The San Francisco call., 1907-06-11
BY James Crawford


Pity the poor adult who sat in the
Van Ness theater last evening and
failed to enjoy every moment of Peter
Pan"
II in the big audience any such un-
fortunate there was he must have had
his mind firmly set TO appreciate moth
ing but a real play
Any one thus mentally disposed was
self-cheated out of relishing the most
delightful stage entertainment the last
half-dozen seasons have yielded.
For this creation of Barries fancy is
not a-play in the generally accepted
sense Of that term 1t cannot be meas
ured by any conventional standard Of
criticism. OF violent clashes of emo
tion il is destitute. OF compelling eli
makes it contains not one. Even the
parently Indispensable ingredient OF
palatable dramas absent.
Then you who have. not seen may
ask what are the magnetic elements
OF this play in name only.
Briefly enumerated they are series
OF fantastic scenes, Of exquisitely
wrought burlesque, of sweet sentiments
gard for the gentler sex In its very
.childishness and extravagant simplicity
consists its essential charm.
But, es / have limited, upon your
mental attitude as much as upon the
play itself is dependent the measure of
satisfaction you experience. II you go
with intent TO feed upon the memories
of your childhood-to reSurrect the
hopes and fears and loves and hates OF
those days. to recall the impressions
left by tales Of fairies and pirates and
Indians-you VIII help and be helped
by Peter Pan"
Alongside these lines you will find a
synopsis of the play, and, lest the read
ing Of Il might suggest to you that the
play IS simply a childs fairy play, 1
again remind you that It grips and
holds your interest with the tenacity
Of the most intense drama ever staged.
It's authors intention evidently was to
sketch q fantasy of youth and to revive
youths impressions In matured minds
IN this he has succeeded so rnarvelously
that the audience last evening unanf-
mously declared its belief in fairies
when Miss Maude Adams anxiously in
ouired If it did believe in them.
Every man who seess Peter Pan"
recognizes IN him the romantic rest
Iessness of youth-the desire to try.
ones wings" on the flight of this or
that mad fancy-and every woman per-
ceives in Wendy the awakening of the
maternal instinct that led to the adop-
ton OF dolls as play L0lnSS-
Besides, the plays purity appeals to
our best nature. It imbues us with
vearning TO acquire an idealism that
NAV tighten our load Of sordidness
And this subtle appeal OF Peter Pan"
was never more needed than at this
time IN this community It is glorious
10 be made believe that you are again a
boy and care less for dollars than I'M
agined adventure
There are two wonderfully artistic
impersonauons IN the cast-Miss Ad-
ans In the title part and Miss Morris
= as Wendy. The star has absorbed the
humorous spirit in which Barrie
wrote the play. and the little lass who
acts the make believe mother is con-
vincing n her unreal realism.
But so far as that goes, everybody
in evidence seems to be thoroughly
Barrieized. so luminously do they inter-
pret and convey mis- fanciful creations.
somehow he and they lead you TO look
almost with seriousness upon various
impossible incidents and personages-
the fantastic idea OF modern flesh and
blood children flying. of their dwelling
amid tree roots, Of their routing band
n OF ravenous wolves by turning their
backs and looking through their legs.
Of their having Indians protect them
from bloodthirsty pirates and of the
bloOdiest buccsneer OF all being slain
4acSC
absurdfties are set forth by an artistic
imagination that is infectious
In one of the boxes last evening was
a family party-parents and three chill
dren-and the effect OF the play upon
the elders was no less interesting to
watch than the faces Of their offspring
When the appeal for an expression Of
belief in fairies was sent across the
footlights both father and mother
heartily clapped their hands and then
wiped their eyes. From the youngsters
IL brought no response other than that
conveyed by starting eyeballs and
trembling lips. They actually saw the
tragedy of poor little Tinker Bell mem
aced with death. And father and moth
er fancied they saw II.
IT is a play for children because it
WHITES incidents and figures they have
con5ured UP as real.
It is play for men and women be-
cause they cannot resist the subtle sig
nifcance of its unrealism.
II is a play that no person over, 2
years. OF age should miss witnessing.