The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-30
CAST OF CHARACTERS
in Augustus Thomas Play,
"The Wifching Hour"
By WALTER ANTHONY


All that has been said of "The Witch
shadow in the face of the tremendous
fact of the realization which swept
like mighty wind over the great au-
dience last night at the Valencia thea
ter. The Witching Hour is a magnih
cent drama. It is the biggest thing
that has come out of New York during
any season in my recollection. 1t is a
play, the story of which lacks neither
force nor eloquence in the telling.
1t has shudders in every act that
sends the goose quill shivers over you.
when my heart stopped beating. This
is personal experience, of course, but
/ guess it wasn't unique in the audi
ence. AS a story, then, 1t has all the
elements which pedants are pleased TO
denote as the elements of suspense"
In the curtain which falls over the
final scene of each act, an interroga-
ton point is hung as vivid az though
traced in red.
BEARS STRONG TRUTH
But it is more than a play. 1t is
vehicle of a ruth. 1t teaches more
than melodrama, and rastens the truth
deeper than sermon. The lesson is
that thoughts are deeds.
It is a drama of thought; play of
mind, and the manner in which 1t
drives home it's verities is merciless.
Not that The Witching Hour" is
uncomfortable entertainment like an
Ibsen play. The genius of Augustus
Thomas is too finely sympathetic for
that mistake to happen in play with
his name signed to T.. Such delicious
comedy does he turn on at just the
proper moment 1t falls in abundant
showers when the tension has reached
the breaking point
John Mason as the gambler with the
psychological gifts was given an ova-
ton last night. He is now established
as one of the most powerfully gifted
actors of the generation. Miss Amelia
Gardner. as the mother of the lad who
commits a murder while under the
baneful influence of cats eye scarf
pin. does a bit of acting in the second
act. that for sheer bigness, transcends
acting and becomes life
SUPPORT Is SPLENDID
The entire support accorded the two
principals is splendid, and the Shuberts
have given the play production which
could not be bettered and which proves
that they promised IN good faith to
send San Francisco the original New
York cast and presentation" down TO
the humblest member OF the company
and the smallest piece of property"
"The Ouakeress" at Orpheun
Through the grayness of the new
offerings at the Orpheum this week
there shines THE Quakeress." To a
somewhat colorless list of attractions
this one, CARRIED in gray, lends pleas
ing variety and John Hyams and Miss
Leila Mcintyre in the sketch already
named are easy winners among the
new Corners. Their skit is as attractive
as a brides gown. 1t is new, bright
and pretty. The principals were i'm
mediately accepted and finished their
act great favorites. During the action
Miss Mcintyre sings some baby songs
and Hyams introduces some FUNNY pat
ter. The turn will not startle you, but
1t will entertain you. That's sure.
Now, everybody can not sing baby
songs. Miss Catherine Hayes and Miss
Mabel johnson prove it. Their act is
called "A Dream of Baby Days" The
curtain rises. A parlor is disclosed,
and two young women enter. They
weigh-well, we'll let that pass. Both
are huge, and reference to personal
and physical peculiarities would be, as
usual. fnadmissible were 1t not for
the fact that their size is insistently
referred to during the course of their
skit and supplies the central comedy
idea, even of verse of weigh Down
Upon the Suwanee River"
II you ever ucdTQ d WOIudu Oh lUU
pounds sing a soubrettish song, or
rotund bass MARBLE in ecstacy over the
beauty of f1eecy cloud, you will have
an idea how funny such suggestions
may be when they are unconsciously
made. When the act is deliberate, how
ever, 1t is no longer funny: and the
sight of two enormous ladies making
fun of their own size and behaving
with kittenish manners is not a spec
tacle that excites my sense OF humor
A later exhibition in the act, where
one is dressed like Fauntleroy and
the other in an abbreviated pinafore
may please those who are curiously in
clined. but does not add to the deadly
uninterest of the act. No one would
blame either for being large. They
need not be so frank about it,
Cunningham and Marion in an aero
batic "talkfest" have some turning
tricks that are new and difficult. Their
act is good. and Miss Rose Royals pos
ing horse Chesterfield is a beautiful
animal and intelligent. The parting
of heavy blue curtains exhibits the
pure white beast in great variety of
positions, and the act is picturesque
The Thalia quartet opens the bill
lanely; Carson and Willard in ssThe
Dutch In Egypt" are funny; Harris
Bathing Girls" is an attractive act
with the stamp of New York all over II.
and Jack the Giant Killer is enter
tanning. Anger. the giant, made a neat
little speech yesterday.