The San Francisco call., 1904-06-14
GREAT AUDIENCES CHEER MODERN DRAMAS PRESENTED
BY FAMOUS PLAYERS WITH SPLENDID SCENIC EFFECTS
Sothern's Fascinating Art
Seen in McCarthy's
Miracle Play.
Master Actor Wins Tri-
umph in "The Proud
Prince"

All the literary charm of a Shakes
pearean legend and all the best effects
that modern stagecraft could devise
such was the presentation of The
Proud Prince" by Z. H. Sothern and a
capable supporting company last even
ing at the Columbia Theater.
The play was written by Justin
Huntly Mccarthy, and its theme is
the psycho-religious fable of a King
of Sicily whose soul was as bad as its
tenement was handsome. This mon
arch SCOTS at heavens might until the
Archangel transforms him into a being
with person as reDellant as his mind.
In this Calibanistic condition he passes
through various stages of suffering un-
iii the heart puriication gradually ef-
fected through his seemingly hopeless
passion for a pure young girl redeems
him and restores his former estate.
Longfellow has sung the story and
all its poetic worth has been utilized
by the dramatist. Through four acts
the symbolical meaning is sustained in
lines that are true literature, action
that is illuminative and scenes that
are near the acme OF stage ingenuity.
Mccarthy calls his work "a miracle
play." but 1t is much more convinc-
ing than it could have been when the
church taught some of its lessons
through the medium OF the hummer
The lesson is embellished with all that
has been learned or stage art since the
fifteenth century.
Sothern's acting as the King won
for him half a dozen curtain calls at
the conclusion of each act 1t would
have been great acting without the
pictorial accessories, and with them it
served TO rouse the big and cultured
first-night audience to pitch OF en-
thusiasm rarely attained in that house.
His exhibition of the Kings brutal ar
Ice in the first act-where he was
the despot who neither spared maiden
ly honor nor needed manly protest
was as thrilling in it's repulsive way
as was his subsequent writhing of soul.
All Sothern did was thoroughly con-
yincing. Miss Jane Laurel shared most
of the recalls with him and she fairly
earned the honor. for more natural
young actress has never been seen
among Sothern's associates. Her in
genuousness was accentuated by the
artistic way in which Miss Affie War
ner played the wanton favorite of the
King-a part that necessitated keen
sense of repression. The slightest bit
of over-exuberance would have made
ii a less interesting performance. Both
women are richly blessed with person
aIity and talent. The remainder of the
big cast was entirely adequate.
II given a decade 2 aoo-when Fanny
Davenport's trees were torn up in the
EGYPTIAN storm during her perform
ances of the Nile street.-the electrical
effects introduced in the first act CT
The Proud Prince" would have Gre
ated a sensation; and even now, when
such effects are no rarity, they are
well worth witnessing. The scenery,
too, could not be more elaborate or ar
nd ar1fT
acte mus, of which there is a great
deal. enhances the intelligibility of the
scenes by its thorough appropriate
ness.
As a whole THE Proud Prince" is
most satisfactory performance and the
folk in all parts of the theater last
night so pronounced it.