Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-20
PLAYS AND PLAYERS
Dramatic News Notes and
Comment.
Both Theaters to Be Open This
Week.
The Herald's Special San Francisco
Correspondence.
"A Midnight Bell at the Los Angeles
Theater-Nat Goodwin and Charles
Dickson at the Opera House.
News Notes and Gossip


Los Angeles theater on Thursday even
ing, with Mr.. Charles Hoyt's Midnight
Bell. This is the PLAYS first appearance
here. Everywhere it is spoken Of as a
work in a more serious vein than Mr.
Hoyt's previous efforts, and the changes
have been rung on this proposition SC
often, that the Bell has been half un-
consciously credited with being tolled
instead of chimed. This is wrong. The
play is laugh maker, and is credited
with being one of the funniest on the
boards. All that was meant by Mr..
Hoyt's admirers was that the affair does
not rely on pretty girls in black stock
ings, nor on horse play, nor on jokes to
which the stage carpenter gives the
point. 1t is comedy and is played by
a good company, is the claim of the man.
agement.
Nv
The production OF Mrs. Pacheco's s play,
Incog, by Charles Dickinson and his
comedy players next Thursday evening
at the Grand opera-house promises to
be an event. Mrs. Pacheco herself will
p robably come here to see her play for
the first time, if she can arrange mat
ters so as to spare the time, which is
now precious, as Immediately after see-
ing her piece she leaves for Guatemala
to join her husband. Although Incog is
her first play, she has succeeded so we'll
as to have the New York Sun declare
that it was "the comedy success of the
season, and the only one." Another
notable feature is that although Ameri-
can women have been successful in all
other literary lines, Mrs. Pacheco is the
first who has succeeded in writing sue
cessful comedy.
In Incog Mrs. Pacheco, it is claimed,
has struck the happy vein midway be-
tween tragedy and farce comedy, or
what are known as legitimate farces.
Mf. Dickson has been seen here sew
eral times. He has played we'll, but
never gave any indication that he was
qualified to move from among the neb-
ule to pose as fixed star. The press
where he has appeared speak in high
terms of his acting. He is clever, ex-
perienced and at the very least, would
give an entertaining performance. His
friends claim that he is full fledged
comedian. The HERALD hopes these
claims are correct, for there are none too
many such.
Mr.. Nat G. Goodwin is one Of the sue
cessful farce comedians who seem to
think that the era of the hyphenated
condemnation is past, and who are
venting an ambition to achieve reputa-
ton in the "legit." He won much COM
mendation for his work in several frothy
meretricious affairs, but of late years
has struck out as an orthodox comedian.
His two successes have been in plays
called The Nominee and A Gold Mine.
In both of these he will be seen at the
opera house this week, commencing to-
morrow night. The former is described
at purely comedy, while in the latter
pathos and humor alternate.
Xxx
Another graduate from the ranks of
the fun and burlesque comedians is Mr..
Henry E. Dixey. He made his first ap-
pearance as an actor, nothing more or
less, on the Sth instant in Herrmann's
theater, New York, in The Solicitor.
1t is hard to imagine Dixey as only
acting-not singing, dancing, initiating,
or shining amid bevy OF shapely be-
lighted girls. He evidently did not
make complete success, all the critics
uniting in the statement that his stage
fright was painful, though all seem to
think that he will succeed, but express
that opinion in perfunctory terms.
x*x
Eva Mann has failed as an actress.
Most of the papers are gushing over the
virtuous American public who would
not patronize the woman's performance
because of her past. Her past had
nothing to do with the case, nor had
the public's sense of virtue. The pub
lie does possess such sense, but it is
rarely exercised over the i'm or un-
morality of actors and actresses. There
is but one form of judgment imposed by
the public on such persons, and that
can be expressed by the question, "Are
they entertaining?" Eva evidently
was found to furnish stupid perform
ance, which was all her sin in the eyes
of theater-goers.
An actress can in her private life be a
Jezebel, but if she possesses talent to a
sufficient degree she can always depend
on patronage.
Virtue never has had any repressive
Jurisdiction over art. even when it is
expressed through ignoble mediums, as
in the. case mentioned.
Xxx
One of the imported gowns belonging
to Mrs. William Astor and seized by the
custom house officials because the Paris
ian dressmaker had undervalued it, was
purchased at auction September 1st by
Kostor & Bial for $40. The costume is
now worn by Jennie Joyce at their con-
cert hall, and the fact is being widely
advertised in New York.
Xxx
Does May Howard want to get hus-
band2 The following notice from Dun
laps Stage News is splendid advertise
ment if she has that object: "May
Howard, the voluptuous artist and ro-
bust vocalist. who appears with Dom
nelly & Girard in their excellent Natur-
al Gas, has been for five years in the
burlesque line, and has made heap Of
money (which she has wisely invested
in Chicago real estate. Last season she
was partner with Miaco 4 Morris, and