The San Francisco call., 1897-04-11

ten for himself, by himself, is to be
surrounded with q number OF per-
sonages familiar to grand opera, history
and the drama, ali of whom are kept
busy during four acts in creating poss-
blities for Fa biau Torelli, Italian soldier
of fortune a role which, needless to say,
Skinner plays himself. These personages
either love him hopelessly or they cling to
him with faithful devotion, take sudden
and violent fanc:es to him, appeal to his
protection, lay wicked plots of which he is
the victim and which he foils, or spurn
his love, to sue for it n the last act. In
short, he has lassoed some of the most
interesting characters that have lived in
history or on the mimic stage, and has
tanned them into puppets for the glorifi-
cation OF Fabian ToreIli, Soldier of for
tune
"a Soldier of Fortune" cannot be taken
with real seriousness except as an inter
esting anifestation of the inner ambi-
tions and yearnings of s. clever star actor
l suppose it Is not too much to assume
that in writing play for himself Skinner
has crealed just such a character and Just
such opportunities as appealed most to
his histrionic am bitions. If this be the
case It is evident that to be the hero OF
one play is on not lofty enough pinnacle
for his vaulting ambition-he prefers to
be the hero of several plays, historic cpl
sodes and grand operas rolled into one.
Realizing that the other dramatis per-
sona are of absolutely no i'm Importance, out
side the Absorb bing mission of providing
opportunities for Fabian TorelH (Otis
Skinner to boot, the actor-author has
used a Job lot of characters that might
have been picked up. rather damaged, but
below cost, at an auction sale. There are
the Dukes jester, Barzo and his daughter
Giannina, who have seen better days
under the name Of Rigoletto, and GiIda.
Torelli's faithful. antique retainer is twin
brother of Adam of LAS You Like lt''
fame. Blanche Daubigny, who loves Tor
elli madly, passionately and hopelessiy,
performs quite numDer Of deeds which
are sacred 10 the memory of Shakes
peare's Viola, she who never told her
love" Sometimes one is reminded of
'Romola"; in the last act 1.-THE Prisoner
of Zenda' comes un bidden 10 the mind |
and there are moments when Donizetti's
"Lucrezia Borgia" seems to have been
turned into prose drama.
Three great historic characters have
been dalled with in "a Soldier of For
tune" - Macciavelli, Cesar Borgia ana
Lucrezia Borgia; three of the most terri
bic names in history. The very word
"Macciavelli' suggests all that is clever,
tortuous and crafty. Iexpected pearls of
wisdom to drop from the lips of the
Florentine statesman every time he
opened his mouth. The most oracular
sentence that Otis Skinner has given him
to say is, "You may find your honor
again, my man-who kuows?" Just as if
Torellrs honor were thing he had lost
by the roadside, that some passer-by who
CHANGED to be honest might pick up and
restore to him. J. w. Constantie played
the role of Mscciavelli in a limp and
habby way, as if he knew that fate and
Otis Skinner were too strong for him. As
for the astute Caesar Borgia, he is depict
ed in the play as blundering villain, and
Lucrezia Borgia is mild-mannered lady,
with passion for dancing with admirers
younger than herself.
But no one cares about these job lot of
characters who provide opportunities for
Fabian Torelli. Fabian is the beginning
and the end, the Alpha and Omega, the
ne plus ultra of "a Soldier of Fortune"
and Skinner plays the role exceptionally
well, investing it with vim and daring
worthy of a better cause or better play.
l believe if Otis Skinner were to write
drama for some one else-say for his
charming wife-he would be a greater
success as playwright, as he would
probably be able to see things more pro-
portionately. In "a Soldier of Fortune"
every thing is distorted to drag in, willy
nilly, constant stream of striking situa-
tions and speeches for Fabian Torelli.
There is enough action in the play-too
much but the audience gets tired, oh so
tired, OF always seeing Fabian posing as
hero, always doing brave deeds, always
foiling villains, and always holding the
center OF the stage. Too much heroism is
more monotonous than too much viilainy
1t is painful to me'to appear carping in
criticising what is, after all, a we'll meant
play, but for SINNERS own good / wish
he could be induced to call in some native
Of Sunny Italy TO give local colorng to
his pronunciation. There seems to be an
impression throughout the company that
anything will pass for Italian that is "for-
eign." In Florence the ii,,qua toscana was