The San Francisco call., 1898-04-05
QUIET NIGHT
 AT THE PLAY "Shore Acres" Renews It's Popularity at the
 Colum bia.
Anna Held's New Song-Cheap arce-Comedy at the
 California.
" Bohemian Girl" Once More at the Tivoli-"Jane" Revived-Orpheu cum
 and Morosco's.

Shore Acres" came back last night and with all its old elaborate simplicity pleased fairly large audience at the Columbia. I dare say this great Amer ican pie and turkey drama never would have come up for serious challenge from persons who take the theater se- riously had it not been for the fierce eulogies heaped upon, it by Will liam Dean Howells and several dialect fanciers, and for it's authors custom of employing his Sundays-off in preaching sermons from the pulpits of the churches along the road. These eulo- gies and sermons-turned to glowing account by the press agent-were, from the managerial standpoint, immensely fortunate in their result, attracting thousands to the play and investing 1t with an air of high morality and noble art not to be found in other secular performances. Still there were some few playgoers who looked beyond the obvious goodnesses and kodakesque eX- ternals of MT. Hernes play and failed to find anything that was either moral or artistic beyond what already had been accomplished in the barnyard masterpiece of Denman Thompson. 1 dealt in some of this skepticism myself when Shore Acres" was played at the Baldwin last year, but at the same time, of course, credited MT. Herne with a more wholesale and, strangely enough, more convincing use Of the external tricks that had made the success of The Old Homestead"
 The popular spell of both piays lies wholly in the eXaggeration of the commonplace, the skiilful staging of what are commonly taken for typical phases of rustic American manners and dialects. In neither play is there the first symptom of dramatic thought or invention. But If you go about taking Shore Acres" in the right spirit, you need not deplore the ab- sence of these. The only really de- plorable thing in the whole piece is the Morosco lighthouse scene and it's arch episode wherein the Good Brother tells the Bad Brother that he. too loved the present Mrs. Bad Brother years ago in her single days, but had turned away as a Good Brother should and sacrificed himself. But for this third act you might believe Mr. Herne, author, to be the same simple, trust full rustic that beams in MT. Herne, actor.
 The acting Is so much a part of the play that it never has called for very extensive comment. MT. Herne has reduced it to question of mechanism, which is admirably answered by him. self-a past master in rustic character acting-and nearly all of his numerous associates. His daughter, Miss Julie Herne, plays the heroine this time, with some improvement on the dismal work of her predecessor. although she is not entirely unacquainted with the "Hamlet's" Ghost information which the author-manager seems to consider a tradition of the part.
 Taking "ShOre Acres" at nothing greater than it's real value, it is harm less, finished performance of the most unique qualities of tableau entertain ment. At this period of its life you can eulogists and sermons. If on the stage Anna Held had only lived up to her milk baths as sin cerely as MT. Herne and his play have lived up to his sermons, there would be different tale to tell in the Baldwin box office. By the way. if MT. Herne should be asked to appear in any of the local pulpits 1t will have to be for morn ing service, as the Columbia engage ment includes Sunday nights in his working week.
 I went over the way to the Baldwin in time to hear Anna Held and the animated music sheet" sing 'I Want Dem Presents Back" The music sheet was hardly as animated as Mile Held, who introduced into the refrain last weeks pectoral wriggle and a new one, a rear elevation of the muscle dance "The Cat and the Cherub" has retired from the bill; whether out of modesty or mutilation I don't know.
 
 The California reopened on Sunday night with "A Jay in New York" a variety show whose only virtues are cheap prices. While to some extent prices may determine an audience. 1t would not be fair to suppose that every body who attends the California cares to see man violently separated from his trousers. and other petty and equally uninteresting vulgarities
 ASHTON STEVENS.
 Morosco s.
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