The San Francisco call., 1904-10-13
By Sally Sharp.

If Ben Greet-the apostle Of the sup
posedly impossible in dramatic art
had only been at Century Hall last
night there's no telling but that a
Browning play would be his next ar
tistic resurrection. Stranger things than
that have come to pass in these re-
generate days. And it all came about
thus: Last night the Browning Club,
Mrs. Frank Oulton president, offered
a feast in song and story to its friends.
It presented the divine lovers in all
the moods they knew and through all
the intricacies of that famous love that
wrought the sweetest songs of the
heart ever given TO man.
And in the following manner was it
presented to the few hundred thrice
lucky guests:
Part Robert BrOWning's songs Cavalier
songs) ta) King Charles (White), % March
ing Along (White) lc) Boot and Saddle tRog-
ers), S. Homer Henley, accOmpanist Mrs. Ed
win William Stadtmuller; reading Musical
Instrument elizabeth Barrett Browning), Mrs
Ralph g Harrison; Elizabeth Barrett Brown
ing's songs (a) Nevernore Alone tHadleyl, 90
Love Ne Sweet with All Thou Art CWhite1,
Miss Helen Colburn Heath; reading (Robert
Browning), Mrs. B. T. Norris Robert Brown
irg's songs (a) Go 10 Prove Ny Soul para
celsus). Harraden), Cb) Prospice Homer),
Part 2-Au Printemps CGounod); intermezzo
music. gavotte, minuet. aubade. courante pa
vane 1532-ITsD lutte and mandolin. Professor
Samuel Adelstein: harp, Mrs. Mary l. Fitz-
simmons; play, In a Balcony (Robert
Browning): Norbert, Lloyd Lowndes Con-
stance. Miss Grace Llewellyn Jones; the Queen,
Mrs. Max c. Sloss.
AS always, S. Homer Henley's num-
bers were rendered in fetching fashion,
his numbers sharing honors with the
songs of a pretty maid with a rose
wreath in her hair-Miss Helen Col
burn Heath.
The readings of Mrs. Ralph c. Harri-
son and Mrs. B. F. Norris were given
with a feeling born Of intimacy with
the prose-poet and his sweetheart.
Following the intermission came the
piece de resistance to the sound of
sweet music from afar-the play. Now,
a Browning play is a thing apart from
the plays of the workaday world, for
they stand for mental rather than
physical action-and therein lies one
bar to the popularity Of the Browning
plays. But ye who scoff would have
remained to pray had We heard the in
terpretation as given last night by am
ateurs-scornful word, but true-but
in truth, lovers of the lines they spoke.
With a little shallow stage furnished
with a pair of Ionic columns sliced in
two. a table with bunch Of blossoms,
a piano. a settee and a curtained cor
ner. with these puny accessories Mrs.
Max c. Sloss. her beautiful rival, Miss
Grace Llewellyn Jones, and their lover,
Lloyd Lowndes, carried the play
through three-quarters of an hour
without a moments cessation of in
terest-from before the footlights.
Pretty to look upon in her glistening
rcbes and ropes of pearls, Miss Jones
proved herself a seductive sweetheart,
Sc. too, did Mrs. Sloss. in her regal
robes Of blue. look the queen-lover that
she was. and act it, too. Norbett, un-
lucky wight. loved alike by queen and
maid, was clever-mighty clever, in a
mighty hard role In all, twas a pity
Ben Greet didn't see it-and others who
know their Browning.
To the Browning Club congratula-
tons.
To the clever actor-folk. more of
them. and may It not be long before
another play Of mental action be given
US
Besides, the Brownings are needed
now. AS an antidote for divorce
know no better pabulum.
The audience? SmartIy gowned, in
terested. and therefore appreciative.
But why, oh why. win women with
rustling taffeta fiutter about from room
TO room, Just at a psychological mo-
ment?