The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-12-29

| mere as that Which Mary Manner
= ing brings with her in Janice
Meredith" They have succeeded in max
| ing the play go. and no further test Of
/ capacity need be asked. They have fur
! Their succeeded in making it attractive
! and enjoyable to a large proportion Of the
| large audiences that have greeted it at
the Columbia. They have done every
thing possible for the play, even to the
| smallest detail, from Miss Mannering
down to the fascinated soldier who just
smiles for his supper. More than that,
they have unconsciOusly and with mis-
chievous intent deIIded their good-na-
tured audiences into the belief that the
play is a good one. The staging, too, is
very effective and the stage management
without a flaw, so, granting all these good
things, what's the odds if the audience is
| happy?
Mr.. Ford has been incredibly fortunate
in persuading Miss Mannering to picture
his wonderful heroine. The difficult flu
sion of a girl sufficiently beautiful and be-
witching to captivate everything in the
masculine line that comes into her orbit
is thus carried off with victorious plausi-
bility, for Mary Mannering is among the
lOvelieSt and most charming of the
younger women stars. She has grown
considerably in her art since her last visit
here, a steady progress upon right lines
Indeed, she has hardly yet crossed the
line that divides the leading lady from
the star, though she is fast nearing the
confines of the ornamental domain. Her
work is still little rigid in line and lack
ing a trifie of HShtness in the handling
a little depth in the quality. To Aer is
yet to come the last freedom, grip, au-
thority; but that she will arrive is
certain, for her present achievement Is
big with promise. She has conscience and
industry and numbers but a score and five
years to her pretty name. Miss Manner
ings work has substance and roundness
charm, finish. repose and individuality
1t is easily likely, therefore, that the
years will add the necessary elasticity
and grip.
Thursday afternoon next will afford a
valued opportunity to Miss Mannering
in new light. Playing in Janice Mere
dith" to please her management, proba-
bly, to please herself the charming ac-
tress will essay the title role in Camille"
1t will be the first time that she has at
tempted the part, therefore an occasion
Of peculiar interest. The support Is sure
to be good. Drouet will appear as Ar
mand-that bette noire Of most actors. n.
s. Northrup and Charles Cherry are also
in the cast and Miss Amy Ricard-the pi
quaint ingenue of the current bill, Tabitha
Drinker-will be Marine.
Maurice Maeterlinck's betrothaI to
young, beautiful and capricious Partisan
opera singer, Georgette Leblanc. is Gre
ating small sensation in Paris lust now
Joe Welch. the light of the Orpheum
road show this week, is one of
the wild joys of living. He is
almost criminally funny and one OF
the keenest, kindest mimics that ever
footed the stage As every one knows he
lmpersonates Hebrew tailor. His
method is as simple as it is effective
He does not depend for his effects on tba
colossal nose and fortissimo check suit
that his kind usually affect nor on ~
Mapping hand and already vets Of tn
average Jew impersonator. Neither o.
the more Familiarity exploited cbarac+ar
1stlcs OF the Jewish makeup as the. cor,to
papers have it those that Welch chooses -
portray, but for queer Iifelfkeness cor
hdent, subtle. easy and ravishinglv f,n,,,
portraiture he beats the band " II,s
material is as funny as his methods 80
as original and queerly simple II is b~tt
what he says and how he saws II ~.
count. AT one stage of the procaadirr-,
ne mas himself, an innocent victim -
the law, on his way to the County IT,,
IN the BLACK Maria" handcufge5 - al al
gentleman who is about to a.. "a q
years. Inc little Hebrew thinking tn obo.-
MS olsconsolate partner in misfortuna