The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 19, 1904, Page 19

n with which he miraculous es in in the a miracle play there? It further op- Three has to ldier with his cred might be in & 1 fact, in a miracle play? » the eross a la Valentine McCarthy couid , have shown the the symbol upon and the soldier. The fool in his carnal it not be well to ly in air, at once blasphemer and in the heart of that in the mber, there ion fool situa the of it, and in the way of w nd actors retained each our A s of the discussion, Mr. Soth- ern & he following story at m 1 have a very charming woman triend on one of the New Orieans pa- pers, and seeing our pl sl wrote to T ropos of the love scene n the steps of the altar. It seems that her pasto 1 seen the play and decid- rat the scene was impossible—well, I wrote her, on thinking scene might offend and that I really another part of the stage. Then I received a telegram, Don’t change ghe scene until you re- e letter. The letter referred to came, contained the news that an- other pastor and friend of my friend bad decided that for such a love scene e altar was the only possible place!” are expecting a telegram from You 1 me ughed Oh, no, only”--Sothern's eyes do twinkie sometimes. That was one time. “But Miss Loftus and 1 had great fun over it afterward. We got up a set of telegrams, about twenty, and sent them off to my friend at the vate of four a day. Like this: ‘Am anxivusly awaiting further news. Miss Loftus refuses to play until matter set- tled. Oan you not get pastors together to decide? °Still awaiting answer. Mc- Carthy wires, “Make love anywhere you only don’t bother me.” N f this.” And so on.” to laugh chang “You had Miss k a momer wi at the ete rnally arel—and what do you young as she looks?” 1 eighteen,” her man- ied he has she was thirteen, page parts and such like. Miss noticed ¥ nd took the child ) live with her, Then one day she asked me why I did not give her a part. So I gave her a small part in this e—the exile who the churc She did those four lines so well that Miss Loftus suggested that she should un- derstudy her. I said ‘go ahead,’ and they did. Miss Loftus taught her something, Mr. Powell, our stage man- showed her the ‘business’ of the th but it is mostiy her own idea of part. A month afterward they ask- ed me to see her rehearse. I did, with the result that when Miss Loftus feil I T had no hesitation in letting Janey ¥ the part.” Is she as beautiful off the stage as I began. You shall see her,” Mr. Sothern settled it. He got up then, opened the r a melodiously boomed out And =een aney” came. You who have “The Proud Prince” know that pure and flower-like figure, lyrical /in its grace; poetic in its every sugges- tion. Like a lily she stood there, still in the pearly gray and white of her last scene; the delicate flame of her hair still about her shoulders and caressing the starry pallor of one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. I looked at her—and shuddered. I was afraid to hear her speak, so more than perfectly was the stage illusion of her fulfilled—a white and delicate nymph, whose lines are of Greece, whose lips should part only to spout Sapphics! The voice of the youngest leadimg lady in America did rather bring one down to Powell street again, for Mi Laure] had a very matter of fact, twentleth egntury ‘huskiness that night, It wag a good thing for'me. I was just debating whether the classic Apollinarig or cold cream were the t libation tc pour at the feet of oung gofidess—as I was sure there wasn’t any Falernian knocking around. Her child-like, direct, “How d'ye do with its little hoarsenegs saved me, and I ventured to shake the muse's outstretched hand. Mr. Sothern looked satisfied as he left us then, to rehearse a scene that had not quite pleased his artistic eye, Miss Laurel and I settled. to a t. Before the actor went, however, warned me that “Janey thinks,” Truth to tell I didn’t care whether “Janey” thought or not. What matter, pair of eyes—Ilike the “moun- of her lover’s in the play— crystal-clear, soft as a deer’s, ched over by a pair of piguant evebrows by Helleu? -What matter, with a line of chin-and neck like a young, Diana, with a nose carved as straightly, as justly as hers, with her mouth as of a muse? What matter, with that wonderful, luminous pallor? What matter, to me? She was a po. 1 to leok at. if she said nothing. But neither that evening, nor the next day, when I saw her again. did the tall child strike a note out of key with her physical suggestion. She is immensely young, and curiously wise. She has the direct, frank gaze of a child- whose eyes have met nothing but kindness in those that have looked into them. Without shyness, she has the and he T=> BLAN BPARTINGTO ~= %4 % - “ -+ MISS “JAN 5} LAUREL, THE YOUNG PROTEGE OF CECELIA LOFTUS. | delicate mndv'su' of perfecty uncon- down there, in the cellar!” pointing an talk of t I am going to do. Time s(».ul.xs:';sm } \:i_ll;]m:! n’um-'-u. she has ivory finger to the lower regions. enough when # is done. One thing, T f’-?a:;p;'rfl\:xiaqa}[.,q;: iev Own DOWET: g “How did it all happen?” [asked. mean to work endlessly. T know it is Seab dicisiaad p oy and there fh Al n: “Oh, Mr. Sothern liked the way I only work that lies between one and f)es :mA flhnt«‘ er, and ,” is a ® spoke some lines in this piece and most of the great things. No, I don’t ‘;az;‘ux;‘l charm the name SURRES'S goqc mio the -understudy of know Yeats. I know very little vet. about her. ' Loftus—she, the dearest woman in I'VE seen very few of the great actors I began, rudely enough, hy tellln® (pe world—asked him, T know.. But —Miss Loftus has taken me to the the young divinity that I thought her Perpetua somewhat too lachrymose. I s a monotony of pa- thought there v thos. I thought the part afforded op- portunity for streaks of light in its grayne; Very practically, she asked, “Just where?” I told her, in the first act, in the second act, and just where. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “T'll think about it. You are very good. I like to hear that kind of thing.” “Mr. Sothern tells me that you listen, but don’t always heed!” I laughed. Mr. Sothern had told me that he had by chance come upon “Janey” in the midet of an advising crowd one day. She was listening with deep attention to the suggestions. He asked her af- terward if she intended to take them. instancing one and another. “No." Miss Janey said. “Why?” Mr. Sothern asked. ‘“‘Because that is not natural, Nobody would do it that way.” After that he left the . girl to work out Perpetua in her own way, and somewhat angular, somewhat crude, as the conception still is, no one seeing it can doubt Mr. Sothern’s wisdom in so doing. £ 5 “ButI like to think about what peo- ple say,” Miss Laurel announced. I have so, so much to learn.” Here the white, womanly hands clasped them- selves firmly. “Doesn’t it saem strange, to you teo play leading lady after . being so long a page?” “Oh, it's like a beautiful dream!” the ®irl said. 1 thought, with those eyes opening in delightful reminiscence before me, that there were .others! “You know,” it was a delightful schoolgirl that leaned-forward then to say, “last time I was here I dressed that I should really be acting it, I can- not tell you how wonderful it all seems!”. Miss Laurel says ‘“‘wonder- ful!” as Margaret Anglin says it— aye, and she is not unlike that clever young woman. “How do the other pages like it, think vou?” I asked. “Oh, we all think t's quite a joke— really,” she laughed de- Sure, then, absolutely, of the unenvious good will of her con- freres of the ranks, Miss Laurel said: “I'm certain they all very giad that T am geiting along. But me, Perpetua! it is a joke!” “A very good one!” . I hope they'll keep on are “Were you mnervous on your first night 2" “Very,” she sald.. “I.didn’t eat a thing all day. But, yvou know, the moment L reached my dressing-room the nerves all left me. On the stage, of course, I forget everything.” “Is Perpetua the kind of role you like 2" “Yes, indeed,” the girl testified, and ‘“yes” and “indeed” from Miss Laurel mean all of “yes” and “indeed.” “I'm fond of.the emotional, fond of the sit- uation pitched in the intense key,” and she clasped hands that said more than her words. “I'd hoped,” I said, “from your per- sonullt;'. that the poetic drama par- ticularly appealed. In fact, I'd. pic- tured you as a sort of muse of the Yeats kind of drama, a new player of a new thing in plays, of the mystical, poetic, ideal, that I belteve will be the next step in the-drama.” “1 think'-—Miss Laurel stopped to smile elusively—"“but I do not like to theater quite often, though.” “And you've learned everything you 1 Mr. Sothern’s company? hing,” she nodded, from watching his rehearsa “I think he's the greatest of actors! “Did you begin with him—how did you come to begin so ear at 13 years, Mr. Sothern tells me ‘‘There sehool that Mis: Laurel black sparkles, was a girl in my class at went with ‘Ben Hur,""” remembered, her eyes “I'd always wanted to go, and go I.did. That's ail. The teachers—oh, my!-—were delighted. I used to tell them all about it, just as if 1:were a star! That was the first production of ‘Ben Hur.’ Ever since I've been with Mr. Sothern. You should see his rehearsals. They're like a won- derful lesson, every one of them. He's so particular about enunciation—" “Yours is delightful—" “Thanks.” She laid an impulsiwe hand on my arni, “Oh, he is absolute conscience about everything.” *“What are you studying now?" “Juliet,” she said, a little shyly. “Oh! but I don’t mean to play it for years yet.” “Perhaps you'll get a chance to up- derstudy Julia Marlowe when she plays it to Mr. Sothern's Romeo this season.” “Won't that be wonderfu Miss Laurel sighed. ‘“Miss Marlowe and Mr. Sothern—everything. in the part is his. You should see Miss Loftus': Ophelia, too. I want to play that—but I mustn’t tall “But,one may dream.” “F must dream,” Miss: Laurel put it. “I eat and sleep and work with my eyes millions of miles away in dreams.” ‘Wishing her then that the' realities might prove as fair, I left Janey Laurel, a picture of dream, to her dreams. Cagtoe. T o WITH TWO - UNUSUALLY FINE PLAYS LEADING THEATERS ARE FULL “The Proud Prince,” perhaps the most - successful adventure of E. H. Sothern, is in its second week at the Celumbia = Theater. The play has aroused an extraordinary interest. Its subject is so uncommon, its acting so rare, its scenic setting of such unusual beauty, that no one interested in the drama should let it: go unseen. Mr. Sothern as the proud Prince of Sicily who is transformed into his own foel for blasphemy. has added yet another admirably successful portrait to his long gallery. His support almost throughout is worthy, his leading lady. Miss Jane Laurel, being as unusual and beautiful as his play. e " “Du Barry,” with Mrs. Leslie Carter in the title role, is a sensational suc- cess at the Grand Opera-house. The production is a record one, and Mrs. Carter’s assumption of her tremend- ously exacting role is one of the events of recent stage portraiture. The sup- porting company is throughout suffi- clent; in the case of Mr. Stevenson as Louis XV and Mr. Gollan as the vil- lain, Comte du Barry, exceptionally effective. The stage pictures alone are worth going to see. The clever Oliver Moroscos will en- liven the California echoes this week with a farce alleged to be the “fun- niest of all,” entitled “The Prince of Liars.” Farce is a new metier for this bright company of players, at least lo- cally, and their appearance therein will doubtless-be of much interest to their many admirers. e With “Lovers’ Lane” the last week of the Alcazar's stock season ends on Sunday night next. Miss Frances Starr’s Simplicity Johnson will be a de- lightful feature of the production. Next comes White Whittlesey for an engage- ment of several wee s o The new Fischer lights, headed by Edna Aug, seem to have found large favor with the local burlesque lovers. To-night sees the end of “U. 8., and to-morrow evening another burlesque by the same author, Judson C. Brusie, will be put on. Mr. Brusie has an apt eye for a subject, plenty of sound humor, and with his enlarged experi ence should be able to turn out som thing to fill the bill. “The Mormons” is ~ the promising title of this week's bur- lesque. S ey Helen Bertram, last here with the Bostonians, will sing at the Orpheum this week. There is a good bill besides, one of its features being the moving pictures of the San Francisco Fire De- partment taken for the St. Louis Ex- position. i w Bessie Hart, who play headline Charles and most everything, Chutes bill. on the i STOCKWELL, VETERAN ACTOR AND MANAGER, IS TO BE BENEFITED When the Belascos do a handsome thing—and this is much oftener than appears on the billboards—they “do it up” handsomely. Such generous and generously planned affair is the Stockwell testimonial benefit, to be given this week at the Central The- ater. The stage benefit is not mon. The Tivoli, for example, de- votes a night in each season to its popular leader, Paul Steindorff. The Grau company used to do the same for that impecunious millionaire, Maurice Grau. Yearly the A#sociated Theater. Managers combine to put money in the pursg of their excellent association for- aiding the sick and uncom- out o' works of the profession. And s0 on. 3 This week’s benefit is different. Not one night of the ever popular “Lights o' London,” but the whole week, will be played for the veteran comedian's benefit. Like Mrs. Fiske's glittering name on her programmes, I found this fact tucked away in a quiet corner of the usual advance note of the Cen- tral's bill. Its evidence of the some- time violet-like quality of the Belasco well-doing I found as interesting as the fact itself, and I hasten to drag both into such prominence as they may here find. Stockwell is a well and honorably known name hereabouts. It is a name long identified—though its own- er is yet hardly old enough to boast of his years—with locak theatricals. Perhaps the period of its largest re- nown was during the Stockwell Thea- ter times, when the comedian chris- tened and opened what is now known as the Columbia Theater with an ex- cellent stock company. Some years of success go to its credit in local his- tory. Touchstone, of his personal successes, is probably the veteran ac- tor's most honorably Hlled part, though he has assumed cleverly most of the well knoyyn comedy roles. In another genre his Marks in “Uncle Tom's Cabin” is famous throughout the! play-going ceuntry. Mr. Stockwell’'s adventures as a manager . Were also pleasantly pros- perous. .But he sometimes missed it— as we all do. Perhaps, for example, the actor would not this week be playing in a testimonial performance to him- self had he foreseen the success of “A Texas Steer.” He tells |gently of this vanished oppertunity. “Charlie” Hoyt. short of money, as he frequently was in those days, brought to Stockwell the manuscript of the play. Stockwell liked it; but more-frem sympathy for Hoyt's plight than through faith’ in his play he handed over $1000 for ail rights to the author. For six menths the MS. lay in the manager's desk at Stockwell’'s. For six months Hoyt hoped impatiently for its production. But Stockwell—although it wasn't a mat- ter of $83,000 in those days to mount a play—still hesitated. Then came a little wave of prosperity to Hoyt, and a With the popular d beginni the new Tivoleans week mare to disaster with “Sergeant Kitty Not having heard the opera 1 surmise the reasons its Probably though, among them, i tantly are Miss fton’s defections. Howewer, the produ m s its purpose as a “bad beginning.” To- night's “Robin Hoed” will probably be the inevitable success. Everything, at least, points that way. In Barron who is to sing the title r good a temor as was eve comic opera. Edith Ma the soprano, is well remembered from the Southwell opera days, and Condon is a contraito understood to be after Jessie Bartlett Davis' own art. One knows of old Mr. Stei fi's choruses, and they were never er than now, and the orchestra well up to the Tivoli levels. The opera itself is too known here to need comment, but | rthy of record that this is the t time m- that it has been presented by any ¢ pany save the Bostonians. A curlous courtesy ehurch relations—curious in contrast w general condescension accorded singers here (beginping not unimport- antly with the meagerest alaries)— is that instanced by a programme of the Whashington-avenue Baptist Chy of New York. A new choir 2 gaged a few weeks ago at this church. The regular church programme nounced the fact, printing not only names but a short sketch of each of the singers, with an evident pride in heir aequisitic The chief inte he prog however, lies act that the name of W. H. Keith, a former Californian, appears thereon as in hur was an- st the barytone. The name is one weil known te old Californians, W. H Keith, senior, having started the first drug store in San Franciseo. The programme has this concerning Mr. Keith “William H. Keith (barytone) to Paris and prepared himseif for oper- atic work under Sbriglia and Girauc of the Paris Conservatoire, also with Bouhy. Later in London he studied oratorio music with Randegger and Walker. He has sung in oratorio and concert work_in London, Edinburgh Paris, Berlin and other Continental cities. Sinee returning to this country he has been engaged in coneert and church work in various parts of the States. He enjoys an enviable reputa- tion both in Europe and America.” & Foi o went In the “please-publish-the-following™ stuff of the week comes to me the fol- lowing naive note of a forthcoming Creatore tour. “C * it begins. “and the entire W country w SEE Cre- during the coming AR his excellent band. It is only the truth of this that sur- prises. Certainly « cannot seeing” Creatore if he happens to b around, and being Creatore’s, his band is sure to be “exceller One remem- bers rather cockily that it was here the vesuvian director was discovered. .5 i el atore and HE escape heff has a new opera for »n by Ludwig Englander and called “The Queen Fritzi next se: slaus Stange i TOPICS OF THE STAGE AND PLANS FOR NEW SEASON IN EAST David Belasco says that Mrs. L Carter is to play an engagement in London next summer. It is said that Ada Rehan will be starred next season by the Shubert brothers. * Wi Rumor has it that Margaret Anglin will star next season in a play called “The Eternal Feminine.” . » Lew Fields is to star next season in a comedy drama written by Glen Mac~- donough and staged, of course, by Julian Mitchell. S 8 L L. R. Stockwell has secured the rights to “The Hon. Joha North.” R William Gillette is to appear in London commencing next season in April, 1905, in a new comedy written by himself. & e Kathryn Kidder will return to the stage in August in a new play called “Salammbo.” Frederick Warde will be her leading man. i 0 9 o Charles Frohman withdrew “Cyn- thia” from Charles Wyndham's the- ater last Saturday owing to the fail- ure of the play. Miss Barrymore will visit San Francisco for a short rest this summer. o Ha e Frances Gibson has made a great success as Rose Melon in “Piff. Paff, Pouf,” and will remain with the com- pany all next season. * - * still thinking of his play he came’back to Stockwell with the $1000 in.his hand, and Steckwell, gladly enough, took it. The play has since made $300.000. This week the actor appears in a favorite role as Jarvis, and to see him and Miss Julia Blane, who is the Mrs. Jarvis, as well as all the other Cen- tral favorites, there will doubtiess be large houses. And to Mr. Stockwell, who has been traveling a rather hard road of late, the benefit goes. —_————— New French Aymy Rifle. Aneother French military invention is on record. This time it is not the ma- chine gun, but the army rifle, and again the inventor steps out from the ranks. Corporal Grissolange of the First Colo- nial Infantry. has devised a methed of greatly increasing the capacity of small arms for rapid firing. Instead.of one magazine holding eight cartridges, as at present, Grissolange provides three magazines, holding altogether eighteen cartridges, which by an easy mechan- iem, worked with great rapidity, are brought up in succession to the feeding tube. The army commission on mili- tary inventions has just notifiled Gris- solange that the Minister of War has placed his invention before the com- mission, with instructions to examine ana report upon if