The San Francisco call., 1908-08-11
CAST OF CHARACTERS
IN HENRY MILLER'S PRODUCTION OF
"The Only Way"
RY Walter Anthony


scrtpt of The Only Way rested on
the shelves Of Henry Miller's library
While the owner Of the play has been
gathering fame as producing man
ager. the play has been gathering dust
It has settled thick upon the yellow
ing leaves Of the adaptation Of Dick
ems great novel, and many Of US who
went to the Van Ness theater last night
to witness the revival of the drama
wondered IL the presentation would not
suggest the rattling Of dry, uninterest-
ing bones Such doubts. as 1t turned
out. could only have been entertained
by those who forgot that during the
lapsing years millions of readers have
received over the counters of countless
Carnegie Libraries copies of Dickens,
Tale of Two Cities" so the story is as
fresh and potent as ever, and Miller's
production last night has lost none of
the appeal dramatically which charac-
terized the presentation in before the
fire days.
HOUSE NOT CROWDED
strangely enough the house was not
crowded last night A throng was
easily to have been expected; but ii
came not Perhaps we think that The
Great Divide" The Servant in the
House.
enjoyment of fine. clean melodrama- If
so. it were a pity, for there is truth
and fine strength in this play Of the
terrible days of the French commune.
There was a noticeable air of So
phisticated knowing on the part OF the
audience during the first and the second
act The prologue passed over before
half the audience was seated. But when
the tribunal room of the republic was
7r1,- Of hnrGf fer al
citizens, its president and its jury OF
newly made gods the audience began
10 observe Then came the trial of
Evremonde and his defense by Carton,
and the enforced enthusiasm of the
hired mOb-which more than earned its
money-was mild compared to the tense
earnestness of the auditors who became
witnesses to the trial.
COULD NOT ESCAPE SPELL
The next scene shows Miller in DR..
Manette's apartments after Evremond,
or Charles Darney, has been imprisoned
and sentenced TO death It is hung
about with portentous gloom and
fraught with terror. Not even an
habitual theater goer could escape the
spell Of it all, even If he were paid to
keep a critical eye open to find fault
If he could.
Then the last scene, with Sydney on
the fatal platform, with the monstrous
guillotine silhouetted against a blood
red sky-it was the work of dramatic
art in which two Of Wagner's essen
tials were apparent-fine acting and
splendid scenery. The issues Of the
play lie beyond the range of even
musics expressiveness, and only the
broad horizon of good imagination
may properly compass them.
Miss Mary Hall, who played Lucie Ma
nette, was not altogether satisfying in
the role to those who have seen previ-
Gus productions of the play. 1t would
be hard TO indicate her lack of qualifi-
cations unless the element of physical
equipment be taken into consideration.
She is not, either in her mental or other
qualifications, quite spirituelle enough.
There is too much evidence of herself,
so to say. Mimi was better, surpris-
ingly better, In the hands Of Laura
Hope Crews. whose power to portray
the tragically pitiful character of the
little martyr was a surprise to many
Of US.
FULFILLS PROMISE
Frederick Lewis fulfilled the promise
he held out in Mater last week. AS
Jean Defarge in the prologue and as
Ernest Defarge in the play he was Wig
orous. convincing and eloquent. His
address TO the citizens in the third act
was a powerful bit of acting and could
with difficulty be excelled. He has that
something which is called nervous force
and the power of persuasion.
Charles Darnay was we'll taken care
Of by Charles Gotthold, whose possible
limitations were not disclosed in the
comparatively minor character The
subsidiary roles are in good hands and
Henry Miller, with many pounds of
avoirdupois to his credit. still does the
character of the dissolute but lovable
Sidney Carton just right The produc-
tion, as has been indicated, is superb.
NATIONAL
The National bill for this week is re-
plete with novelties in spite of the fact
that Manager Sid Grammar had consld-
erable difficulty in securing the bill.
The majority of the performers were
retained another week at Sacramento
Parmet and Russelrs singing travellers.
who are pictured sailing through the
clouds in an immense airshfp. were
very well received. They ali have ex-
cellept voices. Al Williams. blackface
musician, makes music on nearly everv
utensil that is used in a kitchen-not
only the coffee pot, but with couple
OF teaspoons.
Potter and Harris, novelty gymnasts.
perform remarkable feats Steine and
Evans presented sketch "Wanted-A
Divorce" which made hit. VIII
Rodgers, assisted by Buck Mckee and
tirely new TO this coast Armstrong
and Holly. whom we have seen before
are still popular in their sketch, THE
Expressman-" Effie Pearson and the
moving pictures complete the bill. The
pictures this week are unusllaIlv eooS