Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-04
AMUSEM NTS.
Katie Emmett at the Opera House.
Notes of Other Events.

AsOsSS Va Osh~A 6'OhSSs
The melodrama is often made the
object of derision by those play-goers
whose perception has been crowded out
of their faculty of judgment by their
cultivation; from the standpoint of the
realist, of those who take their drama
seriously, from the artistic point of
view that decision is perhaps correct,
but all the same the melodrama has
decided excuse for living. 1t is always
highly moral show; the hero and the
villain trot four heats, or as many as
there are acts, and the villain is inev-
itably beaten in each, and distanced in
the last. This being the case, and
the mass of the public being virtuously
inclined, and at the same time enjoying
the thrill consequent upon about-to-be-
consummated but always frustrated
crimes, the melo drama is as a rule a
more profitable investment than Shakes
peare or Verdi or Wagner.
Miss Katie Emmett, in her production
of the Waits of New York, has shrewdly
divested a number of its more serious
situations of their bathos, and substi-
tuted where possible laugh for a tear,
and joke for solemnity. The result
is that the affair moves with something
OF the snap of farce-comedy, and at the
same time preserves those .features
which appeal most strongly to the gods.
Miss Emmett makes a very fetching
boy. She has pretty pertness, an
abundant supply of the slang of today
and pleasing face. 1t is true that the
fact is never lost sight of that she is not
Aox hI1f l,.N
that does not detract from the interest
of her performance. Quite the contrary,
For example, when she, as the boy,
DISCUSSES herself in girls clothes, and in
a moment of forgetfulness attempts to
put letter in her trousers pocket.
Amy Ames is always clever. She, as
Biddy McShane, has part which af-
fords her full opportunity to show her
self at her best. The audience last
night could not see enough of her.
The piece has a sort of female Lord
Fauntleroy in a child called La Petite
Lillian, who does her work with consid-
erable effect.
The scenic effects of the play are far
from what they should be, excepting
the fire scene in the last act, which is
startling and we'll carried out.
The support is fairly good. Mr..
Thompson as Hans Schneiderkopf was
very pleasing, and Mr.. Mitchell as the
Mafaistic Pietro is decidedly clever.
The heavyivillain, Mr.. Roberts, has
very poorly written part which may
partially account for the defects in his
work.
The play is billed for the remainder
of the week with Saturday matinee.
x*x
The Owl club has, at the request of
the trustees of the church of the Unity,
agreed to give another performance of
The date is not definitely decided upon,
but will be in week or ten days.
Xxx
Honest Hearts and Willing Hands,
with the immortal John l.. as the star,
is billed at the Los Angeles theater for
the evening of the 18th, 18th and 18th.
wv
On next Wednesday Mr.. Frohmans
Men and Women company will at the |
opera house begin four nights and |
matinee engagement. On one evening |
will be played with Sidney
Armstrong as the Countess Zicka.
**#
Captain Chittenden has his collection
Of Indian and Arctic curios on exhi-
bition at the Novelty theater during the
day time. Manager Doyle continues to
give great amount of amusement for a
very low admission fee.
Prof. ID. Morgehstern, Chiropodist and
Manicure, Late of New York.
And Denver, Colorado, has taken rooms at Ham