The record-union., 1897-10-16

Christopher, Jr.," Sue" and "Pud-
d'nhead Wilson, We're given, while two
absolutely new plays, THE Question,
by Lorimer Stoddard. and Don't Tell
Her Husband" received their initial in
terpretations.
With a record like this. is it at all
strange that the Frawley Company
should have captured San francisco
and crowded the theater during its long
engagement? At first a cheap class OF
people patronized the Columbia, but as
the company became known and the
standard of the performances rose, the
character of the audiences changed,
until now it is quite the proper thing tor
the elite to attend in theater parties ana
on first nights. Naturally, many people
who were in the habit of attending the
Baldwin before, when there was no
other acceptable play in town, nave
been filing the Columbia. They can
see an excellent company in new plays
at half the price they have to pay al
the Baldwin.
The Columbia has not been the only
house to draw from the Baldwin s pat
ronage The Alcazar Theater, when
has ruined many an aspiring manager
has also taken a new lease of life. For
the past six or eight months they nave
had crowded houses. The perform
ances are fair, and the mounting me-
dioere. 1t is safe say that the present
management would have had 10 close
Qd Z, a
loss of interest in it's productions, hao
it not been for the production OF fran
els Powers Chinese play, Ihe flrse
Born" This was novelty, ana ran
for almost three months. Every one
went to see it, and thus the Alcazal
received a new impetus, a better CLASS
Of actors have been engaged, ana no"
II is doing well. But will it's prosperity
last?
The third stock company which may
he said to share the theatrical patron
age of San Francisco Is Morosco s. 1n0
theater is an immense barn, with none
of the modern improvements IL sun
has gas, antiquated plush seats anu
caters 10 the south of Market class
The company is mediocre, but the
mounting is generally good. Their pro
ducfions are about on a par with What
the Daily company used to produce at
the Clunie Opera-house. On MONDAY
night the prompter is almost as inn
portaat a person as the hero or hero
inc and the grammatical blunders of
many of the company are constant
strain on the average intellect Aoso-
lutely no novelties are presented, ola
stand -bys being apparently the only
available material.
Having thus given a brief resume OF
the three stock companies whlch san
Francisco supports, let us proceed TO
examine Frohman's statements. he
says:
"San Francisco has always demanded
first-claSs attractions. The standard Is
a difficult one to judge. We rely upon
the verdict of New York theater goers,
New York passes judgment favorably
and the attraction is sent to San fran
cisco. The critics of the coast roast 1t
and Us for sending it to them, and then
tell the public in their columns now
much better their own stock companies
can render the same piece. The people
Of cur companies are also generously
advised to study the work of provincial
artists"
These remarks are perfectly true.
Within the past few months we have
had the Lyceum company. John Drew,
William Crane and du Souchets farce,
my Friend from India" They have
all been successes in the East, and yet
they all received more or less criticism
here. For instance when the Lyceum
company produced 1.-THE First Gentle
man OF Europe" we were told that the
play was 'stilted and plotless,' and
later, when 1.-THE Mayflower" was given,
we were informed that it was weak,
improbable and decidedly thin in
spots" AS a matter Of fact they were
both highly interesting productions,
and the lavish scenery was never
equaled on the Baldwin stage.
OF John Drew's idylhc presentation
Of Rosemary we were given to un-
derstand that he was only mediocre in
the title part, that the play lacked ac-
ton and that certain other actors would
have been more acceptable in his role
William Cranes opening play, "a Fool
of Fortune" was called a one-act play,
and it was said that if it was not for
the death scene, in the last act, the
play would have been a failure. Du
Souchet's play was considered vulgar,
the voices of the actresses were likened
to fog horns and the company in gen.
eral received a terrible roasting.
From these four attractions one can
CLEAN a fair idea of how they were
received. John Drew, perhaps, played
to the largest business. but even he
must have been disgusted. A great
Eastern successes is due to the fact
that the people of San Francisco go to
the theater not to be amused and in
structed, but to criticise. Alice Rix, the
star dramatic critic Of the Examiner" /"
has done more peahapS to iniura the