The San Francisco call., 1905-01-17
MISS HOPPER
COMES As STAR
Laws "a Country Mousse
Depicts an Elaborately
Sophisticated Damsel
LONDON GAY SET SEEN
Play Is Full of Wit, but Ex-
hibits Society of the Great
Capital at It's Worst

With "A Country Mouse" by Arthur
Law, given at the Columbia Theater
last night, one can survive for a while
at least without Pineros Wife With
out Smile" The London of Mr.. Law
is the London of Pinero IN The Gay
Lord QueX," of Henry Arthur Jones in,
say, Joseph Entangled": of r. c. Car
ton in Wheels Within Wheels" 1t Is
only less nice-as Oscar Wilde would
have delighted in not saying. The Fau-
bourg German has nothing to learn
from Mr.. Laws Park Lane. His peo-
pie throughout the cast, with the ex-
ception of the Gallically ridiculous de-
ceived husband, charwoman and a
butler who desires to die respectable
and therefore gives notice because
ping-pong and the Prince of Pilsen"
are played on Sundays, are as frankly
immoral as the best Partisan society OF
the stage.
Lady Sylvia Bowlby and Violet Ayns-
ley are discovered. They are smoking,
skillfully, and discussing Lady Bowl
by's lover Lady BGwlby has decided
to fly. Bowlby is a member of the
House of Commons, never asks what
his wife spends and dimes at home only
when he is invited His wife's lover is
poor but, as Lady Bowlby tells Miss
Aynsley, her husband has settled
s200.OO0 upon her. which in these
cases is not interfered with" Take
my tip" Miss Aynsley advises, its
not worth it, But you don't know
you have never been in love" Lady
BoWlby sighs.
1t is then Miss Aynsley's turn. oh.
haven't II" she asks. Why do you
think i am here to-night?' Miss Ayns-
ley is there TO meet Lord Bob Wyck
ham. She has met him before. She is
: known to him as Mrs" Aynsley be-
cause Lord Bob's love" begins only
with the wedding ring.
Does he love you?" Lady Sylvia
asks. This and that proof Miss Ayns-
ley then adduces, ending with He
writes me the most beautiful letters. -
All" says Lady Sylvia. he has given
you hold over him." But he doesn't
sign them" says Miss Violet. and
they re all typewriter. l wonder if
I'm the only recipient" OF this sit
uation the dramatist makes good
enough fun himself, when he later
makes Lord Bob, play the injured
swain who has been deceived into low
ing an unmarried woman.
Well, that's the tone of the whole
lie ldIeI JOIN lIlc
ladies, to discover Miss Aynsley with
carefully disarranged lingerie about
her ankles. and the country mouse"
enters. The country mouse is an in
genu of the Nancy Brown type, from
the country" but can give points in
intrigue to the whole unpleasant gang.
Humorously, and with almost poetic
justice, she lands the senile Duke of
st. Kits in the last act.
.t-&
it's situations highly ingenious its
dialogue bright; but in the heavier
English handling of the theme 1t lacks
what makes a "Divorcons," for eX-
ample, possible and delightful. There
isn't an ideal in the crowd, not the.
poorest little rag of one. There is not
one sweet or fine thing done during
the whole play, not one fine thing said.
One laughs with shame, and comes
away with bad taste in ones teeth.
Perdie, when its dramatists get
through with it, there will be almost
as little left of London as the Central
has left us of New York.
Little Edna Wallace Hopper, once
happily of Wang" and 'El Captain"
returns to US as the star of the piece.
She has not grown any, being still
about as tall as a minute and slim as
a match. But Miss Hopper made a
distinctly pleasing impression particu-
larly in the curtain-raiser, Captain
January" of which more later. 1t is
POSSIBLE that Miss Hopper, as the
breezy grassy, buttercuppy" Angela
Muir, suggested overmuch the SOU
brette She lacked also the ability to
suggest fully the simulated unsophisti-
cation, and at the same time TO take
the audience into her confidence as to
the stimulation. But the catty minxy
quality of Miss Muir Miss Hopper was
whole performance was largely in ad-
vance of anything the actress has be-
fore attempted. Her English accent is
dutiable.
The support is competent though
not brilliant Miss Emma Janvier
leads with a capital Violet Aynsley;
Miss Kathryne Browne does Lady Syl-
via with picturesque and dramatic IL
lusion, and Mabel Norton Is a truly
comical charwoman. Edgar Norton.
Geoffrey c. Stein, Paul McAllister and
Paul Everton are all acceptable in the
various male roles.
Those going to the Columbia this
week are advised not to miss the
Captain January" as fragrantly
charming as "A Country Mouse is
not Here Miss Hopper appears as
child of ten with striking illusion. And
here Mr. Everton shows a portrait of
an old sailor, powerful, touching, con-
vincing, that is one of the best things
of it's kind seen here. The play is all
about a child rescued by an old sailor,
the two living together in a faraway
lighthouse, and IS a little idyll.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.