The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-31
Explained by a Brace
of New Farces.
ANNIE YEAMAN'S RARE ART
HACKNEYED CHARACTERS, BUT
GOOD FUN IN SMITH"
Peaceful Valley Played at the
Alcazar and LA Perichole"
Sung by the Tivoli
Company.

why Smith Left Home" Is a new
farce written around an old theme by
George H. Broadhurst. The theme is
the invasion of newly married mans
home by his wife's relations. The prin-
cipal invader in this instance is not the
moth Nr-in-law, but the brides aunt.
AS they say in the play, however, She
may be an aunt by nature, but she's
a mother in-law by instinct. And the
good busy woman neglects none of the
offices Of that ancient character Be
sides sitting upon Mr.. Smith and mold
Ing the character Of his wife, she has
a small but skittish husband of her
own-a Frenchman this time-to sub
due. The Smith household is further
stormed by Mrs. Smiths young cousin
and his clipping bride. And the Smiths
have great trouble also with their ser
wants. The cook is an Irish woman and
the influential head Of several labor
unions; and the maid is an insinuating
young party, translated from the
French, who helps along the complica-
tons by wearing one of her mistress
gowns and being kissed by mistake by
the beau Of the house. BY the time the
kissing episode has been satisfactorily
explained Mr.. Smith is ready to leave
the house in the hands of the servants,
the relations or anybody else, and
move himself and bride down town to
the Waldorf-Astoria. The Smiths de-
part as the curtain falls on the last
act; and he title of the piece is justified.
I almost forgot 20 mention that there
is a comic spinSter and a German dia-
Electrician amoLg the Well-knoWn char
acters.
The astute reader has already dis
covered the plot, which can hardly be
improved by Mr.. Broadhurst or by my
self at this time of day. Mr.. Broad
hurst has fixed it up quite Americanly
and written several good parts for as
many good players. The show is not
as distinctive and clever as that pro-
vided by the same author in What
Happened to Jones " and it is unduly
slow up to the close of the first act
but it is brightly dialogued in many
places, full of situations that have al
ways produced laughter and competent
~ played by a good eompanyF =
Gallantry and good sense conspire to
a first mention o. dear old Mrs. Annie
Yeamans, who plays the sovereign Of
the kitchen with undininished art and
humor. Mrs. Yeamans was the star
last night at the California without
Struggle. That is always the beauty cf
Mrs. Yeamans Irishness-she never
struggles. Her art is easy, affable and
sure. Her brogue is so natural you
can imagine talking with it in her
sleep; her facial play is the best Of
comic eloquence, and her gestures are
diagrams in fun; and pervading all is
that ever-buoyant magnetism of hers,
something that makes her lovable and
companionable to the farthest row.
That woman can make friends among
an audience quicker than l can ever
hope to make enemies on the stage.
Her performance alone will make 1t
worth your while TO find out why
Smith Left Home"
And l do not mean this to disparage
the others in the cast, who are for the
greater part a well ordered company.
Our good friend, Maclyn Arbuckle, has
the part of Smith, which, while it re-
quires none of that actors serious eX-
cellencies, affords him plenty of breezi-
ness and hustle; and c. Jay Williams is
very happy in the intricacies of Ger
man-American dialect and syntax.
Miss Dorothy Usner, who was here
several seasons ago with Nat Good
win, has developed an arch Anna Held
like style that adapts itself takingly
TO the part Of the maid. Miss Rose
Snyder is very formidable as the visit
ing aunt: Miss Rose Stuart, although
frequently a bit too steamful in the
part of Mrs. Smith, presents a stun
ming picture in her masquerade cos
tune of the last act and the French
man, by Fred w. Peters, is fairly fun
ny If not authentic.
AS a usual thing the inebriated gen
tleman of the stage, with the staggers
and the wobbling speech and the dis
arranged attire, is quite as deadly and
uncomical as his prototype in actual
life, but at the Orpheum this week there
is a jag specialist who is really funny.
who simply cOnvulses you with laughter
for something like forty minutes. His
name is the Well-knoWn one of Milton
Mobiles, and together with Dolly Mobiles
he appears in a little farcelet of his
own authorship called why Walker
Reformed" A bare statement of the
plot would suggest August Thomas re-
cent vaudeville piece, THAT Overcoat :"
for in both pieces the principal char
acter comes home from the club in an
other fellows outer garment, which is
loaded with bottles and discriminating
correspondence for the wife to find.
However, beyond this similarity of Incl
dent the pieces are as different as pos
sible. why Walker Reformed is
easily the best sawed-off farce that has
been played in the Orpheum. Nearly
every line in it is an occasion for
laughter; and the humor is characters
istically American, quick, deft and APP
pdEeuIly eIIOIlleSS, anu not without It's
measure of philosophy and wisdom. In
the acting Mr.. Mobiles realizes with de-
lightful emphasis all the clever stuff
that he has written into his own part;
his drunkard is realistic and at the
same time sufficiently idealized to ex-
clude vulgarity; it is indeed a fine bit
Of comic character. The part of the
wife, too, is we'll taken. Not the least
refreshing feature of the performance
is in the fact that Mrs. Mobiles is not
what is called in the bright lexicon of
vaudeville, excess baggage"
Among the other newcomers are De-
renda and Breen, who gracefully juggle
with the Indian clubs; Willy Ozeola, an
equilibrist, and comely young woman
by the name of Giacinta della Rocco,
who plays almost the whole of ''Trova-
tore" on the violin. Miss della Rocco is
very pretty and gets quite a pretty
tone from her instrument, and perhaps
1t is the business of herself and her
managers that she chooses to disport
her talent in the most banal of the
Verdi tunes-but to one who has more
than a sneaking regard for vaudeville
Il does seem weird that all vaudeville
violinists run either to "Cavalleria
Rusticana" or I'll Trovatore." There
are other chestnuts that would serve