The herald., 1896-08-26
AT THE THEATERS

LOS ANGELES THEATER.-All So
ciety paid homage last night to an ideal
company of players who graced the
boards in q most moving presentment
of singularly unhealthy play, even in
an era when the products of the drama
lists pen are mostly wordy accentua-
tons of morbid morals and the puerile
phantasmagoria of perverted passions.
The Masqueraders is a well marked
type of this fashion of plays, made main
ly to unveil the littleness of men and
women of the day, whose vices are not
dignifed by even the rugged force of
brutality 1t is this sort of play that i'm
pels one to long for the spectacle of
costermonger jumping on his mother,
and marring her with the sentimental
grace of hot nailed brogans. If the pur-
pose of the playwright in evolving The
Masqueraders is to show how utterly
aenemic and despicable men and women
may appear he has most admirably sue
ceeded in his task of questionable ex-
ploitaton. There is more absolute pesS-
imism and moral nightmare paraded
than can ordinarily be Crowed into most
modern plays. That woman may
marry a man she does not love: that a
man may be a genteel blackguard, and
that he may sink follow as to stake his
wife and child on the hazard of the cards
WIN lNe bul1llteQ lover oI lnc woman
has the realistic force Of ignoble truth
back of it all. 1t is equally true that
certain tribes of the Congo region are
much concerned i'll the gastronomic de-
vices that enable them to convert their
aged parents into ragouts and roasts.
but in good sooth it is n noble fashion
among men of healthy minds and bodies
to pass lightly over these enormities, and
no good reason can be advanced why men
and women should revel in the efliuvium
of Cloaca. when the rose gardens along
the torturous path of life invite us to
their fragrance and light. There is no
line thaumaturgic impulse back of the
realism that is an excuse for rottenneSS
Such are the mediums which really
clever company of players are called on
to dignity with their noble art. Ger
tainly these actors are worthy of higher
lines of thought. of more gracious eX
panses of action. AS Picciola bloomed
in a prison, as Samuel johnson threw
the glamor of great mind over the
bleakness and gloom of the Hebrides, so
did these actors last night give express
sion most admirable to the tenets of their
art Viola Allen, always a woman.
in whom is apparently concentered the
forensic impulses and the moving graces
of plastic expression. made marvel
Gus woman of Dulcie Larondie. giving
to the character her own ethical charms,
and proving to us again how consume
ate she is in her calling. Mr.. William
FaVersham S David Remon demonStat1i
him to be a most adequate actor-k
man who has drawn much earnest att
tention SO early in his career, and more,
who fully justifies that attention ior
his faculties are superbly poised and at
tuned TO the most forceful measures of
sympathy. Mr.. Robert EdesOn as Sir
Bryce Skene made him man of pro-
found wicledness. In fact, Mr. Blossoms
work is perhaps the most eXacting III
the play. and the full measure of sue
cess he achieves demonstrates his per-
feet schooling always consistent and
ever conscientious as to the making
of a perfect picture. y bright gleam of
Whole-souled honesty, heart of oak
in a wedy land, is the character of
Jimmy Stokes, as presented by Mr.. Will
liam II. Crompton, THE Parson. as he
was erstwhile called in olden days. Mr.
Crompton makes the most of the char
acter. but this was to be expected. No
blesse oblige. Mr.. Crompton. always
consummate and scholarly player could
not do otherwise. Mr. Dodson as Lush
ington and Mr.. Gottschalk as Eddie
Remon were both thoroughly apace in
point of high excellence. and Mrs.
Thomas Whftin. always one of the most
delightful woman on the stage, fulfilled
each and every eXaction of the role of
the ma tch- making mother. Ida Con-
quest made a most sympathetic sister
to the heroine. Certainly such coterie
of sterling players will receive enthus-
iastic greeting from our playgoers.