The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-14
MODJESKA
In "MAGDA"

Modjeska gave "Magda" at the Bald
win last night to a not overcrowded
audience, but one that was conspicu-
ously made up Of dramatic epicureans
the folk who have made a speciality
of staying away from the theater this
last couple of years. And it was
fine night for the dramatic epicurean
The play the actress were Of the quail
ity in which his superior soul could
revel.
"Magda" is not everybody's play. It
does not deal in the pretty sentiments
and heroics Of the hand-me-d down dra-
matist. 1t has no flaming love inter-
est, no intrigue, no stout speeches. The
romance, such as it was, is over and
buried long before the play commences;
leaving only the final struggle of after
years and the consequences. "Magda"
is a tragi-comedy Of the household,
too impartial for satire and too abso-
lutte for problem in the cant sense.
1t is as true and as terrible a picture
of everyday life as has ever been
drawn with all of life's prejudices and
creeds and ideals battling one against
the other.
We chafe and stifie with Magda
when she returns from her free Bohe-
milan world to the old home and feels
the old chains narrow around her
again. We pity, even justify the
proud, bigoted father who says: Look
at this homeI There is no luxury
hardly even what you call good taste;
and yet, when you see the beams Of
the western sun pour through the
white curtains and lie with such low
ing touch on the old room, does not
something say to you. Here dwells
FRI, hon "a OF h 1o
with him even to understanding why he
would rather have had Magda come
in rags and tears. And yet Magda has
but to say: "Filial love? Why,
would like to take that dear white head
on my lap and say, GU darling over
grown baby you!' and more domi-
nant ego grips our sympathy. The
satisfied in his placid life and Magda
urges him on with ITO be greater than
our sins is worth all the purity you
preach" And the egotism of Won Kel
lar, the lover of her youth, how sickly
green it turns in the glare of her scorn!
She is a wonderful woman, this pol
ished vulgarian Magda, with philos-
ophy and an animal power that are ire
mendous. The softening influences CT
the rector only accentuate her strength.
She lays aside the rapier of worldlinesS
toward the last and fights for her child
with the beautiful SaVagery or the
mother. Even to the very pride broken
death of her father she conquers, and
you feel a sort Of justice in 1T all-and
still there is neither glory nor content,
nothing but bitterness in the victory.
1 doubt If Modjeska herself knew the
extent of her versatility before she I'M
dertook to play this part. In 1t she
frees herself of all the picturesque and
Evolutionary Establishments of the
classic poetic drama and makes herself
one in every sense with the relentless
modernity of the character. She does
not bring out the big brutal note which
is always ready to be sounded in diff
ferent Interpretation; but, rather, she
makes the woman creature of deli
cate ironies and indomitable will-her
fathers own child broadened and hard
ened by the newer world and the vic
tories of genius. When Modjeska plays
as she did last night, with such nerv-
Gus power and truth and security, there
is no need to reproach her with the
triumph of the yesterdays.
OF the supporting cast, the women
were especially good, Miss Grace Fisher
playing Marie with delightful ingenu-
BUSINESS, Miss Anna Daily doing bit
Hanna E. Sargent not overdraWing the
comic relation. But of the men, Mr..
Lonergan alone distinguished himself,
in the part of Won Kellar this time,
which he played with consistent un-
derstanding Mr.. Lane was stilted and
completely out of the atmosphere as
the father, and Mr.. Herman played the
Rector as he might have played Marc
Antony ASHTON STEVENS.