The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 1, 1904, Page 23

R ed to . ather more stance of .the di- . n actor's lot and s wear He was us after- F t fed glorious F not that which one th able to to do, show which ome is aesires in the actor than experiment of the actor g for arnival per- light would ve would As Mrs re things than any f muffin vey,- Mans- tive in- s price. Muf- ned first and that that's seems, - .rising ‘young zines, Bayard Veil- £ name were ther's,” she w lliam Wych- The Coun having th you know ish — ah! that uffine.” . al- sound ‘of Bow put it But I was quite a a. My name- is 18in vcherley in the thea- nother fa me We are a branch o ‘7 family,” and ey gave mée the fam- f Hopber, Elsie de Woife — Elsie's 1 various other De from. the several I took mother's e, as e were already too many e Wolfes on the stage. Now I'm going get someé hot muffins Miss Wycherley disappeared into the toy kitchen adjoining the room in which we were sitting and I time take in the books and pictures. War- rantable curiosity this, and mine 18 here insatial Its first reward was the Hovey head, and I was still ad- miring the poetic strength and beauty of the face when mine hostess returned. l——————-—————————————_, WITH THE PLAYERS AND T “Ah! you are looking at Hovey,” the actress said, laying down her crisp and ant burden, “Isn’'t it a splendid “You knew him?" “It was among my dearest privileges,” she said simply. “I camped for six weeks with the Hove and I look back to it as the happiest time I ever had.” “He must have been f * 1 suggested. Iptimate word of Richard Hovey, our American Stephen Philljps, was more than I had hoped for a delightful _.“He was several times ‘delightful,” Miss Wycherley -put it. “My Hovey gratitudes are of various kinds. He and Mrs. Hovey wére almost the first iragé me in my work, and gh them T met -what they called wugh a little later than »ry. There were still' to- good many people worth , though. And then again one ful to Hovey for being what Was. aléo is a remarkable. der than he was, but thing—what is difficilt women to do. Hovey, of 1ty -of chance to make the magazines, and said,- when money, Do your own i she managed. And this is how Hovey, dead at 33, was en- enric n letters with The. Birth of had” and “Lance- Guenevere, 1l pever forget my first meet- Miss Wycherley recalled I was just 17, badly and a friend ‘took me to me to recite for them. recited, by the way. when I got ‘there there was this never extraordinary black person with the .extraordinary black eyes and black to’ death. He any of the ‘Songs I didn’t. Then he be- to recite corpse one for me—the one whére rattling over the stones be- gins 0 tdlk. He read beautifully—and it w eerie,” and Miss Wycher- ey's w opéned to their widest. ie eye And then Gh I d something, fdiot of my she d then they began to talk a laughed, “a me over just as though I. were not thére -Mrs. ‘Hovey said—she was a arte, by the way, and he stage— > has the r. That means comedy fuil Richard said: ‘She uy lip, but I don’t be- wr And so on. They ging, however.’ 1d his plays for dra- matic r presént ‘Miss Wycherley affirmed. H , wrote for it.” He use ghingly that he wanted Henry g for the part of Daggc t, the $ool in “Fhe Birth of Galahad.’ But theré is no doubt that he wrote for the stage and not for. the. closet. He Vas at work cn ‘The Birth of Galahad’—oh! w I should like to produce that—dur- at. memorable camping party.” was that?" r Just twenty miles from New York,” she “supplied.. “You haven't all the camping in California! We were only five minutes away from the crowded Rockaway Beach, yet were absolufely alone. It rained most of the time. 4t doesr’t do thdt in California tjll even that was amusing,” and the actrese laughed her round, Eng- lish laugh. “We used to hold a sort of after breakfast veremonial that was the best time of the day.” All the rest had cigarettes and .I ate condensed mUK for amusement. . I love it—they all thought that a great joke. Then Richard would talk. He would walk up and down talking single tax—he ‘was an ardent single taxer—or soclal- ism, or modern poets. - Bliss Carman .would argue with him—dear Bliss!— who doesn’t know single tax from the side of a house! And Hovey was such a’ good llar! He told the most extra- ordinary ‘'storfes with the gravity of a saint. Bliss was the weakest possible romancer. But evérything under the stn, I think, was talked over.” Was -the poet a good camper— vey, 1 mean?” Hé made very good coffee—#hat's he had to do. And he was tre- mendously proud of it. He never-got up until noon in town, but he would be over the stove at 8 o'clock in the morning making that coffee. “"Perhaps,” she began, then taking up his photograph with a look of sheer reverence, “perhaps the finest thing about Hovey. was his absolute charity and, gentleness. He had them for everything. It would be always of the poor poem, of the weak friend—'we can't know,” ‘we can’t judge'—the ‘tout -comprendre, c'est tcut pardonner’ at- titude exactly. And here is a little characteristic thing. I was writing a short story i camp and wanted a lit- tle nonsense rhyme. I told Hovey's stepson about it—I couldn’t think of ' He ali times—well, quite poor.- NOWN PARTINGTON — (RS e This week the musical season of 1903 1904 may be said to- close for us with the two recitals of Marcella Sembrich. A (T She sings on Thursday evening and Saturday aftermoon at the Alhambra Theater . the programmes - published herein last Sunday. W. J. Henderson said of het—I get it, from that useful little sheet. the Musical ‘Review—“When [ am listen- ing to Marcella mbrich -singing Brahms' ‘Wie Melodien’ or Schubert's ‘Du bist dle Ruh’ I.think she must be the greatest singer that ever lived.” One thought that of Schumann- Heink when listening to her “Frauene liehe und Leben,” and almost every= thing of hers. On likely, happily, to think the sam Sembrich we get her “Du bist die Ruh, or ! “Wohin,” her wonderful, wonde “Ah .fors e |ui.” In-the house are many mansions. It is extraordinary luck, this of ours, to have had here musi s of the cali- ber of Bauer, Schumann-Heink: and now Sembrich, for none is greater-tham these. After Bauer it seemed °there must be a lowering-of artistic levels, but, no, Schumann-Heink came. The jmpossible it appeared ‘thefy to equal the Schumann-Heink achievements, . but comes Sembrich now, greatest if her schook The whole experience been vastly refreshing, musically % nobling. It means a permanent ift local standards. And the fi port given to the concerts of ple insures us otf visitors of class. A small courtesy that added to the enjoyment of the Heink concer and that it hoped Mr. Greenbaum car his way to repeating for the S ich recitals, is the programme giving the songs in average concert-goer the Italian, Germa tongues among his eq usual singer invariably good self, or herself, in all thr And this must be 3 sung to the song w tten French or Italian are an ed abomination. . The acc the unimportant word is emphasiz the L climacteric word obscured, and the | whole genius of the lan st. Bug a good translation should invariably be furnished. The singer has right to the poetic and dramatic’illusi by the poem. The listener had a to anything that -furth njoy ment. Of course the ave concert= goer is under no delus s to thy tinctive characters of a “Wohin a “Der Wanderer.” Yet is the charm- ing mirth of the one; the -charming melancholy of the other, several times enhanced by a knowledge of. their . words. Without them, indeed, how is the usual person to understand the full magic of a great interpretation? ot the .singer’s art, its difficulties over- come, its technical marvels — he will forever know nothing, as, indeed, these AND POPULAR ACTRESS .f-L\'D THE: LATE POET WHO CONTRIBI do not concern him. But given the words of the songs and there is a new ED TO HER SUCCESS. | one to save my life. “‘Ask Richard,’ said. Richard about a -nons rhyme!” 1 exclaimed—he was writing ‘The Birth of Galahad,” remémber. But 1 did impertinentiy go over to his tent, and clap my h L knocked. at the door that way He came out and I told him what I wanted. I shall never forget how hé looked. He never smiled, but just.began solemnly wigh- out another word ““Theré were three w men of Gotham, who.went to sea in a boat'— and so on. But imagine. “You should have been hanged’— I sentenced. “I should,” she laughed. “And now this other gentleman,” I said, picking up the Mansfield por- trait “Ah, that is y other subject,” Miss Wycherley 1 some more te I took it while ighed ““But do take she told me of her t dramatic experiences, of her first ngagement obtained through Paul Kester with the farewell appearances of Mme. Janauschek, with Maud Banks, Edmund Collier—Willie Collier’s father. “I shall never forget fi Mr. Coliie she said, her brown eyes alight with gratitude. “He avas so kind. Ird never been near the stage before, knew none of those things—‘right up- per,” ‘left center,” and so on—that act- ors are so hard on you for not know- ing. And Janauschek had more than the usual professional horror of a novice. But he told me ame after me—to " tell me after rehearsals not to mind madam, that she even ‘got after’ him. One remembers those things.” After that she was Paquita, the Cu- ban girl, in the “Dawn of Freedom,” a wild and woolly melodrama that she was sure 1I'd never heard of: Then as Jleading woman in a stock company, to which Paul Gilmore, who had before paid her the splendid sum of $20 a week, came to compliment her. o & asked him why he had not given me a kindly word when I was doing the same wofg for $20 that his other Jeading lady got $75 for. He said I"'would have asked for more salary! But I didn't care about that. I was just working my soul out and not knowing whether I was doing well or i “But Mansfield 7" Thus recalled Miss Wycherley con- fessed to the warmest admiration and liking for Richard the Terrible. “I would not have been without my “him. _special. éexperience in Mansfield’s company, for: anything,” she said. “It was his sec- ond season with ‘Cyrano de Bérgerac' and he played all his repertoire . ex- cept . thé Shakespearean. It was precious. He rehearses exactly = as He is absolutely tireless, ab- You he plays. solutely conscientious, inspired. can watch the brain at work.” “And vou were not afraid of him?” “At the end of the seascn, yes; at the beginning, no.” Then Miss Wych- erly illuminated further: "It was the fault of the ‘company. They talk of Mr. Mansfield's severity until one ex- pects the very tables to trembie at his approach.” “Is it all—a superstition?™ “Nat lly, no,” the actress rejoined. “A stage manager has to have some method of control. If he dcesm't swear or lose his temper he must use sarcasm. That is Mansfield’s method, and he’s a genius at it. It's a painful one. Those things rankle. Possibly it is because 1 never happened to be the victim that L can admire so heartily Mr. Mans- field’s attainments. It's different when it is the other fellow. “But you were frightéened?” “Yes, I was,” Miss Wycherly ac- knowledged, “but it was more the float- ing traditions of Mr. Mansfield's powers than what he actually did. Here's an instance of what I mean. Mansfield had Maude Fealy once in the . com- pany. She was new and it was per- haps her second or third rehearsal with He asked her to put out her hand freely to him in some scene. She did, but when she held it out it was trembling like a leaf. Mansfield stopped short and cried out in a great rage to the company: ‘You see that! When have I ever treated Miss Fealy with anything but the utmost courtesy? It is you. You have frightened her,’ 8o it was. At first quite without any- thing but the normal timidity of the novice, T should have made an abselute idiot of myself toward the end of the geason if I'd been asked to do anything It was In the very atmos- phere. Yeats came up then and among other things Miss Wycherly, setting her hand militantly upon her hip, asked me if the critics were going to “jump” her for introducing Oscar Weil's “O Mis-~ tress Mine” into “The Hourglass,” its pericd being a century or so later than the morality. I thought not, Shakes- peare's and Mr. Weil's song being good enough for any century. “And now—we will have another muffin,” she temvted. “No,"” I said sternly; “still, if it's yery brown—" GOOD FEATURES " AT THE THEATERS Thée Rogers brothers’ come to the Columbia te-morrow. evening in “The Rogers Brothers in London.”” The plece ‘is described as a comedy” and employs 110 people. In the ‘cast will be noted the name of Lil- lian Coleman, the large-eyed hourl with the lovely voice that used to adorn the Fischer ranks. The produc- tion, the girls, gowns and fixings are said to be gorgeous. At the Grand Opera-house Melbourne MacDowell begins to-morrow evening an engagement in the Sardou reper- toire with “La Tosca.” Mr. Mac- Dowell will be supported by Miss Ethel Fuller and not by Constance Crawley as originally announced. * 8 e This afternoon and evening will be the farewell performances of those popular folk, Kolb ‘and Dill, Barney Bernard and the merty rest of them prior to their departure for Australia. . xooe It seems rather a pity that the Al- cazar should have taken that jovial farce, “The New Clown,” off the boards so soon,” but’' Pinére’s “The Profligate,” that will be done this week, is an ex- cellent bill. Mr. James Durkin reap- pears therein after his week’s rest. « s e Herschel Mayall will have a chance this week at the Central with “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Mayall is a clever fellow and the part a fat one. The piece will also.see the'debut of Miss Olive G. Skinner, the Central's new soubrette, arid a new light come- dian, James H. Montgomery, from the Bijou Theater, Brooklyn, N. Y. = . w Fischer’'s Theater closes to-night for alterations, It is ‘expected to reopen toward the eénd of May with an entirely new company and a return to its old burlesque policy. The alterations in- clude an increased seating capacity of 200 and improved . exit accommoda- tions. e . The Majestic closes this week until its completion. ; .., e The ' Tivoli continues its charming success, “When Johnny Comes March- audeville — bond of sympathy between artist and t "o ; . listener, somewhat whereby he may B e o ey GIrl” will | ow—and the singer know that he ooty : know— the depth and truth of the e et Te singer’s reading. Ard, after all. except in the firework stuff, this is the soul of the song. . Sembrich brings with her Rudolf Ganz, said to be as great an artist as accompanist as she is as singer. He wi]l also cantribute spme solos to the pregrammes. Altogether, therefore, the week 1s to be a festival any visible indications of the _recent runjor of the dissolution of partriership “Our New Minister,”. the bright play that was so. successful some months ago at the California, will.be again seen there to-night. The piece, since its debut here, has made a large hit in, New York. . e e If this week’s bill equals last week's at the Orpheum its patrons will' have nothing to complain of. Hal Davis and Inez Macauley in “Pals” and the fa- vorite Dumond minstrels are head- liners. - v s of these heretofare inseparables. Ted McKenna's $5000. performing dog T on the list is “Pilgrim's is the current star of the Chutes. = < CHAT ABOUT WELL KNOWN PLAYERS Fred C. Whitney is té make the production, Julian Edwardes is to write the music and Stanislaus Stange will be responsible’ for the book. The production is promiSed for next season. 5 o 0 e Jeff de Angelis is the Marks in Wil- liam A. Brady's revival of “Uncl® Tom's Cabin.” o e Margaret Anglin and Henry Miller were given a g@attering recéption in New York recently in a massive pro- duction of “Camiille.” . AT De Wolf- Hopper revived “Wang™ last week.at the Lyric Theater in New York, supported by a company cop- taining sevéral ‘members of the .orig- inal cast. It was very well received. e Alberta Gallatin is on her way East with Ibsen's “Ghosts,” in which she has recently been starring with great success. . Charles Frohman. has managed to bring Sir Charles Wyndham, and his entire London company for a season at the Lyric Theater, New York. ‘He wiil open with “David Garrick,” and this will be followed by “Mrs. Gorringe's Necklace” and a new play by Henry Herbert Davis P “Camille” is becoming very popular. Those now using it are Henry Miller and Margaret. Anglin, Virginia, Har- ned, Eugenie Blair, Nance O'Neil, Etta Reed Payton and Grace Reals. Fmear R Daniel Frawley recently closed a sea- Ralph Stuart, now ‘starring with son in South Africa which was chiefly great success in “By Right of Swor notable for the geod productions and ing his en- bad patronage. Theater-goers only woke up to the fact that Americans could produce plays when Frawley produced “Sherlock, Holmes.” They could not L . . withstand this, and the ' house was Edna Wallace Hopper's vaudeville crammed the rest of the week. Among geput in Boston last week in a scenic will produce a new play ¢ gagement in Portland, Or., Los Angeles and San Franéisco called “A Son of Bohemia.” 22 the plays produced by Mr. Frawley jqy) called “The March of Time” was were ‘‘Brother Officers” and “Secret jttended with great success. Service.” . B . Sl Charles Richman, wnc is at present Charles Frohman is to present Ethel in the all-star révival of. “The Barrymore in London in H. H. Davis’ QOrpha has been ading a Wwith the intention of sta comedy “Cynthis s present engagement. Vera Michelena is the prima donna in “The Man From China” in Balti- Wilton Lackave will start for this ) coast in the early part of next geason by e P with “The Pit.” ‘Weber and Fields are doing a great - " . business in Boston in “Whoop-dee- W. 8. Gilbert is preparing to write a.new comedy for the London Garrick Theates. doo.” Boston theater-goers are turning out en masse to satisfy themselves of