davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

skillful example of dramatic realism. -.
From beginning to end, in every episode,
does Mrs. Carter's acting have the eliect
Of direct, Underwriting, often depior;a.olhe, ha
called positively indecent. There vice,
unrelieved, is rampart. The central hg-
ure is 4 low woman employing her
arts. But as the play proceeds IL is al
found to be as common and vulgar as the
life it treats Of 1t is, also, from first to
last, human and Understandable. and the
realistic art employed in it is potent and
powerful If not refined and beautiful. :;
That, however, will never excuse ''ZaZa
In the minds of persons who think the
theater should be the abiding place a,io OF
chlldl1ke Innocence and purity. such folkS
ought to be warned away from 'Zaza.'
Charles Frohman, in accordance with
his declared intention makes new pro-
duction each year at the Boston Museum,
of which house he is one of the lessees
and managers. For ms production this
from the pen of William Gillette, adapted
bv that gentleman from the French Of
Bisson and Leclerq, and entitled Because
who are familiar with Mr. Gillette's Jug
giery with captions, is pregnant with nu-
merous farcical possibilities. The piece
has just been produced in New York
This is the story:
Though the most jealous and unreason-
able Of her sex, with firm conviction
that all men are monsters of iniquity,
heve 1t, one of the happiest of women.
Married to a husband who adores her, she
would have, but for her suspicious nature,
no bitter drops in her matrimonial cup. 1t
is true that there is some seeming cause
for alarm. By a Mephistophelian ruse,
Susan, her maid, who has her reasons for
wishing to provoke a domestic broil, spills
upon her masters coat some most com
promising perfume, and places on his
sleeve two of her own long, golden hairs.
Quite enough evidence is this to arouse
Gertrude to fury, and she begins to think
of nothing short of divorce. Warned be-
forehand of the impending avalanche, Mr..
and Mrs. Wetherby. her father and moth
er, make arrangements to meet it.
In order to disgust the young couple
with the notion of quarreling, they adopt
the system of the Spartans. who, as a
cure for inebriety, exhibited to their
children a drunken Helot. AS a result,
they were found by their daughter and
son-in-law in a blaze of conjugal strife.
though in a married life of thirty odd
years they have never had a cross word.
For time, accordingly, until this confla-
heroine have to sink their own grievances
and declare a truce. So rooted in her
belief In masculine baSeneSs Is Gertrude
that she strives at once to prove her
father at fault. BY an accident she brings
to light past escapade of Mr.. Weather
by, and converts into real quarrel the
mock feud.
AS at the same time her inquisitorial
proceedings succeed in setting by the ears
Mr.. and Mrs. jackson, previously one of
the happiest of married couples, and
running the matrimonial chances of her
only brother, she has, when in the end
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

amount of training received. Do. not un-
derstand me as trying to belittle dramatic
studies, for my intention is anything but
that What l wish to convey is that, in
my opinion, no amount of study will make
an actor out of a man unless 1t is born IN
him. Study-and constant study-is TO be
desired at all times, and no matter how
talented an actor is, If he does not ap-
ply himself with the greatest ardor to
his profession he is not much better off
than his less gifted brother.
Speaking of mechanical actors" con-
tinued Mr.. Dodson naturally leads up
to the much-disputed point as to whether
actor should or should not feel the
emotion which he is depicting 1t is a
subject which would be discussed with
interest ad infnitum, and. of course, there
would be people who would always take
opposite sides as now. In my humble
opinion, an actor should to a certain eX-
tent feel the depicted emotion, but at the
same time he must control it by his art,
and never let it take such hold OF him
as to make him forget it. He must pos
sess dual consciousness. as it We're. AS
/ once heard it expressed, the balance
counterpoise There is nothing less pa
thetie to me than a crying woman unless
/ know and am interested in her: With
red nose and eyes. she is anything but
pitiful to me. Now, on the stage an act
resS portraying weeping mother or wife
is expected to make 1t so effective as to
hold the sympathy of an audience. and
this she cannot do if she allows her emo
as to make them dormant, when she
should be guiding them by her art
Mr.. Belaseo's "Zaza" and Mr.. Belasco's S
Mrs. Carter are the talk of the hour
in New York This is part of what Ed
ward A. Dithmar writes on the subject
in the Times:
The portrayal by Mrs. Leslie Carter Of
Zaza In the shocking play taken from the
French Of NM. Simon and Berton by
David Belasco is noteworthy for unfail-
ing verify, extraordinary vitality, variety
of expression and moving force. 1t is
audacious beyond comparison with any
but very few theatrical exhibitions insep-
arably allied with dramatic art ever seen
here. The variety halls and some of
the less reputable theaters have some
times put performances on view quite as
coarse and audacious, but they have
never commanded the attention. as this
exhibition does, of decent persons who
view the drama as an art. because they
have had no esthetic value The es-
thetic value of Mrs. Carters portrayal of
Zaza, the female outlaw, rs indisputable
Moreover, the play is an uncommonly
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
The California.
BY
ASHTON STEVENS.

This theater. promises a big farce at
traction for the new week in why Smith
Left Home" written by George b. Broad
hurst, author of What Happened TO
JONES' and presented by company that
includes Mrs. Annie Yeamans, Maclyn
Arbuckle, n. B. Snyder. Fred w. Peters,
Harry Webster, c. Jay Williams, Rose
Stuart, Blanche Chapman, Gertrude
Roosevelt, Rose Snyder, Dorothy Usner
and Jessie Conant.
AT the end of the first act occurs the in
cident which explains why Mr.. Smith left
home. His conduct is placed in an ex-
aunt. who has had two matrimonial fail
ures of her own. easily induces her niece
to do the important thing in such cir
cumstance. Out Of this grows the plot,
frivolity of farce and the credibility of
comedy
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

AT first thought it may seem para
doxical to say that a man is the most
original of writer's and at the same time
the greatest of plagiarists Yet ac-
cording to Literature December - this
statement would not be altogether alb
surd if applied to Shakespeare, for in
stance. The moral of this is that
original and Originality are words
possessed of a certain amount of am
biguity. The writer says:
I'VE all know that Shakespeare's
! borrowing arm was a very long one in
deed. Old chronicles, North's 'Plutarch,'
medieval English poetry, Italian novel
| lists, contemporary playwrights-all
were laid under contribution; and in
the same way Milton probably con-
veyed 'L'Allegro' and II Penseroso'
from Burtons Abstract of Melancholy
and certainly made considerable use
of the Dutch poets Lucifer' in
the construction of Paradise Lost
'Tristram Shandy' is one of the
most original books in English litera-
ture, and yet it is a patchwork of out
rageouS thefts, and Melancholy Burton
himself, from whom Sterne stole, con-
trived to get the effect of originality
into his Anatomy which is a mere
cento of quotations.
In one sense of the word there is no
such thing as originality, in another
sense it is not uncommon. The Italian
novelists from whom Shakespeare pla-'
giarized were themselves but copyists
from older sources, and folklOrists are
aware that the Europeans of the mid
die ages enjoyed tales that had amused
Asia in far antiquity. The matter of
a literary work of art NAV come from
nature, from life, or from another book,
while the form is created by the author.
In some of Poe's tales it is easy
enough to detect the influence of Mrs.
Radcliffe, and Mrs. Radcliffe drew her
stories from a very imperfect and dis
torted notion of medieval romance, and
medieval romance was founded to a
considerable extent on early Celtic
| legends, and Celtic legends must owe
a good deal to prehistoric Turanian in
! 1uence-and so the ladder mounts till
! it vanishes as in the Indian juggler's
! trick; but for all that the Fail of the
/ House of Usher is original. 1t is barely
| possible, of course, that the Paleolithic
| Age swarmed not only with monsters
| (now happily EXTINCT, but with purely
1 original geniuses, but in modern times
! it would be as useless to search for the
one as for the other"
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
The Tivoii.

Offenbach's melodious comic opera. La
perichele." will be revived for one week
only. commencing this evening, at the
Tivol. Annie Myers will sing the role or
the street singer, La Periehoie; Bernlce
Holmes, her companion, Pequlllo' VII
lion, prue+te the Viceroy of Peru, Don
Andres; And William William H. West. Don Pedro,
GoVernor of Lima; and Phil Branson, the
fussy Premier Count Panateilas. Edwin Twin
characte erizations. the old prisoner, Mar
auis de Santarem This charming opera
viii be given for week, after " which TilL h
comes Madeleine, or the Magic Mss, t;S
ia this city.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
The Chutes.

There will be big bill at the Chutes
Free Theater next week. Carlos and
Vouletti, acrobats, gymnasts and pedestal
performers, who made hit at the Or
pheum recently; Weston and Herbert.
musical comedians, and Cal Godfrey, can
non ball tosser and club swinger, from
Orrin Brothers circus, Mexico, will ap-
pear Pianka, who is cleverly dubbed the
'Tady of lions," will continue to startle
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
New Comedu.

The Comedy Theater will present, COM
mencing Sunday, February 5, the new
production of M. B. Leayitt's Spider
and Fly' spectacular extravaganza, with
fifty people in the cast. The theater will
be closed the first six nights of the week
on account of preparations for the pro-
duction
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
Music.

The coming of Teresa Carreno next
week will mark appearance of an
other famous piano player this season.
From all the big critics this woman has
received high praise. and there can be
little doubt that she ranks anywhere but
at the top. She has been called every
thing, from the Valkyrie of the keyboard
to the lionesS Of the pianoforte. She
plays Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin
and Brahms, and is said to excel in Ru-
binstein and List. Her technique is said
to be next to fiawleSs and her tempera-
ment simply Vesuvian The recitals take
place in Metropolitan Temple on Monday
Wednesday and Saturday afternoon of
the week to come.
Nine Agnes Fried. soprano, will give
two concerts in the Sherman Clay Hall
on Tuesday evening and Saturday after
noon of this week. assisted by Guilio
Minetti. violinist. and Miss Hilda New
man. pianist.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

often deteriorates into trade. An actor
is born, not made. l do not believe in the
made-to-order actor, and while / admit
that by training one may reach a state
of respectable mediocrity, unless he pos
sess that indefinable something, call 1t
what you will, he never becomes an artist,
but always remains piece of mechanism,
the quality of which depends on the
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

the truth is brought to light. reason to
congratulate herself upon having wrought
IN given time as much mischief as
could well be crowded into the space.
for there are many and varied humorous
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
The OIvmpia.

The Olympia has Violet Dale, the New
York acrobatic buck and wing dancer, and
the three De Bolien brothers, acrobats
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

In the Alcazar's performance of
''Men and Women noticed some bad
acting that was strikingly similar to
Miss Archer's. 1t was contributed prin-
cipally by the new leading woman, Miss
Adelaide Fitzalien, in the part of Agnes
Rodman This part, one of the most
Laura Jean Libbyish ever achieved by
David Belasco, will stand for a great
deal of strenuous treatment without
seeming any more comical than it
really is. But Miss Fitzallen, in her
enthusiasm, quite exceeded the posi-
bilities OF any role in the literature Of
the theater. Her effort was simply
prodigious. She loosed upon the char
acter what was easily the emotions of
three strong women and ten men. And
her gestures-well, put Miss Fitzallen
and her gestures in "a Contented
Woman" and I'd like to see the middle
weight cigar specialist who would blow
smoke into her beautiful features. AS
I was saying, it was Miss Archer's case
over again-large, obvious, make-be-
lieve play acting. I am coming to
think that good acting, like a good cock
tail, depends more on what you leave
out than what you put in.
Howard Scott, who played the lawyer
with stupendous elaboration, would do
well to bear this in mind. Nearly
everybody in the company worked too
hard for this world, except perhaps the
stage manager, whose restraining hand
was nowhere felt. The Alcazar people
these days make quite a snug little
company, and l believe that they can
give much more definite performance
than this of the past week. Mr.. Os-
bourne, of course, did his usual strong,
deliberate work in the Jewish banker,
and Ernest Hastings handled the un-
fortunate cashier with likely dignity
and preoccupation. In the "handcuf"
scene Mr.. Hastings performance was
in remarkably good poise.
ASHTON STEVENS.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

Parliamentary candidates will find
something to interest them in the most
recent publication of the Historical Manu-
scripts Commission. Among the Allies
bury papers we read that at Marlborough
in i712 the Duke of Somerset offered an
elector for his vote, on behalf of a nomi-
nee, a pension of 500 per annum for life.
To another he offered pension of $780,
with a post worth another 5000 a year;
and to others he gave sums of money
promised to educate the son of a burgess
and present him to good living as soon
as he was old enough. Strange to say,
the Dukes candidate was unsuccessful.
He was Whig, and it is suggested that
the Tories must have been more liberal.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
JHE OUTER WORLD

Last Thursday night the New York
Casino presented la Belle Helena an
up to date edition of the noted French
opera bouffe, "Rialtoized," as one critic
calls 1t. Libretto improved by Louis Har-
rison and music added to Offenbach by
Englander. 1t was a success.
The public often wonders what is the
attitude of opera singers toward news
paper criticisms. The De Reszkes, Nor
dica and Sembrich read their press notices
very carefully; Melba is Indifferent as to
husband uses the scissors literally before
he permits his wife to read the critics.
Listen to ]. E. Dodson on the eternal
subject of acting as an art: "Of course.
1 consider acting an art, but I know there
are many who do not. To be sure, it is
much abused. and, like many other arts,
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

q COINCIDENCE IN OVERHCTING
BELLE HRCHER
" Il GQntented Woman"

II ITHER Miss Belle Archer is con-
~ siderably less Of an actress than
she used to be or else my taste
IL in play-acting is something bet
ter than it was in the old Fraw-
ley Company days. Then l thought
Miss Archer to be an actress of de-
hshtful address, a bit careless in her
work sometimes, but fairly easy and
accurate in the technique of her craft
and possessed of a certain worldly
grace that was admirable in many
parts. Seeing her at the California the
other night in "A Contented Woman" ="
1 suffered all sorts of disenchantment.
1t was almost as bad a performance of
the part Of Grace 4Iolme as the one
given by the late Caroline Miskell Hoyt.
and certainly it was just as overposed
and amateurish. A good stage balance
is such hard thing for a player to
acquire that. having once acquired it.
you wonder how it eve can be forgot
ten. Miss Archer seemed to have start
ed work all over again, and in decided
ly the wrong way. Even in her voice
there is change; it is high pitched.
cold and stringy and monotonously
NhNCAlOOu- IS 1lilGS ludl dIG SuppOSCu
TO. be retaliatory and satiric she reads
with the obvious emphasis that young
girls in their school day encounters
put upon such phrases as Indeed"
and You don't say so?" Her gestures.
too, are misfit. They would be more
than adequate to the role of Lady Mac
beth. There is no Illusion whatever
in the impersonation. In fact. it is not
an impersonation at all; it is eXagger-
ated make-believe from one end to the
other, hardly more human in effect than
when children play at being adults
The only amiable feature of Miss Arch
er's stellar venture that 1 can see is
her gOwning. There is a personality
in dress as in all things. and Miss
Archer's graceful costumes appear to
have been tailored esj ecially for her
self. They are to be admired without
stint, but it does seem a pity that Belle
Archer, as we to know her. should
be left out of them.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

To prevent domestics breaking any
thing-keep a cat in the house, and
YOU win never hear of anything being
broken by the servants.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

The Sunday Call, SO
pages, delivered at your
home by mail for 81 so
q year. Subscribe for it.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

A long string of vaudeville specialties fill
out the bill.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29


company is the usual vague crowd of
the Hoyt revival-staccato women and
men whose department is hampered by
evening clothes. Eve often wondered
how so many men of uniformly strange
manners contrive to find their way into
the dress suits" of the Hoyt plays.
Perhaps they are the gentlemen whom
the reformed 'legitimates" have crowd
ed out of the vaudeville business. Their
cigar manners especially are most curl
Gus. Mr.. Hoyt's dress suits" are in
variably accompanied by cigars, which
in ordinary moments are usually worn
in the hand, until such time as the
smoker approaches a woman, where
upon he promptly transfers his weed
to his teeth, and saturates her coun-
tenance in rich gray smoke. I noticed
this happen several times the other
night in "A Contented Woman" In
one instance a young lady came peril
ously near to smashing the carefully
nursed ash of a perfecto on her chin,
I dare say that if she had spoiled that
smoke the performance would have
been parted in the middle. Another
Hoyt characteristic was the plenitude
of profanity. There were times when
"damns" and "hells" were as thick as
telegraph poles out of a railway car
riage window. l wondered if Mr.. Hoyt
supplied them all, or did the actors
sulphur their lines at will. There ought
to be a limit. Profanity is too popular
a form of comic emphasis to lose it's
potency through over usage. The ex-
ception mentioned in the beginning of
this paragraph is Mrs. Fanny Denham
Rouse. who gives a vigorous identity to
the part of Aunt Jim, the best char
acter work of the new-woman mother
in-laW variety that l have seen.
The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29

; 9 g @ o o @ 9 9 o @ @ o @ o o @ :
The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-04-27
Loubet's Fine Decoration.

The Grand Masters collar Of the
Order of tho Legion OF Honor, with
which President Loubet has been in
vested, is of finely wrought gold, and
is altogether magnificent decoration,
but very rarely assumed by the Presi-
dent. The Order dates from Napo-
Icons consulate ii 1902 It COM
prises four classes--viz. eighty grand
crosses, 160 grand officers, 400 COM
manders, and an unlimited number of
officers and chevaliers. Unless by the
exercise of authority on the part of the
Grand Master, or for some signal SER
vice to the State, all holding the Order
begin as chevaliers, and are not eligible
until they have exercised with distinc-
ton for twenty years civil or military
duties, or have done some important
service to the State. CT earned dis
tinction in art Or science 4 cleyalier
must have held that grade for four
years before he can become an officer;
| two years more are necessary before
| the grade of commander can be at
sained; commander cannot become
grand officer under five years, and
Ave years more are needed before (.
grand officer can become a grand
cross. ar military men years OF war
services SCUM. double. - London
Chronicle,
The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-04-27
His Writing Reversed.

Drs. Richards and Gordon, Of
Quincy, held consultation Thursday
over the case of Postmaster Charles
f. Wilde. Of Wollaston, which has
been puzzling the public during the
past week. After a careful diagnosis
of the case the physicians decided
that he was suffering from congestion
of the base of the brain and that the
disease had been developing during
quite long period. One popularity
of his mental condition has been a
change in his method of writing. In.
stead of writing from left to right, as
he has previously been accustomed to
do, he has, during his sickness, when
attempting to write, reversed the
style and has written backhanded, OF
from right 10 left. Thursday he wrote
his name in his ordinary manner, how.
ever, which was considered striking
sign of improvement in his condition
by his physicians and friends. Boston
Herald
The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-04-27
BRAVE PniLAoEir 49,
Seasons Desst.s;s A.. I.r
Wei o. III

Mss Manic Fel d.
exclusive cebafanf,s .s
exclusive scf - ir.
this SEASON. she f.
DTcn-l brother. ans
family ties With niu
note in the msir0Pe'i.
But Niss Fcil ls me-
girl. bn; al athlete b.
makes a. good q rau
o. belleaom a. ste
IN an. athletic nuE#
a leader b. the iiin f..
sing. All EeT friend
oonEratulatinE h'T nu
presence ~ fDinl Ma
captured a burslar bon
or Broad stree Shr ..
Blddie had JL1t leff I',
a iheafer. where tArr
chasing ticket. EL,l
grabbed Mis- Feil.- r...
wss OF with a rufa
Was : "rusher" too. S
down Broad street io
around the corner r..
and Walnut slIe og'fL.
grabbing his coatia De-
screamed until = police"
her assistance. Owing
ROT 10 have the AFFAIR o..
did not appear aFaiu1
who only got ninety ...
qnenre. but such an es-a.
was bound 30 corne or.
the town IL talking aha.H
The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-04-27
Lice Upon the Orange Leaves.

The insects upon the orange leaves
are one Of a number of species of scale
ice which are common upon house
plants. They are all of similar gener-
ii nature. and call for similar treat
nent. Ordinarily, sponsins with
strong soapsuds is sufficient. but if this
should prove insufficient the plants
should be sprayed with kerosene emul-
sion or kerosene aud water, if the prop
sr apparatus is at hand. The lice will
then yield to sponging, and there will
be no further trouble unless the plants
are neglected. Wherever theDe are
scale lice, occasional sponging is una
yoidable. 1t has proven possible t.
completely rid plants of them.-Prot
~. A. Buckhout Pennsylvania EXper
.lnent Station,