The San Francisco call., 1896-11-24
California Theater.


Standing room was at premium to see Loie
Fuller's dances at the California Theater last
night. The star had been put late on the pro-
gramme and people were getting little i'm
patient, when about 9:45 o'clock the house
was plunged into Egyptian darkness and all
eyes were turned toward the stage for the first
sign of La Loie's appearing.
She did not gladden. the audience by an inn
mediate apparition, however, and a few en-
terprising spectators began to strike matches
and were applauded by their neighbors. At
last, however, Miss Fuller was seen dimly
outlined against dark background. and i'm
mediately after q food of electric light re-
vealed her in all the glory of endless yards of
black draperies, studded with glittering stars,
to represent Night.
The dances were five in number and no en-
cores were given, nor indeed expected, for the
programme must have been fatiguing enough
as 1t was. OF course all the dances had the
same general features. Miss Fuller kept yards
and yards of draperies In constant and grace
full motion. while her electrians threw CON-
plicated and beautiful combinations of light
upon them. With every dance the draperies
seemed to grow longer and more voluminous
and the combination of color more gorgeous.
In the White Dance Miss Fuller received a
good deal OF colorless light from her cleo
tricians, but she had rainbow tints also. The
Firmament showed a number of tender colors
as veil as vivid tints. In Fire white draperies
were deftly manipulated under the glare of
brilliant reds, and in the Nile Lily man.
moth lily was formed from draperies of great
! length.
The art OF the dances, of course, consisted in
the management of draperies and the ex-
quisite arrangement OF colors in thu lights,
which came from below through glass let In to
the stage, as well as from above.
Miss Fuller is graceful, wfnsome-looking
young woman, who trips prettily about the
stage and bends with ease and grace. Her
skill in manipulating the flmy fabrics she
wore was remarkable. but of dancing in the
ordinary acceptation of the word she did little
or none. Her exhibition was an artistic treat
of color and graceful motion, however, and
though there was not very much to distinguish
it from the dancing previously given here by
Mrs. Hermann and Papinta, Miss Fuller fully
deserved the recognition she received last
n light, for 1t was her brain that originated
the exhibition that has found so many imi-
tators.
A great deal of applause and few cries of
sbravap' were given the dancer. In the dark
ness people in the front rows and the boxes
must have hurled bouquets on the stage, for
when the lights were turned on it was seen to
be lncumbered with flowers, which must have
interiered good deal with La Loie's gyra-
tions.
The programme which preceded the dancers
appearance consisted OF local talent. Bern
hard Mollenhauer, who played violin solo, q
grand fantasia by Vieuxtemps, was well re-
ceived. and SO was the Treble Clef Qusrtet.
Professor Charles F. Graeber's banjo. mando-
lin and guitar club played. f. K. Tobin and
Mrs. Lotta Navarro Tobin gave trombone
duo.
The programme will be repeated tonight
and tomorrow.
Among those present were:
Box An Sieger, l.. Clay burg, Joseph Loewe
and party; box B-General and Mrs. War
field; box C--S. L. Buckbee and party; box d
&C. L. Fair, Mrs, Harvey; box E-Henry T.
Scott and party; box FL T Nolan nd.party;
In the audienc were: Mrs R. Tobin, the
Misses Tobin. C. Tobin, Edward :Greenway,