The San Francisco call., 1897-10-31
OF THE ITALIAN OPERA COMPANY.

probation of her art in any other city in
America.
~.
To me there seems 10 be a somewhat OBJ
vious analogy in the two foregoing items
of news.
~
But New York has seen one play this
season that, from all accounts, Is the
greatest thing of its kind ever done. 1t is
1.-The DEVILS Disciple" written by George
Bernard Shaw, the most brilliant OF the
London dramatic critics, the Irishman
who believes that Ibsen is better than
Shakespeare and Shaw better than either,
and it is being presented by Richard
Mansfield, whose opinion OF himself as
an actor will quite cope with those of Mr.
Shaw in the matter of play From
hundred descriptions it would sem
that the play Is one of tremendous
dramatic strengthen sheer incident ana
sltualonal invention compelling the in
terest OF the most common place play
goer, for whom, you may be sure, it was
never written. Shaw is a satirist, whose
humor leads him to look upon the world
as as bad as it is rather than as good as it
should be, and, until almost the last miu-
ute OF the last act of The DEVILS Dfsci-
pie" he turns topsy-turvey the code Of
morals and philosophy that have obtained
with dramatisls since before the day OF
Shakespeare.
l heard Shaw story the other dav that
ought 10 be printed. 1t was on Beerboh m
Tres, VINO, like all actors, felt that he owed
1t TO his profession 10 play Hamlet"
After the first performance he and Shaw
supped together, and by no possible strate-
gy could the critic of the SATURDAY. Re-
view be led up TO the subject that was
uppermost in Trees mind. Finally, as
they were saying goodnight, Tree blurted
out, 81 say, old man, you haven't told
me what you thought of Hsmletl"
Haven't II" said Shaw, why, l think
it's the best pay Shakespeare ever wrote"
~
Another Frohman letter is printed in
the Mail and Express, an organ which the
little Napoleon delights to grind. 1t was
the Mail and Express, if you rememb ber.
that interviewed Mr.. Frohman or the
subject of US. Now it prints him in this
truthful mood:
l have read the letter in the Mail and Ex-
press signed Student of the Drama" II seems
TO me that it would be both novel and instruct
i've TO find out just what the public could or
would say with regard to new production
1t seems TO me, furthermore. thai, providing
way could be found for the public voice 10
express itself, we would like to hear il most OF
all concerning an unconventional and peculiar
theatrical output l have in mind Francis
Powers 1.-THE First Born" now in course of
production at the Manhattan Theater. This
piece occurs to me in this connection not so
much because It is managed By David Belasco
end myself because have wondered what
are the specific causes OF the really extraor-
dinary success of this piece refiecting the life
and customs of the Chinese
write 10 offer first prize of S25 and sec
ond prize Of box to sec Mr.. Powers play at
the Manhattan for the bast and the next best
theatrical criticisms written with regard to
this production by strictly non- professional
writer's.
would suggest, II the Mail and Express is
desrous of ascertaining the views and the
manner of ascertaining them of theater-goers
as distinct from dramatic critics-that your
paper appoint judges TO pass upon the relative
merils OF manuscripts sent in to you in such a
competition. Possibly some remarkable ana
lytical and fertile articles will be unearthed
in this way.
can understand Mr.. Frohman's eager
ness to manufacture a new kind of
dramatic critic. but why loose the dan
gerous amateur on the "perfesh." Surely
there are INDECENT gentlemen of letters in
New 1ork who would write Mr.. Frohman
eny sort OF criticism he wants for S25
ASHTON STEVENS.