The San Francisco call., 1896-10-20
At THEATER AND
OPERA-HOUSE
The Tabers Open Their Sea-
son at the Baldwin in
"Romola."
The Ugly Duckling" Captivated
the Audience at the
Alcazar.
FUN IN THE "TowN ToPICs.'
Attempted Robbery of the "Pay Train"
at the Grand opera.House
Last Evening.

Julia Marlowe Taber and Robert Taber
opened their season at the Baldwin Thea
ter last night In an adaptation of George
Eliot's "Romola," by EIwyn A. Barron.
Their reason for choosing this production
been that "Romola," in its stage garb, is
q novelty. The Tabers only produced it
few weeks ago, and they spent large
sum of money in putting the work lavishly
upon the stage, but also passed part OF
their summer holidays in Florence study
ing historic accessories and generally i'm
pregnating themselves with Florentine
local celoring.
The result of this study is seen in the
play, which last night presented series
of exquisitively beautiful tableaux.
All the Italian local coloring, and all the
finished and delightful acting of the ac-
complished Tabers, however, would not
gloss over the very apparent fact that
''Romola" has little to commend it as a
drama.
1t begins with an absolute lack of action,
and in the third act it blossoms into meIo-
drama.
The fourth act contains bridge-leaping
scene, which is more thrilling than Steve
Brodie's Bowery bound, and the last act
eliminates in scene which should ap-
peal to every gallery boys heart-Tito's s
foster-father is watching in the rushes,
and Tito, limp and exhausted, crawls out
of the river.
"Baldassarre!" shrieks Tito on beholding
his enemy. Eyes, BaIdassarre !" cries the
1nfuriated old man, and he at once falls
upon Tito and chokes the life out of him,
and Tito struggles and dies, gurgling
feebly. 1t was the old mans original in
tention to slay Tito with butcher knife,
which he stole from Tessa, but be had lost
1t in previous encounter with Tito-and
If all this is not melodrama, what is?
The fact is that Elwyn a. Barron under
took forlorn hope when he dramatized
George ElioL's philosophical brilliant,
but wholly undramatic novel. Eliot
lends herself to dramatization about as
readily as Wordsworth would do. But to
people who were content to feast the eye
and ear and to admire what the actor s
art can do for an almost hopeless subject
"Romola' was rare treat last night.
Caviar TO the general" it is true, but
the few who appreciate caviar led the ap-
plause and went into ecstasies~ over Julia
Marlowe Taber's intellectual. wonanly
and altogether delightful and fascinating
conception OF the proud, loyal, true
hearted Florentine. She was more than
merely beautiful; with her old-world
gowns and her wealth of ruddy hair she
looked like Dante's Beatrice, come 20 life,
aDd in the love scene with Tito and her
subsequent disillusion, despair and for
giveness one forgot that it was mere act
ing, so truly and tenderly womanly was
she.
The shifty selfish Tito was excellently
played by Robert Taber. On the stage it
is next to impossible to depict all the
subtleties and complexities of the willy
Creeks character, but Robert Taber came
near doing so. The rest of the cast was
excellent. Savanarola, very minor part
in the play, was carefully acted by Barrett
Roe, Bernardo del Nero was well played
by Dodson L. Mitchell, and to name the
other performers who showed talent and
skill would be to go through the cast.
The fourth act is followed by an cpl
logue, which soothes the audience after
the melodrama if anything could 500 the
them for seeing so much art lavished on
such an impossible play.
There was a good house, which received
the Tabers with warmth, but sustained
rather than enjoyed "Romola."