Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-26
nEoEPTIon.
The owl Dramatic Club Per-
formnnra

The owl Dramatic Club Per-
formanre.
Last night the Owl Dramatic Club,
an amateur organization Of this city,
gave an entertainment at the Grand
Opera House for the benefit Of Frank
Bartlett Post. @. A. X. The theatre was
filed with one Of the best audiences
svsr seen within it's walls. Down
stairs was particularly well filled
by critically intelligent audi
enee. THIS play chosen for the
appearance Of the local talent is called
Deception, originally written In German
aud translated once or more before into
English. The version used last night Is
"Englished" and adapted by Miss A.
Frances George, well known here as a
young lady of remarkable taleut as a
musician and linguist. II this Is her
first attempt at the work of
the playwright she develops a
ness. Not that the piece is taultless in
its present form. That would be q
miracle, coming from the hand Of an
amatt ur actress, and amateur playwright
also. The work Of play making is de-
cidedly an art. The adage says the
poet is born, not made. However the
fact be with the poet. there can be
no question Of the truth OF the
converse, II the proposition is applied
TO the dramatist. The playwright is
emphatically made. His skill is all art,
and he Is generally found to be an actor
as well as writer.
In the revision of deception" pre-
sented last night, there was too much
Of the double scene business, where two
sets of actors are carrying on their work
at the same moment. IL Is common
enough in everyday life, but
too difficult of accomplishment on
the stage to try often. A blemish too
probable attributable TO lack of famil.
iarity with stage business was the inor.
dinate amount Of oscillation provided
for the charming participants. But
perhaps that was purely stage business
asd not In the text.
The setting Of the piece was admira-
BILE. The taste manifested In the furni.
ture, flowers, ETC., could not be too
highly commended. At every point it
was most admirable.
Passing to the dramatis personas,
and the acting. Of course, the amateurish
quality came prominently into notice ON
the part of nearly all the cast. This is
always particularly noticeable In ten.
dency to overdo a thing and an awk
wardness OF movement. There was
much less Of either last night than is
usually met with la such performances.
Ia the case of certain OF the players
there was hardly any Of it. All
were self.possessed, and Mr.. Martin |
Lehman. Miss A. Frances George and |
Mrs. w. II. Gilbert have acquired the
high degree OF art which conceals the |
art and places them on q level veiy |
close to the professional classification.
Mr.. Lehman as Byron Tremain Loftus,
the retired merchant aspiring to literary
fame, was in makeup, reading and ges
could be. There is Just one
point where the make up might
be bettered. In head. face and beard
he looked little too much like a Lon.
don butcher. He might tone this down
a bit.
Miss George as Lucretia, his wife,
ambitious for her husbands literary dis.
tinction, was In all respects verv admir-
able. The young lady is by nature en-.
lowed with an exceptionally good stage
presence in both face and figure. Her
costumes changed in each act were ex-
luisite -marvels of the art milli-
merry. Her expressive features, tall
1.-THE graceful figure and lovely dresses
would make profound impression If
The merely walked about the stage. But
The adds to this a decided talent for
,raceful and intelligent acting. In the
parts she appears to particu.
arly good advantage.
Mrs. W. Ii. Gilbert, it is generally un.
lerstood, is not an amateur, strictly
peaking. Her role last night gave her
tut little to do. That little, however,
vas thoroughly well done. In
Iothing is her professional training more
n her capacity to make herself heard all
yer the house.
Paul Merivale, husband to Dora, was
,ersonated by Mr.. w. Il. Pile, new
andidate here for histrionic honors.
lis lines last night gave too little scope
o form much opinion on, but he APP
pears to have considerable OF the talent
If the actor in him.
Miss Alice II. Freeman, who took the role
IF Blanche Lotus, is also hitherto a stran.
ger before the Los Angeles footlights.
She is a well.formed young lady with
pretty face, good figure and pair Of tine
eyes. Her voice is also good, and with
will become very effective. At
present it fails in expressing very much
feeling about the part she is acting, 1t
Is somewhat monotonous in tone.
Miss Julia Blank. ii memory serves
Alright, is neither stranger to Los An
geles playgoers nor a novice on the
stage. As the "soubre, te' of the play,
in the role of Minnie, lady's maid,
she did remarkably well.
Mr.. o. 7. Sloat, as the telegraph boy,
had little laid on his shoulders. Part of
that little was of so pleasant nature
that most young men could do it well.
Mr.. Sloat no doubt would develop a
capacity for harder duties il the exi-
gencies of the role called for the effort.
MIR. T, Barnes is well known to Los
Angeles audiences for some years past.
He has lost none of his facile knack of
doing droll role during the past year
or two. As Professor Dionysius J.
Brewster last night he made up well,
his acting was good, his "cheek" was
broad and hard but fell lamentably short |
of the latitude and flinty egotism OF the |
typical newspaper man.
Mr.. Chas, Schartf, as Signor Palmiro |
Tamburini, an Italian, is one of the
really artistic things of the play. In |
makeup, manner, dialect and gesture |
Sohartf, as the exponent of the son OF |
Italia lrridente, whose heart goes tick |
tack at an immense pace, and also in
gesture, is sight to see. He cannot be
described.
The cast ends with Mr.. G. A. Dob.
inson as Arthur Churchill, gentleman
of leisure. There was little room for
make up in such role. Its exigencies
also failed to call out any very strong
acting. Mr.. Dobinson labors under the
natural defects of a weak voice, which
makes it difficnlt to hear him back of
the parquet His presence, too, lacks
in any striking quality, but he is a
good dramatic critic with considerable
taste, and probably good deal of ex.
perience as play-goer. In his acting
he is painstakng, ard aims to reach
high degree OF careful finish. His man
ner is self.possessed, quiet and dignifed,
avoiding anything that could offend the
most fastidious taste.
As whole, the rendition of "Decep.
uon" was a great success. 1t will be
repeated tonight, and the beneficiary,
the play and the excellent cast are no
doubt motives quite sufficient to call out
a crowded house
Rabbi Edelman,s Return.