Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-27

Bes des being a novelty, Mr.. Willard
| is earnest, conscientious, and possesses
| a dramatic ideal to which he constantly
| kowtows, and directs his professional
! life with the one idea of living up to his
| ideal.
All of US old boys remember Mr.. Alb
bott's creation of Rollo, that dear, inn
possible, earnest, good, always studying
and mproving-himself New England
boy whose adventures were the literary
pabulum of the bows of forty years ago.
The writer has the impression that Mr..
Willard is a sort of dramatic modern
Rollo. If such is the case, he will prove
a most elevating teacher. and his per-
formance will certainly deserve the des-
ignation OF "moral."
". Willard's manager furnishes the
following rtatement about the plays to
be given:
Two plays carried him upon the crest
of the wave OF success into secure
niche in the temple of fame. These
were The Middleman and Judah, writ
by Henry Arthur Jones. In The Mid
dleman Mr.. Willard appears as an
elderly workman-Cyrus Blenkarn-a
potter, who regards his work with love,
for it is to him an art. Being unworld-
ly and improvident he has not sought
wealth, and has allowed his employer to
take an invention made while the pot
ter sought greater secret in porcelain
making, and from this the maAufac-
turer, Chandler, has grown rich.
Blenkarn's nature has no envy in it,
however, and he plods on toward his
goal content, until a calamity comes
upon his home in the betrayal OF bis
favorite daughter, Mary, by young Cap
tain Chandler, who, when the poor girl
has fed from home to die, and her
father has learned the awful truth, is
safe with his regiment in Africa.
Blenharn undergoes a sudden trans
formation. His wrongs have made him
terrible. and with feverish force born
of hunger for revenge he works to
crush ''these Chambers" After heart
breaking trials and suffering he discov-
ers the long sought secret OF making the
ancient Tatlow ware, and with this
weapon he humbles Chandler. The
new ware supercedes the old and the
rich man becomes poor and the poor
man becomes rich. But the kindliness
OF Blenkarn's nature asserts itself and
he forgives hisenemy and provides for
him. Young Chandler returns from
Africa with Mary as his vile; and all is
we'll.
Mr.. Willard, in Judah, is seen as
young clergyman, Judah Llewellyn, a
dreamer, an idealist, mystic. Into
his life comes faith healing girl, Vas
liti Alithic, who though a fraud, is yet
an unwilling one, being compelled to act
the hypocrite by her sordid father.
judah loves the girl and believes in her
supernatural powers, which are scoffed
at by others. In the progress of the
play test of the genuineness of her
fasting is made, and the skeptic watch !;
so does Judah, though his vigil is one of
love. One night he discovers the fraud
ulency OF the whole practice, but in
order to save the girl he loves from the
exposure and disgrace which he feels
she has not merited, he stops the other
watchers when they are about to un-
mask the ewindlers, and by telling q
deliberate lie under oath. saves the girl.
The love story from this point is worked
out with delicacy and force.
Miss Marie Burroughs, who heads the
supporting C. c.mpany, appears as Mary
Blenkarn and as Vashti Dettric, and dot 8
the best work of her highly successful
career as leading woman. The roper
tory for the week has been arranged as
follows: Monday, Tuesday and Satur-
! day evenings and Saturday matinee,
The Middleman; Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday evenings and Friday (New
Years. matinee, Judah. The cast of
the opening piece follows:
Cyrus Blenkarn ........... ........ Mr.. willard
Jos. Cnan Ter ..................B Boyce Carleton
Capt Julian Chandler ....... Louis Massen
Batty Todd. ......... Harry Cane
| jesse Pegg .......... ..............E III Tyler
| sir SeatOn Umfraville Arthur Lewis
| Mr. Vacheii. Observation-Disclosures. H. Barfo Il
! Epiphany Dauks. Harry Holiday
| DanIpur.. ...... ......:...... Percy Winter
| Postman Observation-Disclosures. FIR, d Maxwell
| Dutton. n................. ......... Hugh Harting
| Nancy Blenksrn. ........... Miss Z-tIie Tilbury
| Mrs. Cha ander. =. j. ......... Miss Emma Rivers
| Maude Chand er. ........ Miss Maxine Elliot,