"A Dark Secret"

Newspaper Articles

The Morning Call (San Francisco, California) - April 3, 1890

The Tank Scene

In "A Dark Secret," now running at the Grand Opera House to a crowded auditorium, is the piece de resistance of the whole drama. It is a triumph of realism, and more than any literary excellence of the test do those who attend the performances demand the realistic effects. Peterson's boat-race, the steam launch, the plunge of the heroine and her rescue, the illuminated church on the bank of what is supposed to be the Thames, the "Fly Not Yet" quartet of the boating party on the river, and even the ducks that float so complacently on the surface and preen themselves as they float, are more interesting than the choicest text that might emanate from an author's brain. And talking of these aquatic fowl, it was suggested to the management that the effect of the water scene might be heightened by the introduction of a couple of swans and a few geese; but it was found on investigation that the larger birds died soon after being introduced behind the scenes. The sturdy little sprigtail could alone stand the effect of bad acting.

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