The San Francisco call., 1905-03-28
Margaret AngIin
Thrills Like
Bernhardt.
Boer Camp Chosen
for the First
Scene.

He knew his Anglin that wrote that
third act Of "Zira," /" that took the house
fairly by the throat last night. And
we that filed the California knew our
Anglin once again, and again more
surely, as the Bernhardt of the
Americas.
Much Of 'Zira" - all of the second
act-with due respect to Henry Miller
and J. Hartley Manners, who made it,
does not matter. But a third act, or
rather scene, Of the kind between the
new Magdalen and her destroying
angel would carry anything. One must
grant, however, a Margaret Anglin as
the Zira. One must grant an actress
OF the most subtle and sensitive emo
uOnal fiber, with the power of sustain
ing emotion at breaking pitch, and
with an almost unaskable sense Of
climax. One must grant an actress
capable Of at once conveying a dozen
different impressions. and welding
them into the portrait Of a woman,
SHINING, repentant, pleading, fighting,
falling, triumphing, a vulgarian and
lady, a Magdalen and saint. This, with
an art the most finished and touching,
and with a power that none may with
stand, Miss Anglin gives one; and
charmingly as the names of Henry
Miller and Margaret Anglin have ever
been associated, no more valuable
association than that Of last nights
play has been theirs. One wished only
that Mr.. Miller had been there to share
in the loot
A guessing competition as to which is
Miller and which is Manners in the
play would prove of fertile interest.
The plot is Wilkie Collins freely
handled, however, from that. of his
New Magdalen. There is a love scene
between Zira and the minister Crank
Worthing) that one sees Mr.. Miller
reveling in, and there is a soldier por-
trait eminently and excellently remi-
niscent Of some Of Kipling's, that one
gives TO Mr.. Manners. Instead of the
F'ranco-German battlefield. as in
the book, the playwrights have
pitched their first act in
Boer camp. There is mild.
old-fashioned flavor about its
melodrama that is distinctly pleasing
Nurses with their red cross badges. a
wounded Boer-who. however. breaks
German instead Of Dutch-a drunken
soldier and a martinez officer, cannon,
an eXcellently managed daybreak,
make for a quite fine atmosphere
Here, as a nurse, appears the heroine.
Here, too. comes the woman whose
friend Zira had wronged and who
would betray her. A passing shell
takes her name and the papers that
were TO introduce the woman TO her
relatives in England. The woman of
course RECEIVERS, but is set down as
being mad when she claims to be her
self, Ruth Wilding, niece of Lady Claw
ering. 1t is the scene where the two
women meet, Zira, beloved by- the
people whom she has deceived, the
other woman repudiated as mad and
Dent on vengeance, that is the ripping,
gripping Justifying climax of the play,
and 10 which of the two playwrights
II belongs is an alluring mystery.
Distinctly less alluring is the mystery
OF the second acts authorship. Were
l.lt should blame il on the other man.
myself. But it was a task NOT so easv
10 cram IN two proposals and the vari-
Gus masses of explanation, and it has
been done about as aWkwardIv as
might be. Miss Anglin, in a sort of
black alpaca episode, played it that
way, quite uncOnvincingly, and one
couldn't blame her. The act held, how
ever, opportunity for the reappearance
OF dear old Mrs Whiffen." hereditary
grandmother Of the American stage
since Mrs. Gilbert's death and the most
was made Of il by the audience Then
came the third act and Miss Anglin's
triumph.
Perhaps her most wonderful sugges-
tioA IA lue NnOle scene is that Of the
breaking through the veneer of Zira's
former environing vulgarity. There is
al OF the slum in the primitive fash
Ion IN which she flies at the throat
OF the woman who is torturing her. II
mas, with marvellous fidelity. before
been gradually creeping out in her ges-
ture, IN coarsening thread in the
voice, IN the very fashion in which she
holds her arms. But with the vulgar
ity there is the profoundest pathos. the
most touching nobility. There is not a
note too loud, too long, too many.
not note but is pitched in absolutely
true key. Go to see ii and do not for
get 70 value the excellent foil afforded
by Miss Blanche Stoddard's Ruth VIII
ding. At the Central il would have
evoked a storm of Kisses.
As the minister Frank Worthiug has
not the best Of chances. nor is the ac-
complished player yet wholly happy in
She role, though effective and con-
vincing IN some Of its phases. Edward
Emery, with a portrait Of the reckless
drinking, accomplished soldier. is cap
ital an dmost handsomely human and
likable. Walter Allen is valuable to
the cast as the surgeon, and Mrs Whit
fen her own happy self as Lady Claw
ering. The rest fiji in effectively. the
play is handsomely staged and was
handsomely audienced, as il doubtless
viii be throughout the week.
BLANCHE HARRINGTON.