Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-30
az SHiRLEY OLYMPIUS


to- play Ona in "The Jungle" Upton
Sinclairs indictment against the meat
barons who grind many a human soul
into their sausage. Since Miss Barry
IL a radical by nature-her father being
j. Stitt Wilson, Socialist candidate for
governor-and by choice she is adj
mirably fitted to enact the principal
role in an analytical play dealing with
subjects she has studied deeply.
Not SO many years ago that her
friends in Berkeley have forgotten it,
Viola Barry was wearing knee dresses
ana her hair in braids. She went to
England with her father, where he lee
tured The stage was her chosen life
work. so she got an engagement with
the Benson company, probably the
leading Shakespearean company in the
world today. Because she was acting
on the stage while her father was
speaking on the rostrum, Miss Barry
was forced to change her name. Hence
she is known as Viola Barry.
In the Benson company Miss Barry
gained an experience which fitted her
for leading roles In most any company.
She proved this by satisfactorily filling
the position of leading woman at Ye
Liberty stock company, Oakland. Had
she so desired she could be there today.
Whatever may be the fate of THE
Jungle" one thing is certain-Viola
to be anything else.
This young woman has some adj
vanced ideas-ideas so far advanced as
to be considered unconventional in tho
extreme. For instance, she holds with
some of the great thinkers that woman
should be ndependent-mentally finan-
cially, politically and every other way
--of man. 1t is by this independence
only, she maintains, that the divorce
evil will be eradicated and society
raised to a plane of absolute morality.
Just how this independence is to be
brought about is still a question in her
mind. She is studying, observing. plan
ming all the time, hoping some day to
find the magic key which will unlock
the letters which now bind her kind.
The other afternoon in her hotel Miss
Barry had little to say about THE
Jungle" She said she preferred to
await the time when the public com
mended or condemned the play before
she expressed an opinion. However.
she said that she felt that plays of this
character wilfs find an audience, for
they are the plays which make men
and women think, and that is the pur-
pose of the theater taken at its best.
Experience brings wisdom. That be-
ing so, what Miss Barry has to say
about actors is worth hearing.
81 like actors as such, but I detest
them as men," says she. sit seems so
foolish to me to see healthy man paint
his face and garb himself fastidiously.
then parade his false charm before a
snickeringly admiring world. The actor
thinks always of himself, of what sort
of an impression he is making on the
matinee girls or the audience generally.
That must in the end make him less
virile and take from him that stamina
which means accomplishment. A
woman is born to the life of make-be-
lieve, more or less. At least that is
so under present conditions, so the
stage is not an improper or unnatural
sphere for her. But for man-oh, it's
too bad to spoil good artisan in order
to make foppish player. But still we
must have men on the stage, so what's
the use condemning those who elect the
profession?
Alfred Metzger, editor of the Pacific
Coast Musical Review, has some very
complimentary words for the BeVani
opera company, which will open a sea<
son of grand opera at the Auditorium
Monday night In the last issue of his
publication Mr.. Metzger says editor
tally:
With this week the Bevani opera
company concludes it's exceptionally
successful San Francisco season.
Indeed it may well be recorded
without exaggeration that from a
nnanc1Al as well as dTIlSllc point OIL
view this season was one of the
most successful italian opera COM
pany engagements ever witnessed
in this city. Alexander Bevani de-
serves every possible degree of
credit for the general satisfaction
given our music lovers by his spfen-
did forces AS a matter of fact the
Revani opera company is conclud-
ing a fourteen-week engagement in
the vicinity of San Francisco of
which seven weeks were spent in
Oakland. This represents a period
of three months during which 1875
performances were given or twenty
eight performances more than dur
ing the famous Tetrazzini seasons
at the Tivoli opera house and con-
sequently there has been established
a new record for italian opera sea-
sons in this territory. 1t is further
more a gratifying fact to be able
to say that the engagement was n
profitable one and that the manage
ment has the satisfaction of having
cleared quite a handsome sum
above its expenses. There are, how
ever other features aside from
breaking the record of continuous
italian grand operate perform
ances which make this remarkable
Bevani opera season memorable.
We have never witnessed an
Italian opera season in San Fran
cisco which was noted for such
tasteful and handsome display of
scenery and costumes and especially
for such a remarkable degree of
vocal skill and musicianship. One
of the finest features of this en-
gagement was the excellence and
charm of the chorus. Another fea-
ture which surpassed every season
similar to this was the general sat
isfaction given by those cast for
secondary roles. Among these art
lists may be mentioned Helen New
combe, Marie Scherzer, William
Giuliani, Secci Corsi, Arthur Mes
mer, Marcel Peron, G. Napoleoni
and others. Just think of it.! Not
less than seven satisfactory artists
who sang roles outside the princi-
palsl This is breaking the record
OF even the 81 Metropolitan pro-
auctions which were given here at
the old Grand opera house. The
stage management, too, proved to
be far above the average Among
the principal artists there may be
mentioned at least five of eXcep-
tional merit and one of these made
a sensational success, namely, Re-
gina Vicarino. Her colorature work
was simply superb and the en-
thusiasm she aroused in Lucia"
''Traviata" and "Rigoletto" can only
be matched by the wild scenes Gre
ated during the Tetrazzini triumphs.
The other four artists who made a
very deep impression are Battain.
the possessor of a rarely beautiful
tanor voice. Saochetti a tenor Of