remaining crevices
OF the crowd. The frame is complete.
An orchestra occupying place on the
lawn level, midway between the longer
stretch of tribunes and close to 1t, has
played fitting something something OF
the woods. Then from somewhere back
OF the hedges come the first figures of the
many-sIded pictures of Shakespeare "As
You Like It.''
Trooping through these woods, uncon-