The San Francisco call., 1899-08-13

they did had his own signature appeared
for the plot is one of deep interest and
the language most poetic.
But the play has had its day. A gor-
geous production, in which Sothern ana
Virginia Harmed figured, ran scarcely a
week and was Withdr$awn. mss, Ihls Is 'ne
fail; but there is little in it to interest
plain humanity nowadays, and most OF
US are so very plain There Is no absence
mouths of people whose acts belle the
words, and the whole action is falsetto.
Beside there are no good laughs. BulWer
had no sense of humor Colonel Damas
is a piece of true metal, and rings through
the false with q far-reaChing resonance.
He atoneS in a degree for his relations.
In the good romantic plays of to-day we
sink our identity with the players, forget
our own conditions, live the story with
them, and find it good part of ethics to
it we feel like taking the center OF the
stage telling the characters of world
wheeling, .golfing and swimming masters
to the whole set" One passage Will
never lose it's beauty, and that is where
Claude paints "the home to which, could
Love fullfl its prayers" his hand would
lead Pauline The speech is eXtravagant,
but SO is the play. The fact that Miss
Roberts is second in interest this week
proves what an excellent Claude Mr.
Whittlesey makes. The part was not be-
meath the ambitions Of Macready, who
created the role, and Mr. Whittlesey has
evidently given it serious study. Miss
Roberts makes no effort to outshfne him,
but contents herself with playing artisti-
line quoted above calls to mind an Incl
dent that happened when Adelaide Nell
son was playing the Lady, "All is for
and throws herself into Claudes arms.
BY an unfortunate move Claude fell back
ward to the ground, and rose, in what
should be very serious scene. to the aw
full fate of this. speech: This IS the
heaviest blow of alli' 1.-The Lady of
Lyons" is the least interesting bill of Miss
Roberts season, but next week, as though
to make amends, we are promised a nov
city in a dramatization of Ouida's "Un-
der Two Flags, The. play has not been
done before, and as Cigarette, Miss Rob-
erts looks forward to week of now
joys Mr.. Whittlesey will be BERTHE
Cecil. the king of Bohemians. and Iuliet
Crosby: after long rest, will reappear
in a character, the knowing ones say
seems to have been written around her.
The act of 'Zaza" given at the Orpheum
for the first time on Thursday night is
an imitation of Mrs. Leslie Carter and an
"Zaza," but we have seen Mrs. Garter
and her personality is not easily forgot
ten. But it is not of the act as an ''imi-
tation" that I started to write. but of the
fact that Miss Cotton makes us forget il
is an imitation She is revealed an actress
of temperament magnetism and intensity
who is quite as capable of creation as
imitation. 1 wonder how many of US kept
Mrs. Carter in view to the end Vaude-
vile is a good field. Miss Cotton, but other
fields are needing you.
backward look at Faust" at the
Tivoli brings Miss Beckwith's Siebel first
to the. minds eye. Not that she is a
specially wonderful Siebel. but she stands
so cool and gray and shadowy and nat
ural and 1.-THE of limb amid much that is
inharmonious. Whatever experience she
may traverse in her stage career. 1t is
to be hoped the priceless treasure of
sweet modesty she now possesses may not
hr fa in6 7 n
toward traditional opera gesture in her
work this week. Let US hope not. for her
freedom from the fault IS so refreshing.
Her voice, too has a soft mellowness that
comforts the ear. We have long known
how we'll Signora Pasquali could sing the
numbers of the prison scene, but the