The San Francisco call., 1905-01-24
Author 6ayS It Is.
but Critic FIndS
1t Hedvy.

Genius has given to the stage many
plays of wonderful dramatic power to
thrill the hearts of listening thousands.
She has laid upon tie altar of histrion-
ic art plays that showed, with the ut
most truth to nature, the inner work.
ings of mems minds and hearts, the
true and living motives of their actions.
She has given us plays that roll back
the centuries, etc. But 1t has
remained for the author of THE
HOLY CITY capitals, please. Mr..
Prnter-'to unite the crowning glories
OF all these in one grand triumph Of
dramatic arti''
Mr.. Gordon goes OMIT is his play,
he ought to know: "A play that.
judged alone by it's dramatic power and
merit, would take it's place among the
worlds great masterpiece" and so
on for seven pages and a half
1t is always interesting to know what
an author thinks of his own work.
1t is so usually and engagingly differ
ent from what you think. / can't say
that | wholly agree with Mr.. Gordon
here, for example. l saw his play up at
the Central last night. in charge of a
company that can turn it's hand to any,
thing from minstrels to John the Bap-
lists, and of management that would
nave hastened to supply gilded dish
clouts If such were needed.
In spite of these, The Holy City"
failed to Startle, so far as Mr. Gordon
goes. Asa masterpiece it is distinctly
OFF the board. Even with Herschel
Mayall perfectly angel"-vide the girl
behind-in white tights and a toga,
Myrtle Fane in pink tights and a span
gle or two, and a life-size head of John
the Baptist spotlighted on a charger.
the play failed to impress as a triumph
of dramatic art.
Mr.. Gordon, however; begins well.
His play is fashioned of the New Testa-
ment material, heavily edited, with all
of the chief characters except the
Christ in the cast. It's rirst act, which
includes the dancing of Salome before
Herod and the beheading of John the
Baptist, convinces in the biblical melo-
dramatic fashion.
The scene enchants. The manage
ment has given it costumes richly pic
turesque, seductive ballet and picture
and lighting effects of which it may
well be proud. Miss Myrtle Vane as
Salome, in her hair and the aforesaid
tights and spangled veil, is distinct
sensation. Miss Vane, in fact, devel-
ops as an uncommonly clever young
woman. Her dance is sufficiently fetch
ing to explain Herod,s enthusiasm,
and even when she has to say II am
daughter of a. hundred kings you
don't remember "A Working Girls
bear watching.
The whole scene goes we'll and is full.
of action. Lawrence Griffith presents
much to the good in it, sincere and
John the Baptist. and Henry
Shumer as Caiaphas and James Lori
gan as Andrew. both lend dignity and
conviction to the partN
The head ON the charger is done by
''itself'-as they say at the Orpheum.
1t is grewsomely like the real thing,
but they spare us the blug.. One rather
wishes they hadn't when Elizabeth
picks 1t up by the forelock and flaps
It In Salome's face. 1t is so impossibly
clean. But then one wishes Elizabeth
didn't flap it around that way.
! The rest of the play, with it's labori-
ous reference to the presence of the
Christ, is like Hamlet" without Ham
let. AS Mr.. Gordon says: Right here
we wish to note that the character of
bur Savior is not presented or person
ated by an actor, but is represented
solely by wonderful light and art eff
tects." Well, all that can be said is
hat the representation fails OF it's pur-
pose. At no time does one get the IL
usfon of the presence of Christ in THE
Holy City" as one got 1t SO vitality in
he little Passion Play at Santa
Cara. Neither has any act save the
1rst any dramatic value.
The rest consist of short dialogues
and scenes between different sets of /
he characters with almost no contin- |
lity Of action.
Much praise. however, goes to the |
actors almost throughout the large
,ast. Besides those already noted
Juliet Crosby was stately and impress I
i've as Herodias and was most warm !
y welcomed on her reappearance.
Ernest Howell was an earnest and con-
7incing Judas; Walter shannon par
1culaTly pfctureaafe and vfri1e PouTf,,u