The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-25
"DANTE" SEEMS
TO IMPRESS AS
MIRACLE PLAY


Dante" drama written in, protest
against the Sardou Dante" by the
Rev. ]. F. x. O'Conor, s. j., was pre-
sented last night at ST. Ignatius Hall,
by members of the Gentlemen's Sodal-
ity.
The protest reaches us here before
the exciting crime. Echoes of the
Sardou Dante" presented last season
by Sir Henry Irving, have indeed
reached us The play, despite the dis
tinction of both playwright and player,
seems TO have spelt most kinds of dra-
matte failure. Its sins against good
taste and truth are alleged as offenses
in chief. Dante is lowered with left
handed offspring that plays important
part, and with a paramount, Pia del
Tolemei, also much in evidence There
is a general back stairs attitude in the
viewpoint, and the attempt to reconcile
the Dante of the Vita Nuova" and the
Dante Of the back stairs, is said TO
have met with high confusion.
Here it is that Father OConor makes
his protest. A drama" in three acts
that he also calls Dante In more
ways than one the O'Conor drama diff
fers from the Sardou play. Properly
speaking it is not a drama. but a Sc
ries of scenes from the life of the poet.
1t alphabetically presents him as
poet, politician, patriot, lover and ex-
strictly observed. In the Dante role
the poets own words are frequently
used, and the rest Of the dialogue is
we'll in keeping. With one exception.
The farcical little scene of the street
boys, with its Yep" "Naw!' kind O.
scared" kind O. creepy, is curiously
out of harmony with the simple dig
nifty Of the rest. Nine scenes in all there
are. Set in Rome, Florence, hell and
Ravenna, they afford plenty of oppor-
tunity to the scenic powers. And most
creditably they were staged. the set
ting of the gate of hell being really
impressive.
AS whole the piece impresses much
as a miracle play, naive and quaint.
One feels this particlarly in the visions
of the inferno, where red demons spit
an unfortunate gentleman on redhot
forks But it is only amusing here, not
ridiculous. So much can hardly be said
of the pandemonic finale, that is, how
ever, melodramatically effective. But
it is as a simple and sympathetic little
portrait of the poet that the play best
pleases. Dante, in the hands of James
Bacigalupi, is a remarkably intelligent
portrayal. Mr.. Bacigalupi will be re-
membered as the very clever Judas of
the &ldld dSOlOll Il 10y anu lAC
last night again demonstrated unusual
dramatic ability. 1t was throughout a
dignified and thoughtful conception.
In the scene where Dante in Rome
receives word of his Punishment from
Florence Mr.. Bacigalupi perhaps
showed to best advantage. His profile,
lean, ascetic, is at a distance no bad
physical reminder of Dante's, and one
was grateful again for the player
clear enunciation and intelligent de-
livery. The Virgil also was particu-
larly well portrayed by Fred Churchill,
and William A. Breen as Corso Donati
and John Mulrenin as Gino di Pistoia
both deserve mention. There was a
Beatrice, boy Beatrice-again quaint
~ reminiscent of the miracle play. 1t
was done as well as could be expected
by Francis Buckley. Ghibellines and
Guelphs galore filed in, and to this
all came a large and cheerful audience.
Twice again, on Wednesday and Fri
day evenings. the play will be given.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.