The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-28
Ok NEWS OF The COUNTY OF ALAMEDA *
COY THEATER
GIVES PUBLIC
PRETTY PLAY

Captain Darlington" the first OF the
new plays to be done at the Majestic,
took me to the uptown house last night
for the first time since it's completion.
1t was worth while just to see the pref
test theater in town. The foyer, a
palace Of light, and palms and cheer
full crimson carpetings, Immediately IN
vites, and 'twould be a drab play, in
deed, that could soon down its happy
suggestion. Inside the house 1t is the
same. The decorations are in the same
cheerful and tasteful key, as one OBJ
serves from seats that are all that the
blessed old Tivoli's were not. In fact,
everything conduces to comfort, ana
one begins by being ready TO enjoy
anything the Majestic curtain rings
UP on.
Captain harrington" as before said,
is this weeks offering. 1t is a revo-
lutionary drama by Victor Mapes, and
is neither worse nor better than great
many other plays of the same period.
Charles Richman, who produced IL IN
New York, found it a fairly succeSs1ul
medium. and so does the Majestic
Company-better, much, L understand,
last night, than on Sunday night.
Things were rather lively round the
way, when the play was first done.
There was a prompter in every wing,
make-ups missing, and what not, and
the silver voice of Mr.. Bishop was
heard afterward in fraternal remon-
STRANGE. At 8 o'clock, not fifteen min
uts past-as the blackboard had it
on Monday morning, the repentant
mummers went to work. and last night
the prompter took a rest. Things went
nlnnLyUnrl In
within the company's not extraordi-
nary powers was done with the play.
To Mr.. ]. H. Gilmour falls the chief
role, or rather roles. He plays the
parts Of twin brothers, one a captain
in the British army, the other a lieu
tenant in General Washington's COM
mand, and each ignorant Of the others
existence. The coincidence is difficult
of acceptance to begin with and the
rather obvious effort with which Mr.
Gilmour makes his changes does not
conduce to illusion. But there are
many good points about his work. He
has an admirable enunciation, a re-
fined pronunciation and satisfying
voice behind them. Obviously Mr.. Gill
mour knows his Henry Miller. His love
scenes are modelled after Miller's most
empresse methods and he has even
feeting expressions that remind. But
SSIlOuS anu cdIHcSl dc llG IL SpAlAICQ at
times. capable, too, there is quite lack
ing the note Of distinction.
Seriousness and sincerity are also
Miss Grace Reals strong points. Miss
Reals assumes the part Of Ruth Lang
don, who has the honor of saving
George Washington from her conspir
plots. The actress is fairly
ready of wit, but 'mechani-
cal. She would never lack the word, but
could never give what lies behind the
word. 1t is quite possible, however,
that Miss Reals is ill-suited in this par
ticular role, some indications of a
larger aptness for comedy being in evil
dence. The ingenue, Linda Arvidson,
brings the personal note into her little
part. She is individual and charm
ing, if unevenly so. The other feminine
role is in the hands OF Eleanor Cor,
don, late of the AlcaZar. I liked Miss
Gordon much better as 1 last saw her
as a pig-tailed Swedish servant lass
than as the riding-habited lady Of last
night. But perhaps her black velvet
and gold stripes are responsible for the
accretion of consciousness in evidence.
Miss Gordon is handsome as ever
Others in the cast are George Wash
ington himself, done by Theodore
with due reverence, and Joe
and his father, both we'll
enough taken by ]. D. O'Hara and
Henry Stockbridge. The settings are
handsome and the uniforms add fine
color to the pictures.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.