The San Francisco call., 1906-07-01
And &ome o@as !,

the fact. or superstition that witches
and evil spirits dare not cross the
mystic sign Of the FIVE points of the
pentag gram. Let US hope that the pro-
lection is fact unto this little theater,
for it is a charming one inside and
out. And within this pretty place the
players on its stage are by their clever
art making a fine dawn of this Idora
new era
First and foremost among the play:
eFs is San Franciseo's old Tivoli favor
tie. Ferris Hartman. He is player
in a double sense of the word, for he
playfully plays with his own and
others parts in the programmed play
with such coRsummate skill that it's
always like looking at play within
a play and YOU always get more than
the programme promises because of
Hartman's originality, and initiation
and timely and locally interesting in
terpolations. lie is doubly a player.
too in that he amuses himself with his
work even as some happy child at
make believe. and he quite successfully
sends the frolic spirit of this little
interplay across the footlights, and so
gives the audience more laugh than
the author Of the play ever wot of
when he planned and wrote it. The
youth of this generation will. long
years hence. remember Ferris Hart
man as the YOrick of this age. a fell
low Of infinite jest" and one who
thoroughly taught them that while en-
joying an hour of recreation under the
spell of the comedians talent they
should "apprehend nothing but jollity."
Another San Francisco favorite. grad
aIate of the old Tivoli, is Arthur Cum
ningham, whose songs are always
pulse-stirrers of first class brand. His.
acting. always strong and convincing.
seems rather to have been stimulated
than in any measure squelched by .the
disaster of the earthquake. He and all
the others are evidently playing with
the enthusiasm due to Idora's name
and the aspirations and enterprise of
the new ma ma cement of the park and
the3ter. and with the enthusiasm due,
too, to the responsive crowds that come
TO hear them. Whenever you see Gun
ningham's big and goodly presence
coming upon the stage you may be
sure there is going to be something
doing-prepare for something stirring,
and your expectations viii not be dis
appointed.
There is something about the promi-
nence of these players at the new
place, and the swing of the way things
go that reminds one of the old Tivol,
the little. old, old TivoIs which all
of us know had some spell-charm of
attractiveness cast around il by the
friendly sprites and made the plays
there extra pleasurable Just by some
mystic because" OF the place where
they We're played. 1t was noticeable
that this friendly assistance of the
friendly sprites did not quite whole
soulIy follow the company into the
more pretentious theater built at Eddy
and Mason Half-a- house and half-cold
would sometimes greet a play there
that deserved and would have won in
a more proptious place. a warm and
2 ar-fa god he
reason may be that the spot was hoo
dooed The hoodoo- had squatted there
before the TiYoii players came, and no
doubt handicapped them so much that
II took a large part of their herculean
talents just IN the effort to lift into
q purer atmosphere of honest merri-
mene a spot in old Sar Francisco which.
previous to the advent OF those de-
lightfui players there had SINK half
way go hell No doubt the fire has been
hot enough TO purge that hoodoo in
f;uence ali away. and when the Tivoli
is rebuilt. and the: PLAYERS come back,
there VIII be all the advantages of an
uncurspd environment to make their
dramatic art a big and blessed success.
AS for the leading actresses that are
'pl ca sing the fun houses at Idora, the
two prima donnas--Hope Mayne and
Sybii Page-they are indeed Idora
girls Idoras in the sense that the
SDirlI Cd the DldCe lulptleH. foHD Oh rage
IS San Francisco girl and has talent
by heredity, for she is the grand
daughter of the late Pat Reddy. who
was one of the most gifted lawyers Of
the California bar. Hope Mayne also
comes of a prominent family. She is an
Australian. Tier father was a skilled
architect and designed the public
schools of that country It is very in
teresting to see Ghese two playing
together. They are quite distinctively
contrasts and yet both such attractive
players that you would have to toss
up coin to find out which you liked
the best. The stage manner of Hope
Mayne is incarnate merriment Sybu
Page who has been playing the parts
Of princesses and countesses. does the
thing princessly. and can make. herself
look very sfernfy authoritative a
countess. Such are their stage STYLES.
and so. playing in team, they DO good
by keeping men in proper poise and
balance: Hope Mavne makes them be
merry. and Sybil Pag makes them be-
;have-thus by the two Influences they
re made blissful and granted the right
to be merry. 1t IS 9 very pleasing con-
trast indeed-so different in style of
beauty and in manner OF acting that
the. audience need never make rivals !
of them for its admiration. They can
play so wen in, team that they compile
ment each other ana each is finer for
the others foil.
one Of the sweetest and prettiest of
possible stage pictures is when these
two, in the play OF Olivette. the coun-
tess seated upon chair and Olivette
posed beside her I'm humble position,
sing together about: q love my love
so we'll" II is one o7 those few beau
tiful pictures which once seen becomes
your possession forever. safe in mem
orss's selected gallery, to be yours al
ways to recall at WILL in spite of
earthouake. fire and all disaster. It's
an idora picture. and worth crossing
the bay to. see