The San Francisco call., 1904-07-12

of last season in New York only a few
sented last night at the Columbia for
the first time here, was one Of them.
Small wonder It,would be difficult to
imagine so severely disastrous season
as that in which this pretty trifie could
not float gayly to success. 1t is of COM
edy the airiest, gay, fanciful and poetic,
running lightly through a charming
story to a too early ending. Again, It
is deliciously acted by Miss Ethel Bar
rymore and her associates, and San
Francisco-all of it's bluebook folk that
are at home, that is-saw fit last night
to indorse New Yorks verdict.
And 1 doubt if patriotism had any
thing to do with the matter-or re-
morse. Both sentiments were very
properly in order. Hubert Henry Da-
vies, author of the comedy. was one of
our local prophets that found no honor
in his own country. Even New York
would have none of him-until London
persuaded. Now the erstwhile critic of
the News Letter is sending his made
in-London comedies to his old stamp
ing ground and conquering with
Cousin Kate" and, like Oliver Twist,
one asks for more.
Cousin Kate is for the purposes of
amusement only. The author poses
no problem, breaches no gospel.
Cousin Kate is a charming young
woman novelist who falls in love at
first sight with her cousins fiance.
The attraction is mutual. She meets
the gentleman on the train that takes
her to her cousins house for the we'd
ding, and unaware of each other
identity they recognize themselves as
twin souls. 1t is very sudden, but Mr..
Davies makes the contingency suffi-
GENTLY plausible for the purposes of
comedy, and is admirably assisted
therein by the actors. How Cousin
Amy, the young woman who is the
original owner of Cousin Kate's aff1n-
ity. is provided for and the happiness
of all attained need not be related
II is worth the price to find out. very
wittily lightly, Mr.. Davies has handled
his dialogue, and his situations are
charmingly unhackneyed. Few pref
tier scenes will be remembered than
the one between Cousin Kate ana her
would-be lover, where they take tea
together-still unconscious of each
others identity-and weave nursery
stories about the fire in the man
home.
Mr.. Davis owes much to his inter-
prefers. 1t is not easy to imagine him
more deeply in debt to any cast than
the one Mr.. Frohman has given to the
play. 1t is almost Ibsenish in size, by
the way, Miss Barrymore and half
dozen others sufficing for the present
ment As charmingly individual as
Maude Adams is the delightful young
woman that heads the cast. She is as
natural. as archly spontaneous. as
quickly humorous, as Maude Adams
herself. and, like all of the Drew fam
ily. John Drews niece has manner
tons of it. She is beautiful again, in
lean. willowy, ultra fashionable fash
ion, and is voiced deliciously. But that
she hardly looks the twenty nine
years that Cousin Kate owns to, Miss
Barrymore's portrait is all its author
paints it. In her rare girlishness she
however fails to suggest sometimes
the experienced woman of the world
that is intended, but in the tenderness.
romance, lively humor of the character
Miss Barrymore is charmingly con-
vincing. She is at all times a picture,
and her naive, gracefully awkward
bows at the curtain call are alone
worth going to see. Altogether. this
youngest member of the Drew family is
found an admirably accomplished
actress and young woman of an ex-
quisite individual charm.
Miss Barrymore's support is of the
best. As the lover Bruce McCrea is
picturesquely and emoticnally satisfy
ing. He has the impulsive accent that
makes his "chuting'' into love emf
nently plausible and a virile, romantic
note that fills in the rest of the char
acter with entire conviction. His
brogue is most ingratiating. Cousin
Amy is made a dainty and priggish
little person, a mouthpjece of other
peoples opinions, with careful stupid
ity, by Beatrice Agnew. The eoncep-
ton could not be bettered. Grant
Stewart as the curate who takes charge
of the family conscience is excellent
and Fanny Addison Pitt is drolly clever
as the weak little mother of Amy
There is a small son of somebody who
should not be forgotten. Augustin d.
Wilks. Gus" is all right. He as
sumes the role of Amy's schoolboy
brother and you feel like throwing
him-a bag of peanuts for it. He's a
real, truly boy.
RBANCHF PARTINGTON