The San Francisco call., 1906-05-27

actor like him in the drama? Do you
know of another? Oh. what delight to
play with such an actor. where every
fiber of you is with him or against him
as if he were just what he Played
l gave moment to reminiscence here
of that historic Carmen" of ours, while
Miss Bergere was pleading for tempera-
ment against intellect for the actor, to
reniniscence of dramatic thrill that has
survived both earthquake and fire-fre
and earthquake proof-in the days ver-
nacular; to Carusos Don Jose, in short
l remembered how. in one of the absurd,
impossible little happenings of the quake,
had gone the Sunday after TO inter-
view a priest as to the days services;
and how. afterward. we had discussed,
not the earthquake, not the fire, but Ca
,rusos Don Jose. With armless Ma
donnas, noseless saints. tumbled about
him. the priest told me he had read what
Ashton Stevens had said OF the car
men, what ! had said, that April 18TH,
for, incredibly, the newspapers were de-
livered in many districts that morning.
What he thought of what we thought he
told me- of his delight in Caruso, added
the testimony of mine. Then he returned
to his muttonS with the statement that
masses were to be short this Sunday on
account of the danger of panic, the small
shocks continuing. l think it unlikely
that we shall long lack music here.
From Caruso to voices was natural
transition and Miss Bergere conhded TO
me that hers is a made voice, badly
made. YOU will say! Then she conf1ded.
with excessive shyness-for Miss Ber-
gere she is naturally as frank as an
onion-that it is her voice that has
always first drawn attention to her.
And" she went on, I'D rather get the
biggest roast going than be ignored1'
Politely l told ner 1 did not see how
Valerie Bergere could be ignored any
more than the earthquake; roasted she
might be.
you roasted my japanese girl" she
reminded me.
"Only little" I pleaded.
..Oh. il is your rght-I don't mind; it
/ is ones opinion-but only the opinion of
one. too, Sometimes it helps very much.
4 But. now. what would you do here" Miss
/ Bergere's big eyes regarded me reproach
fully at this. L use a pronounced Japan
ese accent and one critic tells me it
! sounds exaggerated; l pare down the
Z accent and the same critic says that Miss
4 .Bergere's performance is by no means
so characteristic as it was last year"
But l don't mind a roast occasionally
Pm here and I haven't a free date
until June Is of next year, One thing you
! all allow-rny Carmen is at least nov
city in vaudeville. and the novelty there
is almost as extinct as the dodo."
Eva Westcott brought clever tragedy
here" l testified, and -dwards Davis
brought one
How was if. 1 know him"
"Oh. tragic" I told her. and Miss
Bergere gave me a brilliant little de-
scription of the No Wedding Bells for
Him. piece in which she had seen Mr..
Davis.
I'm going TO do another tragedy the
week after next, a Bowery Camille -
ITafr itG-
hearsing it. Have you ever thought
how difficult vaudeville is, particu7
Iarly a sketch? Every second counts.
And one never knows-you may
follow a trained seal or an educated pig.
did once. l had to say, viii you not
/ speak my nusband?' 'Wow-ow- oooo"
I went one of the seals. That was in New
! Orleans-where you get the best things
N the world to eat after Frisco
DO you like vaudeville better than any
other form of-art?'
Just at present said the lady. I've
tried almost everything from farce TO
musical comedy. l want some time to
Try tragedy. real tragedy. 1 once told
Conried that
'-Conred?"
i was at his Thalia Theater in New
York for five years" she laughed I'm
older than ] look. But Conried looked at
me. He said: Imagine trying to play
I tragedy with SOGDfeIle nOSS-f bul
maybe I will yet
And meantime Camille?"
And meantime Camille" she agreed
Truly it is>a pretty sketch so far as 1
can see. There is an artist and a girl:
he has rescued her from starvation, and
E he is painting her in a certain red dress.
/ The mother comes She tells the girl
that she must give up her son, not un-
kindly like Papa Duval. She is kind
throughout The girl does so-in this
way. She is perfectly pure. the artist
has honored as well as loved her. and
she tells him that she has obtained her
beautiful red dress dishonorably; tells
{ him. too that she has lived dishonorably
| Here's the dress" and Miss Bergere
pulled back a curtain from wardrobe
! that looked like tulip bed.
You like red" / said mildly
Il adore it." said MISS 4,ergere. shaking
out rose. cerise, scarlet, vermilion, into
a silken conffagration-
Then she picked out the soberest bunch
( Of it and said:
I've got to put this on. can't wear
anything better; 1 have to carry the
dog"
But that's amply good enough for the.
streets nowl' said.
But Miss Bergere cried. mo. Only the
gladdest glad rags are good enough for
Frisco"