The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-25
AT THE THEATERS


Los Angeles-Man is ever attracted by
whatever is natural or true to life.
Whether the picture be of flower, a
farm scene, marine view or a land
scape, it must be a true representation to
command attention; and if this quality
be missing the technical skill OF the
artist is lost. On the other hand the SUI
pernatural is even more attractive to man
and in fact exerts greater in iuenoe ov er
him than even nature herself. With
these premises i'll view we can under
stand why man should be drawn toward
anything which combines both the
natural and the supe. natural. Thousands
have asked why Trilby should be popular
either as book or a play. They read
the book or see it upon the stage and
become converts to the new craze. Lay
ing aside the book and viewing the play
Independently one can alone see what
would have made Trilby one OF the
strongest plays ever written ami why it
should be one OF the most popular of
plays independent of the fact that the
book had already paved the way to
public favor. In no play has the natural
and tho supernatural ever been brought
into quite so close q relationship as in
Triiby. Every picture. every climax, the
mirth, the iov, the disap pointments and
the denousments are all true TO life,
yet from the rising of the curtain an I'M
explain able subtlsness slowly creeps over
the audience, until each fesls that he is
in the presence OF mysterious power.
Usually when book. is dramatized the
production is weaker than the book,
but in Trilby we find quite the reverse.
All that is natural, all that is supernat-
ural in the many pages of George du
Maurier's Trilby is condensed into four
acts in Paul NJ. Potter's Trilby.
The play opens In the study of the
Three Musketeers of the Bush, in the Lat
in quarter of Paris. In the first and Sec
ond acts one see, some genuine pictures
of life in the famous quarter where stu
dents, writers, poets, artlsts and their KIN
do most congregate, and where the world
goes to look on. 1t is the Bohemia OF
Bohemia, where spade is known by no
other name than spade. and where one
does as he wills so long as that in the
willing he is yet gentleman.
In the Christmas eve festivities, where
Littee Billie's and Trilby's fellow artists
and models celebrate i'll the way peculiar
to Bohemia the coming marriage, one gets
a glimpse OF the gay side of a life where all
goes merrly along so long as one msm-
Der of tbe.party mas the money to foot the
bills. Each give way to an Abandonment
that permits of great liberty of action so
long as there is an art or deglee OF excel
lence in the action.
Mr.. Wilton Lackaye has no peer in the
character of Svengeli. His dramatic az
ton can scaIcelyy be eXcelied, but one is
led to ask why it is necessary that he
should have such Il makeup. AS matter
OF fact among porfessed mesmerists it is
lot the man with wild piercing eye who
soonest gets control Of the subject. Pos
sibly Mr.. Lackaye adopts the makeup
that he does in Difference to the popularity
conceived idea Of what constitutes a mes
meric power.
Miss Edith Crane is to Trilby what Mr..
Lackaye is TO Syengali. Her conception
of the difficult role is artistic and IFS ex
ecuiton more than clever. Benton Thorpe
was success as Little Billee and without
Charles Garfield as the Laird and Charles
II. Rlegel as rafty it would not be Trilby.
Only q Bohemian Taffy could make
love and salad at the same time, and only
Charles Garfield could give so clever and
accept to the Laird. Mr.. Il. ". Mcrri
son S Gecko was as clevery executed as
conceived. HIS French was that of "a
Latin quarter Freedman. Equally gooa
was Oracle Martnetti rs Iou Iou, Mr..
Romayne Simmons as Dado gave express
sion to some dramatic action beyond
what one would look for at first impress
sions. The other parts were we'll placed.
The group of models we're very aceepta-
BILE and added much to the zest and life
like picture of the Latin quarter. Their
high Kicking would win applause from
Bphcmia's Oldest hnbituate. Trilby will
be repeated each evening this week ana a
matinee OIL Saturday, and standing room
is likely to be at q premium.
A. j. NJ.
q = y