The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-23
" THE LIHRS.
us SEEN BY 4
LHDY CRITIC

One approaches a review of 1.-THE Liars
with eager pen, for while the cold eye
of the critic brings to the surface i'm
possible situations and unreal people NOV
ing in a most conventional world. the
grace and charm of the unreality compel
admiration and make one hesitate 10
point the shortcomings. The Liars" is
the most cleverly constructed play We
have seen in twelvemonth, wherein
most unworthy person, one Lady Jess1ca,
with a unique species of brute for nus
band, carries on a Irritation with GER
tain Edward Falkner to the point OF real
love. possible intrigue and consequent So
cial ruin, and when detection heels her
closely, sits down in a panic with folded,
meditative hands, while those about her
proceed to lie her back TO her husband
hearth, and what we feel must be to her
dull reSpectabilitY
A comedy in four acts, the programme
reads. but surely tbs the height of trag-
edy to love woman as Edward Faikner
loved the Lady Jessica, and know at last
that she is to live out her life with
Gilbert Napean (Whose unnecessarily
brutal tone, as played by Mr.. Standing
is surely more than the author intended)
while he goes TO Africa to fight for his
country, caring naught the while whether
or not humanity is swept from the con-
tinent, from Cairo to Cape Town, and
from Teneriffe to Zanzibar, and all TINS
for the sake of conYentionality. Morality
is not the key note to virtue in the world
Henry Arthur Jones so cleVerly paints
For the good friend of everybody. Colonel
Sir Christopher Deering, calls my lady
back to her senses through fear of Mrs
Grundy, and the value she sets upon
place in society.
We are conscious. now that the charm
of scene, and color, and light, and wo-
men not beautiful, but well gowned and
moving well; OF perfectly groomed men,
phrases, is vanished, that these people,
except Falkner and Sir Christopher, are
not real people, and that their world is
not a good one to dwell in. Mr.. Mller's
Sir Christopher is played with so much
dignity and clearnesS Of purpose that we
regret the little pantomime touches so
meaningless and unnecessary that mar an
otherwise perfect performance, and at the
close of the second act run perilously
close to Pierrot without the saving grace
of costume. No English gentleman of
breeding is ever so frankly hungry. eX-
cept in farce comedy. And why allow
the third curtain to fall on laugh? Our
ner tells the truth at Lady Jessca's bid
ding, and the merriment is irritating, the
line that calls it forth superfiuous. Mr.
Morgan'S portrayal of Edward Falkner
is the most convincing thing we have seen
in modern plays for many a day. Such
men as Falkner are not born to happi-
ness. They are the product of long an
cestry of noble deeds and deep loves and
strong passions too often uncontrolled.
Mr.. Morgan does not act. He is the
man. and may safely rest his reputa ton
as an actor on such a performance. Miss
Anglin plays the most unworthy Jessica
against our better judgment, straight into
our hearts. True genius turks in her
pauses and her facial expressions are
revelation. The production in its entirety
is a most melodious chord of harmony,
apd only lack of space confines our criti-
cism to the dominant notes.
See THE Liars that its musical
echoes may awake to fill the void that
lies always in the future possibilities of
patronize their haberdashers and taiIors
and modstes to the confusion of discord
We bow to Mr.. Miller and his company.
Would they might know how worthy we
are of their permanent residence here
CHARLOTTE THOMPSON