The San Francisco call., 1908-09-01
SUMMERS DAY"
PRETTY TRIFLE
After Three Acts AIcazar's Idol
Succumbs to Miss Barris=
Gales Maize
IdylIic Play Is Well Set and
Has Fine Moments of
Comedy
CAST OF CHARACTERS
IN II. V. EsMoND's COMEDY,
"OHe Summers Day"
By Walter Anthony

By Walter Anthony
Throughout the whole of one sweet.
and balmy summers day, amid the hay
piles and under the trees ON an idyllic
island III the Thames, Maizie' makes
valiant love to the major, and finally,
after everybody has despaired of him,
wins. She says in burst of confidence
born of love. Il want to be your wife,"
The major lifts his head from his hands
and, gripping her fingers. succumbs like
an officer and a gentleman. | would
have given up in the first act, but White.
Whfttlesey manages to last three in the
face Of such delightful and. delicious
love making, such alluring eyes and
glances as only a British major aged SO
could resist.
Bessie Barriscale is Mazie;s the play
is ';One Summers Day." and the place is
the Alcazar theater. Whittlesey-daz
zling White-the major. and is making
his farewell bows this week
The setting given the play is splen-
did. The air is redoeent with the per-
fume of 'ripened hay and vocal with the
songs of birds. The. major and party
arrive on the island to enjoy O. picnic.
The major is the guardian of his broth
ers boy, who is at school near by
The boy, who does not appear. is the
result of the marriage of the majors
brother to a gypsy-or the cause, more
properly and less elegantly speaking.
The brother has died meantime. The
gypsy woman appears on the island.
and Maize thinks that the major is the
boys father. She overhears a conver-
sation between the gypsy mother and
the boys uncle and misunderstands.
The gypsy wants money: to keep her
mouth shut. The major wants the
world to think the boy his own and the
mother dead. Maize Jumps at conclu-
sions and says she'll marry Phil be-
cause she is tired of casting eyes at the
major and now knows his perfidy. The
major has urged her to marry Phil be-
cause Phil is young and has money.
In the meantime much fine comedy is
enacted by John B. Maher, who as an
artist is rather gone" on the gypsy.
giEl himself; A. Burt Wesner. who is
uncle to another schoolboy lover of the
gypsy; 1ffie Bond, as Hoddesden's
niece, and Adele Belgarde, as wife of
the artist who admires the gypsy.
There are some unusually lllidicrous
situations, which last night were
handled deftly and well by the com
pany. Ernest Glendenning, who plays
the schoolboy lover to the blackinailing.
gypsy, gives a sturdy likeness of his
English cousins, and VIII R. Walling-
does the best possible with the un-
grateful role OF Phil Ollie Cooper
again plays the role of the taitered
urclin. who makes Tom Sawyer fun
with the plot, and Louise BrowneIl. as
the gypsy, and Howard Hickman, as
her seheming husband, are all good.
The play is pretty trifie, well'staged
and managed.
PRINCESS
Ferris Hartman continues a. powerful
attraction at the Princess theater this
week in The Toy Maker The mu-
S1ca1 play entered. its second and Last
week last night and will be given until
next Monday, when THE Wizard of the
Nile" with Hartman as the wizard, viii
be produced. The matinee next Satur-
day will be made memorable by the fact
that every child attending. will be pre-
sented with toy from the toy. makers
stock There viii be "a matinee .on La
Dor day (Monday). 'Sybil Page, prima
donna, will make her first appearances
at the Princess in the role of Cleopatra.
VAN NESS
The Man of the Hour" is now in the
second week of its successful engage
ment- 1t is announced that owing to
the large demand for seats, the produc-
ton will be continued for a third and
last week, commencing next Monday
night The Broadhurst play of graft
and boss" politics is especially. well
played this season by Cyril Scott. Felix
haney Louis Hendricks. Ruby Bridges.
Evelyn Moore, Ethel Brandon and the
others of the well. arranged cast. The
Man of the Hour ranks well to the
front among the plays from the pens of
the best American playwrights It's
theme is timely, and aside from the ele-
ment of interest attained by the poiiti-
cal portion of the story, there is a
charming love episode to hold attention
The next attraction at the Van Ness
theater will be the musical comedy sue
cess, The Girl Question"
CENTRAL
Local scenes are used in the produc-
tion of The King of the Opium Ring
at the Central theater this week Many
of the prominent buildings in China
town are shown during tho thrilling
melodrama. The drama is centered
about the struggle of two leaders of an
opium ring to get possession OF a white
girl. T. n. Heffron is seen to ADVANTAGE
in the role of the white king OF the
ring and James Corrigan plays the part
of the willy oriental, Edna Ellsmere is
the heiress who falls into the hands of
the Villains and who is finally RESCUED
by Herschel Mayall and Herman Cripps.
the detectives.
Beautiful Chinese costumes are worn
by many of the members Of the COM
pany and the scenes in the opium dens
are realistic. Elmer Booth, Frank Bon
ner and Alice Condor supply the com
edy. Another who takes a prominent
part in the play is Edmund Flynn, who
assumes the role of sailor and who as
sists in the raid upon the dens. Claire
Sinclaire is given prominent role
Pleasing specialties are given between
the acts.
NATIONAL
Many old favorites are seen at the
National theater this week and the bill
is one of the strongest that has been
given this season. Amazing feats of
balancing on slack wire are done by
Cardieux. Louise Aubery sings we'll
and Fred and Eva Mozart offer the audi
ence novelty singing and dancing
sketch. Tom Gillen, one of the fun
niest men billed at the National this
season, keeps the audience laughing ali
the time he is before it. The Fall of
64," military playlet, is cleverly done
by George NJ. Laing, Roy Laidlaw. Elsie
Ridgely and Hazel A. Moye. Kelly and
Violette sing and make hit with the
audience. This is their eighth week at
the National. Manuel Roman, the Foley
brOfhers and the Palmer sisters cr;x~a =