The herald., 1896-04-12

rest but continue in the laudable pur-
pose Of establishing an American
drama, full of the virile energy of
new people. depicting their character
istics and conditions, with the stirring
events of our historic epochs as back
ground.
Roland Reed has been given royal
welcome throughout the country. He
Will play an engagement in this city
at the Los Angeles theater beginning
Thursday. April Is. Mr.. Reed returns
this year in a mask admirably fitted TO
his own unique style-the effervescent
and frothy role of General Josiah Linn
Der. the hero of Lloyd & Rosenfeld's
new satire. The Politician. or the Wo-
mans Plank. From his early advent
as the caucus boomer in search of a
congressional candidate with barrel,
to his final appeal to his con-
stituents before the footlghts,
, the walls of the Los Angeles
theater resound with shouts of
laughter. and the general is unanimous
1y elected by his audience as prince
of entertainers His performance is
most delightful portrayal of the type
of the rough and ready politician. The
general proves to be as strategic as his
name would imply. adroit in love and
war. an expert double-dealer whose
fine Italian is equally at home running
solid the Chunkalunk delegation. or
managing the campaign fund. His
humor reaches its climax in the mem
orable scene outside the convention
doors, wherein he formulates the plat
form. cuts few splinters off the
woman's suffrage plank and instructs
the workers A snap shot of his atti-
tude and expression as he explains the
first campaign item to the unwilling
candidate: You see. the boys wanted
some refreshments. would be photo
graph of his clevereSt and most realistic
stage art. A broad caricature laid on
with the boldest stroke. his impersona-
ton is inimitably funny throughout
The critic cannot quarrel even with the
pronounced Reedisms of the interlocu-
tory campaign ditty and the Spanish
fandango. The Politician is a rollick-
ing play of essentially American humor.
There are many clever characters in
troduced, one of which. the twentieth
century girl, is charmingly played by
Miss ISadore Rush.
Mr.. Reeds company. which is an ad
mirable one. includes Misses Isadore
Rush. Maud White. Mary Myers: Sheri
dan Tupper. William Bernard, John H.
Bunny, Julian Reed James Douglas
and Charles Wyngate. Mr. Reed and his
company will also present on Friday
evening and Saturday matinee The Wo-
man Halter, and on Saturday evening
lLcuu ht 1cul w llt.
4
There will he woman before the
fOOtlightS at the Los Angeles theater
next week, who, in her figure and man
ner of dressing, will be as complete and
interesting a type as was ever offered to
the lover of racial peculiarities. lsadore
Rush Of the Roland Reed company is
essentially the American actress chic,
graceful. and possessed of the rare quail
seems. belongs
essentially to the American woman.
Her garments says q prominent fash
ion writer, fit her perfect figure like
French gloves made to order. Every
detail of her dress. her jewels. her lora-
nette, her fan and her flowers, if she
wears any, are up to date. She repre-
eents before the footlights the same
type of American woman as the New
York society girl represents the Ameri-
can woman of social sWelidonl. Miss
Rush's beautiful costumes have often
been described, and it is now more their
meaning as an expression of American
woinanhOod that 1 wish to bring out. To
my idea the American woman IS more
like the Partisan than an Eng
lish speaking feminine, and this notion
Miss Rush exemplifies with all those
distinct and hattering differences that
belong to herself and the other up-to-
date daughters OF Uncle Sam.
She knows. like the French women.
the colors and combinations that best
become her. and like them. also. she
knows all the little arts of putting on
her dresses and wearing them well.
Added to the Partisan knowledge. she
has a beautiful figure, which the French
woman has not; her hands and feet
are shaped far more prettily, and her
complexion, her features, all put the ir-
regularity of countenance and the mud
illness of skin at a disadvantage. 1t
seems strange indeed that the American
woman in whose veins flow more
British blood than that of any other ma
1ton, should be so very different in form.