Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-17
AMUSEM ENTS.
Miss Annie Pixiey scores Great
Success.

The very popular American comedi.
an, Miss Annie Pixley, made her first
appearance last night at the Opera
House to a theatre full of people. Not
only the dress circle and parquet were
hlled in every seat, but the gallery
was more than usually thronged. The
Deacon's Daughter is well-construct-
ed piece, and gives Miss Pixley ample
scope to display her versatile powers.
IL has the further merit, rare in plays
made TO order, that it also affords to
all the other members of the COM
pany chance to carry off their share
OF the honors. The story is a simple
one. Ruth Home webb, the daughter
OF strict Yankee deacon (M.
y. Daly) goes to New Y ork
to carve out her own fortune. From
a nurse-girl she becomes an actress.
and displays such an aptitude for the
profession that she soon rises TO the
top. In the meantime her parents.
VINO are very poor, are in great dis.
tress about a mortgage hanging over
their farm. Ruth wants to lift it
but she can only do SO by exposing
the fact that she is au actress. some.
thing that would strike them with hor-
ror. The second act finds Ruth at
home, her father having forced her to
leave New York. She has returned to
her former house duties, land breads the
exposure OF her secret. Events b, ing
her again to New York and her parents
are taken in hand by Charley Lawton
(Mr. Reynier) her sweetheart, who
undertakes to make the deacon a man
OF the world. He gradually familiar
ICES him and his wife with scenes
they never before dreamed of, and
induces them to go to play. They
do not lind it as sinful as they had
supposed. At length, the plot Of the
lovers eliminates by Charley taking
them to the theatre where their
daughter appears in one of
her greatest characters. They
do not recognize her; but the old
gentleman is so overcome with the
naturalness and pathos of her acting
that he buys bouquet and presents
1t to her from the auditorium. They
are brought to the house of the actress
after the performance, and finally are
astonished and delighted 10 find that
the great actress is their daughter.
Miss Pixley, in the many
changes of character she had
to assume during the progress of
play, had ample opportunity to ex-
hibit her various histrionic powers.
As the plain farmers daughter, she
gave Us perfect rendering of the ac-
cent and manner Of the cute Yankee
girl and in the city scenes, where she
was the successful actress and the
great lady, the admired and wor-
SHIPPED of society and of the gadhies
that fiutter around the successful
goddesses of the stage, she played
with a charm and grace that
met with constant enconiums from the
audience. In the scenes where she
practiced her little deceptions upon
her parents, in her endeavor to over
come their prejudices and win them
to her bosom III her true light as an
actress, her powers rose to the dignity
OF true genius, and touched the heart
Of her audience by their soft and ten
der interpretations Of the pathetic
emotions OF our nature. She
was very winning in all her actions
and modes of expression, and gave
variety to the interest of the story bv
introducing several songs, which she
sang with sweet and expressive
voice. Mr.. Daly's deacon Home
webb " was piece of character act
ing of the highest merit; and Mr..
Reynier, the heroine's lover; Mr..
Arlington, the unappreciated artist;
May Thompson, Ruth's maid; and
Mr.: Gilfether, the pryiag and unprin-
cipled village squire, were all per-
formers Of marked excellence. In
deed, the whole piece was
played finely, and ref ected the
utmost credit ON the professional
ability of the troupe. The Deacon's
Daughter will be repeated this even
ing, and we would advise those who
delight in good, wholesome, we'll
arranged and excellently-acted per
formance to be present.