The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-09-06


NO, that was at the Baldwin," the
actress pensively recalled, sin a play
called 'Clito.' 1t came about curiously, as
those things generally do. Kate For
ssthe, who was starring in the part, fell
i'll Of the grippe and had to give it UP.
The women of the company attempted it
then, but somehow got afraid of ii. Then
little Miss Roberts took the part one day
and played it the next. Mr.. Morrison,
my husband, and Eben Plympton were
in the cast among others, by the way"
And then, Miss Roberts?"
We'll, everything went comfortably
after that. I took Miss Forsythe's place
in the next play-she did not recover for
some time-and afterward 1 went to the
California Theater, then managed by Mr..
Morrison and Mr.. Hayman. You know
the rest married the manager" she
laughed. delightfully."-. Eve been married.
just think, for fourteen years"
The orthodox mol" to this was man
aged with much more than common con-
viction, and then inquired:
What other novelties are we to have
this season besides The Unwelcome Mrs
Hatch? %
THE D'Annunzio La Gioconda' is chief
among the new things" the actress re-
turned, with pardonable satisfaction.
We shall give the play at a series Of
special Thursday matinees-and 1T
WILL mink, De produced Very
handsomely. Everything will be as fit
and beautiful as It can be made. even to
new drop curtain. You have to do
things well in San Francisco. People
know here. You remember the story OF
la Gioconda?'
"Of the sculptor, his wife and friend,
OF the destroyed statue that falls upon
the woman's hands and amputates them?
Yes, it's not easy to forget it." l testified.
tn fal- Yoh
play? Only Duse has yet done it here
I believer
Miss Roberts nodded an assent and
said
THE way came to do the play was
really odd. I was playing in Seattle and
one afternoon received a postal reading
something like this: Dear Miss Roberts:
There is in the library here a translation
Of D'AnnunZiO's la Gioconda" Won't
you read it? Buses part might have been
written for you. A. Z. NJ. And I did
get the translation. wrote East then to
find out about the rights and here 1 am
to play the partr'
Il am right in my impression that the
difficult New York gave Duse and Dan
nunzio no too warm welcome in La
Gioconda?
THAT is, Of course, easy to under
stand" the coming Gioconda said There
are speeches as long as this" and she
reach, land In Italian-one may worry
through French but we have few au-
diences here that know enough Italian
to enjoy the long speeches. You will find,
too, that the dramas interest is largely
in atmosphere. There is very little
though deeply xpressive-acticn. Then
the lines are very beautiful"
Whose is your translation"
Arthur Symonds'."
Good" I witness. land the cast?"
"Lucius Henderson is to be the sculptor
he has just the fine nervous personality
for the part" Miss Roberts stated, 1.-THE
others are not yet decided upon. But
they viii be most carefully chosen. I
have Robert Aitken-how proud San
Francisco should be of that boy-to over
look the arrangement Of the sculptor's
studio"
"And now what else is on the pro-
grammeT'
" 'Magda,' replied this versatile per,
son. i've always wanted to do 'Magda'
Now I'm going to. Then I shall revive
'Zaza' for a week. And ohr' and the
actress olasDed excited hands. Il wanted
never wanted anything so much in my
life-to play Tess of the D'Urbervilles,'
but when the arrangements were all but
completed for the production here the
matter fell through"
you evidently like Mrs. Fiske's roper
toire2''
still. I shouldn't play Tess by any
means just as Mrs. F1ske played it."
Mop
mo, there were many places where
my idea of the part differs from hers
But, dear, how I did want to do the
thingl Now Becky Sharp-well, there
couldn't be any other Becky than Mrs
Fiske's."
Have you my best sde?" the little
woman suddenly asked the artist. IT'S
this" turning her piquant, smiling, little
profile that he might get the left view.
This is the side the photographers all
want" she laughed I noted, however,
that she did not have the usual curiosity
TO see the sketch after it was made.
as there any Shakespeare on the list
for this year?' I asked then.
mot this year. My season is for only
six weeks
Still you have not yet accounted for
them, reminded the actress.
well. another week goes. to The Lady
Ursula so that the people who don't
want to pay two dollars to see the play
can stiIl see Mr.. Hopes charming COM
edy," laughed the little lady. "And I'm
going to do The Frisky Mrs. Johnson"
Mrs. Fiske, Amelia Bingham, Marga-
ret Anglin. Leslie Carter and Duse rolled
into one" 1 testify to the Roberts YER
satility.
yes. Leslie Carter" she smiled in re-
turn; Il have 'Du Barry for next sea-
son. Also The Darling of the Gods
And Blanche Bates, toov' l murmur.
You will not do The Country Girl this
year?'
Not this year And ia rather play
Peggy than eat" Miss Roberts giggled,
Peggy-fashion. "She's lots of fun-just as
much fun for me as for the
audience. I think I'm going sto
enjoy The Frisky Mrs. Johnson
Isn't that English lordIing amusing?
Iawford was so good in the part-'Really
i do love you, Grace. I shall grieve for
weeks If you go back on me. Really, I
shall, the actress quoted. but the
parts are all good
Il could not see Grace falling i'm love
with that puppy" I objected. 1.-The Whole
situation fails TO convince Still, as Mr.
Lackaye put it: When will you find a
married woman falling in love where she
might reasonably be supposed to? She'll
inevitably turn from her fine husband to
a consumptive farm hand OF course
from that side the erring Grace might
have loved Mr.. Lawford's lordIing. Not
otherwise. You liked The Friskv Mrs
Johnson bpffpr than The CIi,,, 49, o.,