Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-13
ADJUSTMENTS.

company first appears in play they
''try it on the dog" by producing it in
some city where the verdict, if adverse,
will not be final. Such was the case
with Mr.. Frohman's company in Diplo-
macy last evening at the opera house.
1t was their first appearance in it, the
next will be in San Francisco.
The play did not go over smoothly.
Those who had seats near the stage
heard the prompter far too often, and
there was an occasional stumble of the
tongue and saying Of line in the wrong
place, which seemed worse than ordin-
ary dramatic sins by actors who had the
evening before, in another play, been as
nearly perfect as it is advisable to be.
However, before the evening was over
the performance was pronounced by the
audience success, and this verdict is
almost in all owing to the excellent
work of the men.
Mr.. Mordaunt's Baron Stein was the
gem of the evening, though Mr.. John
son as Orloff was more than a good Sec
ond. The amount of force which this
young man can express when the
full. In his scene with Mr.. Morris, as
Julian, where he describes the part in
his arrest that Dora is supposed
to have played, he was indiscribably
intense. He acts from the soles of his
shoes to the hair on his head, and al
ways stops short of bathos. Mr.. De
Belleville, in the last act did his best
work; in the others he was often nerv-
GUS and not always up in his lines, but
always interesting. Mr.. Blackstone, as
Algy Fairfax, which is a companion
role to his part in Men and Women,
acted we'll, and displayed an English ac-
cent which was perfection.
Mr.. Morris as Julian did even more
finished work than in Men and Women.
He won several well-deserved "calls,"
and deserves full credit for well con-
ceived and well acted role.
AS Countess Zicka, Miss Armstrong
was a disappointment, except in the
final scene where she is entrapped into
a confession. Here she showed power
akin to genius, but all her art will never
make her Zicka such as the character
demands, She plays the part care
fully, and effectively, and well, but
the fascinating. magnetic adventures,
whose moral sense is blunted, who
can play with hearts and state secrets,
who has a dubious past, who is devious
and passionate, cold-blooded one mo-
ment and volcano the next, it is not in
her to faithfully depict to the extent
demanded to score complete success.
1t is somewhat surprising that Miss Ty-
Ter was not cast for the role. She has
the trainante voice, the coquettish
manner, the grace of person and the
subtle magnetic, as the term is used,
power, which should enable her to
make an ideal Zicka, though she
could never, it must be admitted, play
the finale with the pathos and power
that is given by Miss Armstrong.
The Dora of Miss Adams was very
pleasing. The young lady is somewhat
handicapped by too slight physique.
The Marquise has been better played in
this city than it was by Miss Annie
Adams, and the Lady Fairfax of Miss
Measor will doubtless be improved in
future presentations.
Tonight Men ond Women.
#*x
1t was almost entirely an audience OF
men that greeted Actor Sullivan at the
Los Angeles theater last evening, and
there was not vacant seat in house,
from the topmost bench in the heaven
to the orchestra rail. AS a matter of
fact there were few ladies present, but
their numbers were exceedingly small.
The sporting element was there in force,
however, and the ZOO gods in the gal
lery shouted and whistlcd themselves
hoarse on every appearance of the ex-
slogger.
AS for Sullivan as an actor, he may be
called bowling success. The gallery
does the bowling and his success is
evidenced by the handsome returns
from the box Office at the end of
each performance. But from an
artistic standpoint, Mr.. Sullivan's en-
deavors are very much undone, very
raw indeed. He knows his lines. but
that is about all. The big fellow walks
through his part, swings his
arms about and gestures like
schoolboy going through
dialogue on commencement day. His
embarrassment is painful to the audi
ence as well as to the actor-and the
boxing scene in the last act is about the
only place where he appears to be at
home.
Honest Hearts and Willing Hands is
an Irish comedy drama in five acts. The
play is very we'll put on and there are
several clever people in the cast, notably
Miss Carrie Rose Strong as Martha
O'Neil, Mr.. Carroll DAILY as John DAILY,
and Mr.. Chas. M. Collins as Arthur
Dare. Sullivan is cast as James DAILY,
an honest and stalwart blacksmith and
the lover of Martha O'Neil. Martha
shakes Jim during the course of the
play and goes off to Dublin with Arthur
Dare. On her return, after being cruelty
wronged by the villain. Jim, who has
always loved her and who is ready to
forgive and forget all, turns his back
and picks his teeth while the poor girl
is relating her sad story to Mrs. DAILY.
This is Sullivan's way of expressing
deep emotion. His other attempts at
sentiment are about as affecting.
In the last act James DAILY defends the
local championship, which he has "Eeld
against all corners nine years." in a
contest with Joe Lannon as
Tug O'Brien. The battle, though the
greatest farce that was ever perpetrated,
is really the most interesting part of the |
play. Sullivan dons trunks in this
scene and his fine proportions are for a
short time visible. He and Lannon
swing at each other round-arm blows
Tor few moments and then the latter,
after a severe attempt to be natural,
,alls down.
The play was very enthusiastically re- |
,elved. There will be matinee today |
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