The San Francisco call., 1905-03-31
STRIKING PLAYS
|. ON THE BOARDS
'The Monkeys Paw" by w.
w. Jacobs, Makes BIG Hit
in London and in Paris
CREEPY SORT OF THING
Alfred Bruneau Scores a
Success With Opera Made
From One of ZOla's Tales
CREEPY SORT OF THING
Special Dispatch TO The Gail

opSSidi bASpdtSH - 1he %dii
LONDON, March 3O.-A number of
rather striking theatrical productions
have reeently been produced not only
in London, but in Paris and Berlin.
OF the lot Americans probably will be
most interested in THE Monkeys
Paw" by w. w. Jacobs-put on at the
London Haymarket. This little play,
which the author of Many Cargoes"
is said to have written in order to
show himself capable of something be-
sides humcr, was first tried at a pro-
fessional matinee in London several
months ago. Then it was translated
into French, and as LIE Main du
SINCE" was produced in Paris, where
it made real sensation. 1t is now
being played in front Of Jacobs COM
edy, Beauty and the Barge" and is
pleasing playgoers so much that 1t Is
sure to be done in the United States.
1t is a creepy" sort of thing. An
old sergeant major named Morris has
brought from India a dried monkeys
paw, on which some fakir has cast
spell. The shriveled little piece of
skin and bone has the power of grant
ing three wishes to it's possessor but
and here lies the gruesome part of the
StCry-the wisher always regrets that
it has done so. An cid couple named
White and their son, young electri-
clan, to whom the major tells the story,
insist on trying the monkeys paw, and
against it's owners advice the elder
White wishes for 9200. This sum does
not drop from the clouds and the son,
Herbert, goes to his work at the cleo
trio light works, teasing the old peo-
pie about their unfulfilled hopes. The
next scene takes place on the following
day. The father and mother are wait
ing their sons return. Instead, mes
senger from the works arrives to say
that he has been killed in the machin-
cry and, in the name of the company,
to offer them 9200 as compensation.
MAKES SECOND WISH.
In the days of grief that follow the
old couple forget all about the
monkeys paw. One evening a week
remembers that two wishes remain to
them and insists on the father wish
ing that the son were with them again.
He does so. At once there is a knock
at the door. Instantly the old people
are aghast at what they have done,
but the mother, her hands trembling
with emotion, tries to open the door.
The bolt sticks. She struggles to undo
it, while her husband clutching the
ldlclul paw, tAC dAQ
last wish-that their son may rest at
peace in his grave. AS his words are
uttered the frantic mother tears the
door open and reyeals-an empty
threshold, vz ON
The grim little tragedy just described
was written by Jacobs, with Louis N.
Parker. Mrs, Humphry Ward also had
the assistance of this facile collaboration
in writing her play Agatha which
q a CnaciQ1 nafinaQ
Trees Theater recently. Unfortunately
it cannot be prophesied that Agatha"
will be done in the United States, where
Mrs. Ward has so many admirers, for
although more stageworthy than her
dramatization of Eleanor" the au-
thoress' new piece makes but feeble
impression Surprisingly enough, it
proves old-fashioned to degree, the
plot revolving round typically fiinty
hearted stage father and his attempt to
force his daughter into a marriage of
convenience.
Not since the production of THE
Sunken Bell has Gerhart Hauptmann
had anything like as big success as
that attained by his new play, "Elga."
This piece was produced at the Lessing
Theater Berlin, before a distinguished
audience a few nights ago, and at the
end Hauptmann had to appear before
the curtain more than dozen times.
"Elga" is unlike any of Hauptmann's
previous works. The story told briefly,
is this: A German knight is on his way
to the King of Poland's court. He stops
over night in a monastery, where he is
attended by one of the humblest of the
monks.
WEIRD GUEST CHAMBER
From the window of the rather weird
guest chamber in the tower Of the mon
astery he sees the ruins of dismantled
castle belonging to the Polish Count
Starshenski, who founded and endowed
the monastery with all his wealth. Fa-
tigued by his journey, the knight falls
asleep in his chair and dreams. His
dream is given in the ensuing six
scenes of the play, which follow one
another without any intermission. He
sees the Count Starshenski as be once