The herald., 1896-01-08
AT THE THEATERS

| Los ANGELES IHEATER.-hefena, the
latest play in Robert Downing repertoire,
produced last night in most sumptuous
manner at the Los Angeles theater, carries
one back to those stirring times in Italy in
the closing years of the fourteenth century,
| which Savanarola. with impassioned elo-
quence, predicted in his daily sermons at
the Duomo of Florence. and which have
been brought so close to us in George
| Elliot's exquisite story. Romola.
| Robert Downing played the leading role
of Orso, chief of the Guelphs, in his best
manner. The distinguished tragedian was
in excellent voice, and his clean, distinct
enunciation. the entire absence of rant, his
mastery self-possesson IN the most trying
scenes in this difficult play, combined to
make really excellent Interpretation.
Edwin Ferry as Guido Saracini, chief of
the Ghibelines, was very meritoriouS and
showed those nice points so difficult to de-
scribe, which indicate the possession of the
true artistic instinct.
Miss Eugenie Blair in the title role
amazed all play-goers. The exquisite in
tonation of voice in which she tells the
story of her shame to her nurse, liberia
(Mrs. F. NJ. Bates). was the cleverest piece
of acting Los Angeles has seen for many a
day. The support, outside of the stars,
Baker as an Acolyte. She was deliciously
dainty, ravishingly pretty and looked ex-
ceedingly pious.
The costumes and the incidental music
were much admired by a large and select
audience of the elite Of Los Angeles county
society.
Los ANGELES THEATER.-Robert Down.
ing and his excellent company, headed by
the beautiful and talented Eugenie Blair,
will appear today at the Los Angeles thea
ter in Shakespeare's masterpiece, Julius
Caesar, which will be the bill for the mat
inee. and Saumet's great play. The Gladi-
ator. which will constitute the evenings
performance. Marc Antony will be the
role in which Mr.. Downing will be seen at
the matinee, a character in which he
has probably no peer, and at night he will
essay for 1500th time his remarkable de-
liniation of Nero, the gladiator. This is
charac er which Mr. Downing has made
distinctively his own. a character with
which more than any other. perhaps, in his
entire repertoire he climbs higher upon the
ladder of dramatic excellence, lifting it
often into the realm of sublimity This is
the part with which his name is so closely
allied. that when one thinks of Robert
Downing unconscously there appears be-
fore our mental vision the two words, The
Gladiator. In this role the great tragedian
is undoubtedly at his best. for this is the
role in which the great American public
insists with most persistent insistency to
see him. When times are hard. and thea
tergoers retrench their expenditures for
amusement, and other first-class dramatic
aggregations go to the wall daily, it only
needs on the bill boards those four words:
Robert Downing; The Gladiator, to pack
the playhouse to the doors.
q =
Los ANGELES THEATRE. - Among the
many entertaining specialties with which
"The Widow jones' abounds are the new
negro melodies. sung by Miss Irwin, which
are said to be quite the most catching thing
in their way heard upon the stage in some
| time. Miss Irwin, as will be volched for
her by all who have heard the lady, is a
mistress of this particular style of enter
tainment, and her two fresh songs, 1.-THE
New Bully" and II Want Yer, Ma Honey"
are bound to create furore among all
those, and others 5esides,w who have a weak
ness for whistling and humming. Miss
Irwin will appear in 'The Widow Jones"
at the Los Angeles theater for two nights,
Friday and Saturday evenings. January
10Th and l TIL, and Saturday matinee.
X 4
THE BURBANk-The leading character
in Milton Mobiles new co medy, For Reve-
nue. Only, now being given at this theater,
is newspaper reporter In this part he
makes big hit. representing country
newspaper man during heated political
campaign. 1t is conducted on the Arizona
Kicker plan and there is plenty of extrav-
agant fun in the play throughout. There
is ripple of hiIarity from the time the
curtain goes UP until its final ringing
down. The piece is clean and wholesome.
1t is a comedy pure and simple, and alto
gether one of the best productions of its
kind seen at this house for long time.
Dollie MOBILES is most acceptable as Rose
Merrywin and scores a success. The en-
tire cast is good. For Revenue Only will
be given every evening this week and at
the Saturday matinee.
4 Z p
ORPHEUM.-The Phonite Pinaud troup
put in an appearance at the Orpheum last
night and gave one of if not the cleverest
acrobatic pantomime acts ever seen in this
city. They do a very different style of
work from the usual pantomime turn.
For tumbles, handsprings and somersaults
that are decidedly new and pleasing one
wants to see the Phonite Pinaud troup.
Their work is the cleverest of the clever.
The bill throughout is strong one and
should pack the house nightly.