The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-02-03
Eugene Walters New Drama
Holds in Spell of Charm
and Interest
By Walter Anthony

Only the audience last night at the
Van Ness theater was in the path OF
complete enjoyment when Eugene Wal
ter's new drama. The Wolf, was
played, and 1t seems a great pity that
so small an obstacle should rear so
great a hurdle. The seat buyers were
few. Possibly If the playhouse har-
bored a musical comedy there would
have been more patrons of the drama,
but it is reasonable to suppose that
the rain and the wind kept many low
ers of the drama at home who might
have seen THE Wolf" Anyway those
who were there seemed TO feel a per-
sonaI responsibility for any show of
emotion as the frank story unfolded
and there was evident a disposition TO
fight the force of the plays direct ap-
peal to those passions which philoso
pliers, playwrights and poets insist are
instinct in the race.
Had the house been crowded 1 dare
say there would have been a laurel
wreath for Andrew Robson tomorrow
night because of his splendid portrayal
of the role of Jules Beaubein, the
French Canadian. But since conven-
tons have ordained that emotions must
not be exhibited In public the few
who gathered at the Van Ness theater
maintained until almost the end of the
powerful drama discreet decorum and
refused to be moved by the most COM
polling melodrama that l have seen
since the Van Ness staged The Servant
in the House" or "Othello." At the
conclusion of the drama, however, most
of us kept our seats and applauded.
Do not miss The Wolf and do not
conclude that [ am overenthusiastic
until after you have sat out the first
act, which even 1 didn't care much for
But when the story develops itself
and runs into the second act with it's
powerful climax and then hastens on to
the third act which closes with most
novel situation of duel in the dark
when you watch-if you can lend your
self to enticed illusion-two spectral
forms struggling in a foreground
! lighted only by an early morning moon,
then you will admit that there is still
theatrical vitality in the land and that
the end of the stage is not, after all
at the brink of ripping comedy.
There will be no effort here to tell
you the story. 1 wish the merits of a
reviewers work might inspire a reader
TO see the play. for both reader and
reviewer would then be friends Do
but agree that there is faith in man.
innocence and purity in woman, conf
dence among friends and brave hearts
in Canada, and you will enjoy THE
Wolf hugely.
AS to the cast, it is a small one
<ABuEcM IhODSoH IL uHAHOWn TO me, and
I have an uncomfortable feeling that
the fact is my loss. He is an artist.
You will pick him out at once when he
makes his first entrance. He PLAYS the
role of Jules, whose sister has been
betrayed by the man who, in the play
seeks to betray poor Hilda, his sweet
heart Louis Haines assumes the in
venile role of his assistant in love and
\ the villains assistant in building a
railroad. In the role of Huntley he
presents Walters healthy comedy. To
Huntley is assigned the task of rescu-
ing melodramatic situations from
pathos. Walter has Wagner's sem
sitiveness for the possibilities of dis
sonance. He never gives you mora
/ than you can stand.
| When the situation seems about on
the point Of suggesting the lurid and
impossible Huntley arrives with Iina
that puts you at ease with the NAV
wright again. He will never tax vonr
credulity, and delicious sense of
humor saves every situation except
perhaps that at the end of the second
act. from reproach.
Ben Lamar as the Scotch father is
fine character part. reminding Won
in his force of the work of Tyrone
Power Loire Palmer, who assumes
the only feminine role of the produc-
ton, is quite good. but not fine. Con-
rad Cantzen makes much of the mart
of Bo'tule
The play and production are up 70
the representations which have reached
us from the Lyric theater, New York