The San Francisco call., 1905-04-25
Performance Good
Throughout the
Several Acts.
High Art Employed
for Enchanting
Scenery.

He who could not ind laughter and
enchantment in The Eternal Femi-
nine that Miss Anglin and her COM
pany bestow upon US this week surely
could not find them anywhere. From
the comedy's engaging prologue to the
final word not q moment is lost, to wit.
Of poetry or satire Of high degree. The
play Is by Robert Misch, whom Ger
many is proud TO own The translating
and adapting. that has been done as
well-by all the evidences Of last nights
production-as the playwrighting, is by
Austin Page. An Easter audience, with
its Easter trimmings in charming evi-
oence, greeted the comedy last night
and filed the California with gay
laughter throughout.
In uncommon ways has Mr.. Misch
been consummately clever. The story
Of the play, as most people now know,
concerns the subjugation by love Of
her maidens. To Halcyone, an island
. governed by women, where man is in
utter subsection, come from the
Greek mainland Lysander and his
warriors. A quaint prologue, blithely
delivered by Miss Blanche Stoddard.
as the Spirit OF the Island, informs one
that:
Adventures from other lancA,
Bold seamen Of the main
Who steer their craft upon these Shores
Ne'er steer them back again
The noble maidens Of this realm.
As husbands bid them tarry,
Their shields and swords grow rusty
While their owners fetch and carry,
Of course the sorry knaves protest,
Invoke the gods and pray,
But all in vsin-they're merely mes.
And here all men obey.
With these facts in ones possession
~ L. IL - Ee
ment lost to entertainment. On the
shores OF Halcyone lie the sleeping war
riors. 1t is early dawn. Come then
the warrior maids and discover the
sleeping enemy. They go to inform
their queen, and meantime Eupolis and
Names, armor-bearer to Lysander,
awake. Names is a figure that might
have been filched direct from Shake
Epeare. Falstaff was certainly his pro-
genitor, and It's a taking composite Of
cowardice and gluttony. Eupolis rouses
him from dreams to the dangers about
them.
With the rising Of the sun then come
the Halcyone maids, and one rather
listens for the Valkyrie Ride as they
troop IN with winged helmets and
shields. The Greeks, eight Of them, Ly-
sander among them, hold parley. The
smazons demand their arms. They
laugh at being asked to submit to
women One laughs with them. But
comes Antiope, and il becomes quite
evident that the ladies. headed by the
strong minded Sampito, mean exactly
what they say. They have captured
the rest Of the expedition, the amazon
flag flies from their ships, the queen
Antiope informs them, and the victory
is to the strong. The curtain goes
down. however. upon Antiope. already
unconscious captive Of the beauX
yeux OF Lysander, ordering the pris-
oners TO her palace and not to the
galleys.
In all this Mr.. Afisch, deft and point
ed in his satires upon both sexes. yet
laughs with them. He has the touch
truly genial for their foibles. a sym
pathy wide and delightful and an in
sight extraordinary. His Introduction
Of the one man Of Halcyone that we
are permitted TO meet In the next act
offers further engaging evidence Of
these traits. The captive warriors are
discovered in the palace Of Antiope and
the lone gentleman Of Halcyone, Pill
eazar. comes TO see his new companions
Ia misfortune He bears a distaff
wears a long skirt and is altogether a
very meek and we'll brought-up hus-
band. That they are destined TO till
the fields, weave and make the ladies'
gowns and incidentally marry them,
he tells the horrified warriors.
II happens, too. The court assemblies
and choice is made by the amazons
among the warriors. Charming COM
edy is this. There was a little extra
for some Of us when Chloe asks Cydip-
pa If she chooses Periander. What
you miserable specimen Of mani"