The San Francisco call., 1908-08-03
By Walter Anthony

Nance O'Neil began her last week
at the American theater yesterday
afternoon in Sardou's sanguinary and
old fashioned tragedy, The Sorceress."
be able to get the dramatic truths
across the footlights, save in the fourth
act in her fine scene of renunciation.
There she was the Nance ONeil of old
and the time worn play affected US with
something of its former SPELL
1t would not be fair to blame the
tragedienne for the shortcomings noted.
NO one could do much more with the
play lacking the support of a compe-
tent company as Miss O'Neil lacks 1t.
To add to the disabilities the produc-
ton was manned in its settings. This.
am informed, was unavoidable, as the
scenery, Rankin explains, was burned
in a recent Portland fire.
The fourth act, however, justifies the
trip which many will make to see Miss
ONeil during her farewell week. The
hideousness of the inquisition that
made Spain infamous in the sixteenth
century-is made an almost present issue
by the force of Miss O'NeiPs art and
she does it without the aid of her fell
lows on the stage. who were yesterday
not notable for their familiarity with
their lines nor their freedom in the
roles.
Hc ldSL ACT HSeQS TcH0dTSlnR. LII the
duel scene, where Palacios is killed, 1t
looked to an average swordsman as If
he had disarmed his opponent. If you
did not know the play you would have
! been shocked at his sudden and cause
less death on the church steps after de-
Tending the sorceress from the hands of
the mob" Such defects as these
marred the production and made Miss
O'Neils success but tentative.
The Orpheum will do well this week.
| The show is excellent from beginning
| to end, with few lapses here and
there, but not enough TO mar the bill.
thing new. or at least one of the turns
| introduces a novelty in the shape of a
sepulchral voice that sounds like a mes
sage from the grave when it isn't re-
| hard knots. Ines and Taxi are the
| twain who pack the voice along and
they are mentioned first, not because of
superior excellence, but because they
happen to have this voice. The young
woman, by the way, is not the one;
her voice is funny. but not Intentionally
SO. It's her comrade who displays the
wonderful vocal apparatus. For the
rest they introduce some tinkle music.
which is innocuous and gentle.
VIII M. Cressy and Blanche Dayne
are with us again This time in q
1t is full of those little obvious gags
and witticisms that have made Cressy
the classic author In vaudeville. The
| turn was enthusiastically received last
night.
Concerning the finale of the bill-be-
fore the moving pictures come ont
may be said that it is one of Lasky' s
productions; that 1T shows care in its
preparation and that it serves to while
| away the last half hour at the Or
pheum in a pleasant and most agree
able manner. The Military Octet is
what it is called, and the instrumental
lists, led from the orchestra by the girl
with the baton" go through their mu-
sical and other maneuvers with dash
and spirit. Some strange looking In
struments are employed in the opening
number They are cornets with the
crooks Strengthened out until the "belr'
Of the horns, like the trumpets in the
pictures of the old trumpeters stretch
out so far that the players may only
guess what's happening at the other
end. The men play well on them, how
ever, and showed they Were civilized
horns by giving a dashing interpreta-
tien to Liszt's Hungarian rhapsody
The turn ends with bugle calls intoned
by the eight players, and the act was
warmly received.
Among others of the new comers to
win applause was the Mitchell trio OF