The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 24, 1907, Page 28

& i EEA = By James Crawford when representatives tle-breeding States and ted. He was among sta and before we n he kindly showed educe to tract- t never before had held i f the Virginian some personal never saw a ne anywhere did T get 1 manners so| accord with the Western age? By read- times or more athor’s sugges r nine weeks produced he w. nd revising and until the play ch you see racters how they er we began covering 296 tirely revised lents on cigar- envelopes es of wooden boxes, ble thing, and hand nd we inserted them intended they should go. time i infinite pains T'he Virginian' what it is to rength of “The y opinion,” ed to opine to find people . its characters Indeed, to obtain f them it was neces s widely dis- had learned Appearance its illustra. y actors who well enough, p to look the vas no scarcity the character part well No other play that ad as many ‘try “The Virginian.’ ly got the cast as per- 1 be made I took care and that is one of uses of the play’s unabated tiveness near the close of urth season. It is good for mar re seasons as a road show, but it! never be successful in stock the- because » stock company anything like justice to ail ers or devote to it the re- 1 that is essential to playing it the smoothness it must possess ss of a drama s of clean inci- cks in dramatic be compensated for f each incident with ail that holds the in- Long practice to attain Team Work Méans Everything H ny members of the first ppeared in “The Vir- the present cast? rteen, including myself. To re- | I mednt an increased sal- but I must have the perfection of h 1 have alluded does the business can better afford demand for salary aken its magnet- vital spot. I hold a pro- in “The Virginian,’ always been intrusted k of keeping the company up lard. Whatever changes have ide in the cast since last sea- re for the betterment of the tion. I think you'll agree with y th seaso 1an to w I.did. In the acting of the role of Steve, for insta I had noted a i nd so stated nvests the part techuical skill than did his| r, 1 observed, and thereby | with more naturalness pear less like acting. ¥ vely nodded. s also given unprece- es to \ po: I, T pursued, ba ke b ) num nodded and {etail at T thought of the man- rian’ in r in which the Bishop is person- 3 That, too, I pronounced cellent acting of a kind far removed from that invested in Spanish Ed. Same man—Mr. Gilbert—plays | both,” was the astounding rc\'ela(ir)u.‘l Why He Prefers the West “Impossible!” 1 exclaimed, mental contrasting the cha eriffs the coyote-like “greaser.” act, 1 assu ing rejoinder. Y t o T y secret to convince you that | marked e versatile actors in e co to ¢ i er ble in t “Any other ‘doubles’ in the cast?” y shoot at any- No; the Jekyll-Hydeism is monop- thing i miss it’ he re-/olized by Mr. Gilbert. | ed u n bet that’ thing is| Then he told me that in his busi- Emily, }iis F;'rsf Genuifie Cowboy recollectior expressed e e West possibly be sincere and not desire Would you believe,” he said, “that|to serve forty-two weeks per annum until we pla yvenne this sea-|on Broadway. son | neve genuine cattle-{ “Any rcalf;' sincere actor likes best Th appened t Y however. And |the tersitory where his work is most the first one 1 did | thoroughly “appreciated)” he enlight- €st cowboy of them | ened me also, “and wi 1:ampion bronco- | souri is where such plays as ‘The Vir- | 1d. That title was|ginian’ and the proposed play we were at the last tournament, !tal | criticised by press and public | because the people ignificance, and these very s find demonstrative re- The Vir- | sponse in the West.” | “What line, for instance?” Emily’s False Note of Joy remember that when the spinster hen, cackles off iss Wood hints that there may g, and I say, very earnestly, | ness discussion with Frohman he as- | stage M tounded that gentleman by declaring | be an a ‘preference for the West as acting |“No, When he ceased laughing over the |ground. Until this actor enlightened Mour-flushing. surprise that ‘him the famous star-maker could | seem to understand that vi ly heard of the | not understand how any actor who|is a sy fi Colt” being a favorite had won New York's approval could | aptnes st they didn’t ‘four-flushing’ blufing,’ and the of the phrase was lost. Here it never fails to provoke a big. shout The application of a poker term to Emily’s unjustified note of triumph There's inspiration in acting to an audience that knows what you mean hen you say a good thing, and that, I told Mr. Frohman, was why I pre- |ferred playing a Western .character the Wes!.” nonym for of st of the Mis- | w! ing about are mest intclligenllylin “You prefer to play Western char- are qualified to | acters, I presume?” cteristics of (give true value to the performance.| “Your presumption is dorrect. Aside e lovably-bluff Bishop with those of | In the East I have spoken lines that|from my natural adaptability to the e | found no resporse whatever, the audi- e you.” was the laugh-|ences apparently failing to compre- have given away a|hend their | requirements of such a role as that of the Virginian—leaving professional | self-interest out of the question—I |like the wholesome envirdnment that develops such characters, and if fate had made me a real man of the West I don’t think I'd yearn for residence in ‘gay New York’ as so many West- ern people do.” | “There are some who don't.” Heve 1 oo “Yes. They have either read the testimony in the Thaw case or seen | *Salome’ played.” | . “But ‘Salome’ was stopped in New | York.” “That was because the lines were sung in a foreign language.” g “You get out!” Mr. Farnum com- manded. . . Offerings at the Novelty The Lambardi Ttalian opera company will positively make its last appear- ances in San Francisco this afternoon and evening at the Novelty Theater. For the matinee bill four distinot suc- | cesses have been selected, opening with | another triumph to his alre the second act of “Lucia di Lammeh‘ moor,” ' with Tromben, Franceschlni.; Salvaneschini, Pacini, Canetti and Nerit in the cast. This will be followed by the fourth act *of “Favorita” and the fourth act of “Rigoletto,” in which | Russo, Tromben, Scifoni and Canetti will appear, and the second act of| “Chopin,” with Giorgi, Martinez-Patti| and Antola. The evening bill a- valleria” and “Pagliacel,” with Giorgi, Millon, Franceschini, Patti and Pacln” in,the casts. Commencing tomorrow evening Cres- ton Clarke and his company will pra- sent “The Ragged Mes?nger” at the Novelty, their engagemént being lim. | ted to one week. The play is a modern | motional drama, telling the story of the | ambitions, temptations and trfumphs of an evangelist, whose work ia the siums | of New York City. without any hop- of | reward for himself, has earned for him ' the title of “The Mad Rarson,” ‘which | sobriquet seems to be jdstified by his | glving away an immense fortune to which he falls heir. He is in fact some- what of a dreamer, until suddenly his Whole nature is awakened by 4 rreat| love, when it is seen that he ‘is a man with the same primal passions as his fellowmen. 3 “The Ragged Messenger’ is intensely dramatic, and in the role of its prin- cipal character Mr. Clarke has added S ady long list. He made a splendid impression here last season with his production of “Monsieur Beaucaire.' Orpheum’s Fresh Magnets Lee Harrison, who heads the new on- tertainers at the Orpheum this after- noon, is remembered here as the prin- cipal comedian of the Rogers Brothers’ Company. He will introduce his char- acteristic smart songs and stories from real life, which have made a hit in Bastern vaudeville theaters. An en- gagement which will prove a gratifica- tion to music lovers is that of the two male stars of the Lambardi Opera Com- pany, Olinto Lambardi and Guido Cec- cotti, and a diverting novelty will be Claire Beasy's performing cats, spe- cially imported from Europe by the Orpheum Circuit Company. Dorothy Kenton, “the girl with the banjo,” who has won international reputation, will be another attraction, and the three daneing Mitchells, colored performers, Wwill be a popular feature. Holding over are the Four Rianos:| Cameron and Flanagan in “On and Of" Allan Shaw, and Charles E. Evans and Company in their merry farce. - . Murray and Mack This Week Murray and Mack, who will appear at | Rosenthal, the before the their strong nume: Love, Love,” —————— WESTERY AUDENCES m in point of actual « This more prominent s the stars o chorus cally and in good looks. song hits of the piece are Among * “The Rose X e and Only Rosenthal at Greek Theater l | In addition to his t se recitals in s week, Moritz Austrian pianist, wil leater next ompaniment under the d Wolle. This of a series of thir- dramatic perform- ances which the university has ar- ranged for March, April and May. Du Ing these months there will be music or a play in the great open air audi- torium every Thursday afternoon. The inaguration of the spring serfes of symphony concerts by co-operation between the University Orchestra and the soloists mark a distinct innovation and one of much moment for the arti tic life of the community. Rosenth has chosen as the two concertos which he is to play the E minor concerto of Chopin and the E flat concerto of Lisat The programme will include also Beethoven third overture for “Leono as an overture by the University Or chestra, and—notable and most attract San nciseo. t play in the Friday afternoon by the University of will be the | ive—the Indian suite by Edward Ma | | l I Dowell, perhaps the mest distingui of all American composers. It is surely most fit that the first work by an American composer played by the University Orchestra should be chosep from the achleve ments. of the musician who for ma years. until the recent lamentable breakdown of his physical and mental health, filled the chair of music in Co- lumbia University Brief Tales of the Stage “The Wild Rose,” by Smith and Eng- lander, will follow “The Singing Gir at the ‘American Theater and introduce a new tenor, Carl Hayden. - . . Florence Roberts, Raymond Hitch cock and Nance O'Neill are among the stars booked for early appearance a® the Noveity Theater. - . shed A season of melodrsma, under tha management of Walter Sanford, be inaugurated at the Central Theatsr next week. Among the plays announced are such thrillers as “Struggle of Life. “Power of Gold,” “My Jack.” “Tempest e e e o e Coatiaued oa Page 28