The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-07-22

Already there is to believe that the precip
tate step is regretted by the materalist down there
for upon Los Angeles has fallen, the midst of the
hottest her records, great Affections OF
stage outgrowth One of them is Ibsensm inter
preted by Harry Mestayer. The other is a duello
between rival teams of Dutch diaectciaRs. San
Francisco would now be having both those handicaps
happiness if that utra-energetc temblor had not
interviewed Even earthquakes have their compensa-
tons
1t is by of what the press agent Cite
rary matinees" that Mr. Mestayer, aided by Miss
Constance Crawley gives forth the messages that
were intended by Ibsen to make people think While
he in San Francisco the well-groomed young
actor credited with having injected rare
subtlety into his playing of the Norwegian sage's
masculine leads but either densely I'M
appreciatve he has made marvellous artistic strides
forward ad interim for the Los Angeles critics award
him of the essential qualities that declared
he did not possess and the Los Angeles inteectuals
actually sitting up and devoting their wonted
siesta hour to the literary matnees
Like all suddenly awakened respondents in such
cases. both critics and clientele think they have dis
covered something new. They study their Ibsen
earnestly and interchange the impressions derived
therefrom through the medium of an accommodating
press their views usually terminating in a confession
of doubt to whether they to be engufed by
inherent faults avert destiny by far-seeng
wisdom. They all admit that life is tragic, and
that Harry Mestayer is making tragedy terrify-
ngly beautiful for anything, so lovely is to have
ones spine vibrate and ones sympathetic de-
veop and to ask ones self why the whichness is
whereof and the whatness always wherefore
The warmth of their interest in these communings
minimizes the solar torridity. Atmospheric heat has
no terrors for them-thanks to Ibsen and Messenger.
MeSfayer'S Sudden Fame.
Now. to us of San Francisco, this belated en-
thusiasm for Ibsen via Mestayer rather funny
We never took the young chap quite seriously as
exponent of profound thought but did accredt him
with some ability as a premier jeune Perhaps the
reflection of Miss Craweys finer and more spiritual
personality has something to do with the newspaper
discovery in him of dramatic fire. emotional nten-
sty, keen subtety" and other characteristics which
unable to discern in his work occa-
sonal Ibsen matinee-not particularly literary
last season. We either gulp humiliation or
stick to it that he would be such cut-charmer
if Miss Crawey, whose delicate inesse and subtle
shading among pleasant memories, not
supporting" him.
But the dome-browed Angelenos not monopo-
zing the stagecreated excitement Their less esthetc
neighbors are regaled by a bitter relentessly
waged between Kolb and Dill, at the Hotchkss, and
Rice and Cady at the Mason Both pairs of English
twisters are so we'll known here as to make super
huous any "explanationing" of their ye of
comedy of their respective ability to make it
amusing Suffice it that they battling each other
with all the ferocity that be exercised through
the mediums of printers ink and suits at law. I'M
partial witnesses of the fray pronounce the odds
about even, Kolb and Dill having the best laugh-mak-
ing talent and Rice and Cady the most elaborate
staging.
But just think of Los Angeles having brought upon
itself all that thcatric turbulence time when less
ambitious communities enjoying of thea
ter-gongi