The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-23
'SOTHFRN SHINES IN
lord DUNDREARY'
Antiqnated Comedy Keeps Audl-
ence in Commissions OF
Laughter All Evening
By Walter Anthony

E. H. Sothern is looked to BY the
American people to keep alive the
sometimes hickering- flame of the coun-
try's drama. He has imposed that
obligation on himself by consistent
devotion to new dramatic enterprises.
Last night at the Van Ness he showed
himself in the role that his father
hourished in a quarter of century
ago. Sothern. the son. is determined
to do something new if he has to do
something old so he played the CHAR
acter role OF Lord Dundreary in the
comedy by Tom Taylor, the name OF
which is usually printed in lower case
letters because Our American Cousin
suggests too poignantly even yet the
night OF LincOln's assassination
Sothern was Lord. Dundreary last
night. He suggested the remark so
often heard beside cradle--HoW Ike
he is to his fatherp' AS to that fact
can not bear even indirect witness,
but if E. A. Sothern was any better
Lord Dundreary than his SON was last
night, then there must be new STAN
dards of comedy established.
FULL OF ARRANT NONSENSE
The audience which sat through the
four acts OF the Anticipated comedy was
most part. quite Indifferent whether It
rained outside or not. There We're long
lines of cabs and carriages. automo-
biles and limousines waiting to take
them home. and the inclemency OF the
weather was a mere incident to th0
evenings entertainment at which Soda
ern, the son, presided.
For splendid imbecility and buffoOn-
cry with a touch of truth. for sheer
idiocy and arrant nonsense. commend
the role of Dundreary. He is in the
realms Of thought what a slap stick
comedian is to the risibles that can be
touched with a prod. He-I mean Soth-
ern-is the personifcation of the spirit
of mirth, and mingles with an unerring
touch the farce Of the authors English
burlesque character with truth, such as
rests behind cartoon or perches on
joke.
MONOLOGUE Is FUNNY
To hear Sothern's monologue in the
fourth act over the letter that he re-
ceived from his brother Sam is to hear
the best that comedy has to give. 1t
may be technically wrong. from the
point Of the technician, to have a char
acter sit on the stage and talk to him
self for a space of 10 minutes, but the
violence TO dramaturgy is readily for
given when the player, Sothern. in talk
ing to himself cOnvUlses you with every
sentenced utterance. 1t may be old
fashioned. but it's overwhelmingly funny.
1 am glad that the play is over 40
years old. for that relieves the modern
reviewer from the necessity OF telling
the story. There is little plot to the
play and il doesn't begin TO get apSH
parent until along toward the. time
ring for a cab But neither is Caught
in the Rain" a tremendous success as
a story. 1t succeeds mainly-when il
does succeed-by the force and skill
OF Willie Collier. SO with Lord Dun
dreary's comedy.
SOTHERN CARRIES PLAY
Divorce Sothern. and the compa.y
that acts as though inspired under him
from participation IN the production
and there would be little left except
costumes of a bygOne age and some
pretty speeches and q woof worn plot.
There is even a mortgage in the play
But when SOthern appears he carries
you along and you understand quite
readily that the play of Our American
Cousin" as presented by him is not
nearly so much the result of Tom Tay-
lor's skill as 1t is the result OF E. FL
Sothern's inherited tendency to make
the most OF high class. clean comedy,
seen first by z. A. Sothern. who ampli-
fed even the last gesture. invented the
tripping entrance and saw the DOSsi-
bilities Of making an Englishman lisp.
There is some doubt in my mind as
to the wisdom Of staying away from
Sotherns Hamlet In order to see hts
Lord Dundreary. but the advantage Of
seeing both is great. for he makes the
foppish person quite 1ovable. drou and
at all times most funny.
In his support Sydney Mather as Asa
Trenchard. the American cousin, is eff
fective. though he has to struggle
against an Englishnian's conception OF
an Americans conception of a Vir-
ginian. and that, in 1875. when the com
edy was written. was no easy task. Miss
Gladys Hanson. Miss Virginia Hammond
and. indeed. the entire cast were quite
at home last night. and several scored
hits so lively as to have excited the
envy of lesser star than Sothern.