The San Francisco call., 1908-12-09
By Waiter Anthony

pc IS me sentiment which. shared hv
me whole world. makes all peonle kin
--el - lhe informing and persuasive
sflIii oI The First Born" After a
oe1en years II comes gain to the New
-Aicazar theater. as vital and true as
ever. though some creases show as in
Il garment out of style and long laid
away Francis Powers one luminous
dream is stil affecting and effective.
ano u makes its impress as firmly as
lt Qld when it was first visualized in
% tarreu street many years ago.
To is story. as ali san Francisco
knows. of farherbood and motherhood
the love OF offspring. and though the
sentiments are borne upon the incense
Of sandal wood and fOafed forth on
clouds Of the pungent smoke Of punk
though the principals are garbed in
The fantastic clothes of the Chinese,
The truth is there and the stroke Of the
playwright is certain to reach the
heart.
ACTING - EMOTIONAL
When Bertram Lyten as Chang
Wang a high binder rushes on the
scene searching for his kidnapped child,
his first born, an Alcazar audience may
experience a shock For Lyten is no
matinee IDOL now He dresses like a
high binder His clothes are mean and
common, he is a cooly. But wait He
win grip you tight in a minute and all
you viii remember viii be that he is
man. father, and that he seeks his
little first born his boy who has been
stolen by his faithless wife. When he
brea ks into the house where the boy
is held captive your heart viii follow
him and YOU VIII feel a chill as the
tragedy upstairs is enacted and the fan
of the child is heard. When he carries
THE lifeless form to the street and, lay
ing ID there bends sobbing over the
yellow faced lad, you win remember
but the one fact that Chang Wang's
1notherlcss one is dead and that Chang
Wang's heart is broken
Eater you VIII remember that Ber-
tram Lyten did some acting which for
emotional reach viii compare with any
bodys. The howery speech of the
oriental does not rob his lines Of their
penetrating power, but rather increases
Il and makes ii lofty and epic. There
IS no rant or strident tone but only
love and despair and desOlation. Then.
at the mention of Man Low Kek. who
stole first his wife and then became
responsible for the death of his boy,
Chang Wangs mood changes like a
swiri Of wind In a torrid storm.
PRIMITIVE SOULS CRY
LyteI's inprecation is tempestuous
and fearful. II IS a primitive cry OF a
soul reduced TO its savage state. It
is animal and it has a snarl Out Of
that scene, on which the curtain falls,
grows the revenge in the second scene,
where Chang Wang stands in the door
way, off the little alley, and waits the
coming Of his victim. There is the
hatchet and the murderous blow and
then, kicking the form Of his enemy
behind the door. Chang Wang resumes
his pipe. quite unperturbed and as
though nothing had happened. Lytell
did the business that way. and TO
him belongs the major share of the
honors of the production. As Chang
Wang he is all man-thOugh yellow
with the tint Of the Mongolian.
Walter Belasco has As seconds on
the stage and makes a big success. He
IS q rag picker and his makeup is a
work Of art Miss Vaughan is scarcely
the oriental yet and plays her role of
slave girl with a delicacy and charm
above that which any Loey Using could
attain. The rest Of the roles are al
most atmospheric in their relation TO
the solemn tragedy. 1t is all the boy
the father, the slave girl and the mur-
dered man The production is said 10
be fully as good as the original pres
entatiOn.
Preceding "The First Born is 7. W
Roberston's David Garrick," and the
old fashioned comedy is well received
and well staged.