The San Francisco call., 1905-08-22
LONDON'S PLAY
IS A SUCCESS
"The Great Interrogation"
Holds Attention of Audi
ence for Hours at AlcaZar
sTAGECRAFT is POOR
Production Is Somewhat
Too Literary and Needs
Touches of Playwright

The K1ondike and Jack London last
evening made their first appearance on
any stage with 1.-THE Great Interroga-
tion," one-act play of Alaskan life,
which Mr.. London has dramatized from
one of his own stories in collaboration
with Lee Bascom. The play was pro-
duced at the Alcazar, and achieved not
able success. 1t was received with
marked favor throughout, and at its close
the authors were discovered among the
audience-hidden in the wilds of the gal
lery-and a speech demanded. Mr.. Lon
don bowed for the collaboration, but the
audience would not be denied. 1t clam
ored and waited until the novelist, in his
customary revolutionary garb, appeared
with Miss Bascom before the footlights.
After thanks for his collaborater and
himself Mr.. London gallantly credited the
lady with what of merit the play pos
sesses To her he said was owing what
ever success it had earned. OF course
facon de parler this, and with due re-
spect to Miss Bascom, the author of "A
Bowery Girl and other plays, the evil
dence points strongly the other way. The
situation, the characters, the local color,
Mr.. London himself has supplied
Strength of situation, effectively con-
trasted and firmly built characters, and
novel and VIVID local color are the strong
points on the play. In stage craft 1t
lacks. There are longish speeches that
the experienced dramatist would have
broken, and there is here literary rather
than colloquial flavor that he would have
ruthlessly translated There is a confu-
sion Of motive in the renunciation Of the
chief figure-the refusal to leave the
squaw wife for the white woman-that
notably weakens the character. 1t is
perfectly human, but imperfectly dramat-
ic; richly suggestive from the literary
SHE confusing only from the dramatic
viewpoint.
David Payne. prospector, living with
his Indian wife-to-be in lone cabin on
the Yukon, is tempted by the woman of
his own people whom he has loved to
leave the Indian. Payne refuses Hating
the life, loving the woman, knowing what
the remuneration will cost he still refuses.
Faith to the squaw who once saved his
life and who has been faithful handmade
en- to him ever since at first seems to be
his only motive But there is another
developed, that. as before said, weakens
the situation. Karen Sayther, the white
woman, is widow. Payne loved her in
the days before he came to Alaska. She
loved him, gave him reason to believe
that she would marry him, then threw
him over for rich man, driven by the
needs of her family. Payne reminds her
of this. taunts her with it, tells her of
the faithfulness of the Indian and leaves
somewhat the impression that he desires
to make her suffer as she has once made
him suffer. 1t weakens the effect Of the
renunciation-robs the character of dra-
matte solidity.
Nor is the end of the play by one
half so effective as it should be. All
the characters remain upon the stage;
the white woman has not gone down
the Yukon; there is between her and
PAYNE only a cabin door. and the in
tended effect of the white man, left
alone with his grief in the white ST.
lence," is largely lost
Doubtless these things will shortly
settle themselves. The material OF the
play is splendidly vital, splendidly pic
turesuue In spite of these-and not
few other faults of stagecraft-it held
the audience from beginning to end
last night absorbed in its problem,
fascinated with it's picturing of Alas
kan life and grateful for it's fresh and
vital humor.
Besides Payne. Mrs. Sayther and the
Indian girl, there is another character,
Of an old squaw, Kattou, excellently
conceived and acted in a classic fash
ion hv Nera Ross. Mr.. London and
Miss Bascom had good reason to be
grateful to their interpreters last
night, and to the management, which
gave the play one of the most effective
settings recently seen here. Miss Cros-
by as the Indian girl was as good
in that way as she was in the Jap
anese way as Madame Butterfly. Her
makeup is startlingly effective and
her costume, reindeer skin and beads.
charming in the extreme
White Whittlesey as Payne, though
little tragically sentimental in his recount
of the bar fight made otherwise virile
and effective figure, depicting with con-
siderable power the struggle between-be-
tween Just what?-anyway. the struggle
Miss Eugene That's IIawton was the Mrs
Sayther, and showed therein an emo
tional power, depth and earnestness,
class distinction, that surprised even
those who best know this clever young
woman's work. Harry Won Meter seemed
10 consider his audience and associates
deaf in his attempt as Bill Brown, and
Jiquel Lance gave capital minute as
Pierre.
No one will lose time in seeing THE
Great Interroga tion,'' which promises
we'll for Mr. London's future as drama
tist as his first stories promised for his
present fame therein.
David Garrick," the pretty costume
play follows. and is excellent foil.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.