The San Francisco call., 1897-11-11
WILSON BARRETT
DEPARTS TODAY
The Great English Actor
Talks of His Austria
lian Plans.
Says His "The Sign of the
Cross" Has Had a Mar
velous Success.
Has Been the Means of Attracting
Hundreds of 0lergymen to
the Theater

Wilson Barrett. the great English actor
who arrived here late Tuesday night ell
route from London to Australia, will de
| part to-day on the steamship Alameda.
When seen yesterday in his apartment
at the Palace Hotel be said:
II shall play twenty weeks in Australia
and then go straight back to England b.
way of the Suez canal.
| "OnIy Miss Maud Jeffries and he1
| brother, Norman Jeffries. of my COMPANY
have come this way with me. They
wished TO visit their home in Nj m phis
Tenn. And [ came by this route
because l like this part of the
country and because 1 have such
delightful recolectlons of my visit here
in sc, Of the very dear friends left here
ana OF the hospitality shown me during
my engagement at the Baldwin. And,
provement in San Francisco since wa.
last here.
The main part of my company, the
leading characters-some four and twenty
persons-and scenery for the eight pro-
ductlons, have gone by way of the Suez
canal L shall present the Sign OF
the Cross, 'Claudian. my adapta-
man and of his The Deemster'
known tbeatrically as 'B-n-My- Chree, ,
'Hamle;,' 'Othello, 'Virginius.' and The
Silver King With the exception of
'Caudian,' The Manxman' and Ben
My-Chree these plays have already been
presented manv times IN Australia
1t was in 1881 that Wilson Ba rrett
made the venture that laid the founda-
ton of fortune and resulted in firmly
establishing his reputation as an actor.
Up to that time he had, for many wears,
been stru Cling upward. He was offered
George II. Sims The Lights of London. /"
which had gone unnoticed for a long
time. He took it and made thousands of
dollars out of 1t, and scored big success
as Harold Armatage, appearlng'in that
role for nearly 300 nights IN succession.
Then he took the part of Jack Hearn.
the gypsy lover, in "Romany Rye" and
made another big hit. Next he produc ID
The Silver King" of which it has been
said that lit IS doubtful if any other plav
of modern times has more forciblv
touched the public heart or more success.
fully tanped the public pocket"
In 1856 Barrett first came 10 this coun-
try and TO San francisco But he has WIS.,
tied the East MANY times since then.
1t will be remembe bered that in addition
to beiGg the first 10 present THE Sign of
the Gro 81 he is also the author of that
remark bic play. When asked about it
and the reasons for the roastings 1T has
ceved from dramatic critics he said:
In London they predicted 1t would
be a failure; it was such a radical de-
pa'ture. asked, Who are they'?' and
vi dertook 1t.
"Its success has been phenomenal
unprecedented. Since it was frs
presen ed IN 1895 there have been
90 performances, or an average of
six night Tor eve y legitimate business
day. There is no such cord by another
play. Seven companies are playing it in
the EnclIsh colonies; FroE man has it in
this country; there a company playing
it in AustraiIa and another in Berlin, an
other in Russia-all independent OIL nv
own performances.
LAS a play it has not only succeeded
wherever produced. in bringing clergy.
men 10 the theater in great mum ber-, but
IL has been preached abou; by every de-
nomination of clergymen and from the
pulpit has come advice to go 10 see il.
The mers announcement of a sermon on
it has crowded churches. 1t has tended
to bridge over the pref Ldlce OF raIical
church folk against the thea,er and the
dramatic profession. And If it has ac.
complished no more Than that it has sue.
ceeded we'll.
LAS to my interpre tation OF the charac-