The San Francisco call., 1908-08-04
Percy MacKaye FIatters Public
Taste in Work of GOSSa-
mer Texture
Enthusiastic Audience Demands
Speeches From Author and
the Producer, Henry Miller
CAST OF CHARACTERS
In Percy MacKaye's Comedy.
IN afer"
By Walter Anthony

Mater is one of the daintiest and
prettiest compliments that ever
writer CT comedies turned to the fiat
tered gaze Of his public. Percy Mac
Kaye has an abounding, ineradicable
faith in his fellows. lie is as great an
optimist as he is poet. and that's
saying a great deal For Mater,
which mad its premier at the Van Ness
theater last night, is as airy as fieecy
cloud. as fragile as butteriiys wing
and as fragrant as meadow burdened
breeze. How he came to write ii can
only be answered on the score of his
optimism. in which for firnness only
Barrie-delightf whimsical Barrels
his match.
All the objection that I could raise
like dust over his pretty garden of
thought is that the pretty play may
prove too delicate for the formalities
OF a big theater and the heels of large
audiences. But that is ghoulish as
sertion, quite on a par with the gratui-
tOusiy cruel suggestion to a fond
father that his first born is pretty, but
doesn't look robust enough TO last. Ger
tain!y the big and friendly audience
last night showed no signs of WEAKNESS
under the spell of MacKaye's fantastic
poesy; certainly il applauded and ap
plauded until speeches We're fOrthcom-
ing from both the playwright and Hen
ry Miller himself; and finally il is equal
lv certain that none OF the gOssamer
colors of the comedy appeared TO be
missed; the play was pronounced
success.
4 LOVING TITLE
How shall you tell the story? If it
could be told another way from that in
whica Mackaye has told il there would
not be the perfection that there is to
De found ia Mater" But since come
dies must have plots, this, very bru-
tally. is Matters:
Mater is the familiar and loving title
given by Michael Deane and his sister
Nary 10 their bewilderingly charming
mOther-WhO is, she tells YOU. fat and
4o' but does not look either Michael
Deane is wonderful dreamer. He has
written works on political science, and
now he is going TO congress to put
into practice his scheme of things. That
is, he VIII do so il elected. His sister
from Boston, meantime worships at the
shrine Of her brother, and wraps her
hopes IN his. Her lover and betrothed,
indeed, takes second place TO this Won
derful brother. He is thus the pet of
the family, adored by all and, naturally.
he has no sense of humor. But Mater
has Now, Mater fears her boy is TO be
defeated at the polls because he does
not know, indeed he spurns TO know
e-l9 N-4AlAS dbDll lIacllc1l politics ana
The eNpediency which is guised as
craftsmanship. But the Honorable Ar
thur Cullen knows all about these
things and stands IN the boys way. SO
Mater attends to him. She makes be-
lieve she is her own daughter winds
The senator about her little finger
engages him il promise to help the
lad. and the boy is elected. Where
upon the story comes out; Mater ad-
mits everything and is graciously for
given by her dreamer son, and her
puritanical daughter, for her very
works sake. The senator also for
gives her because he has a sense OF
humor.
CULLEN'S PERT SAYING
DO you think my son will get
along?" she asks of Cullen. Michael
might dc well in hell" says Cullen,
with such mother"
You see, we have missed the fantasy
entirely. But how delicious It is! Hear
Isabel Irving, who is Mater, tell her lit
tie Mother Goose" story in the first
act; listen TO her defense of herself in
the second, and see the ingenuity with
which MacKaye leads up to a thrilling
climax at the end of the second act. and
then hear Mater at the piano, with the
midnight moon streaming its colors in
her pretty blonde hair; listen to her tell
10 soft accompaniment how the test
OF love is laughter" and you viii take
faith with the poet-author in the good
OF life and in its fantastic realities.
PRAISE FOR PRODUCTION
For the production there is ndthing
but praise. The setting of the piece
calls for but one scene, and it is rich.
yet tasteful; elaborate, but simple
There is the touch OF the artistic on
everything; Miller's hand is in plain
sight.
Miller has a comedy role as Arthur
cullen. He represents the villain in the
play, but, like villains in real life. is not
hopelessly base. He discloses a keen
fund OF adroit humOr. and his Cullen is
real man. Frederick Lewis is ad-
mirable as the enthusiastic Michael. He
does some big acting at the end of the
second act, but might get more facial
play into his work with advantage His
olctlon is clear and clean and his sinn-
Iatlon OF the emotions of his role is
NNio- Hazel MacKaye's assumption of
the angular and bookish maiden is ad-
mlraoie 10 the awkWardness with whic,
she holds her hands. She needs bpt to
speak little louder to complete tbe 20
Eorabie impression she made last night
Rudolf is played by Charles Gotthold
with manliness and sincerity. Rut Ma
Ter, dear, delicious Mater. as plaved h,,
Isabel Irving, I put you awav in nv
memory with your sweet sister Of rar
rie's play, Alice"