The herald., 1896-10-11

Los ANGELES THEATER-The new
comedy, adapted from the German, The
Two Escutcheons, will be presented to-
morrow Monday evening for the first
time here. The play will be produced by
special arrangement with Mr.. Augustin
DAILY. The Two Escutcheons will hold
the boards Monday, Tuesday, Wednes-
day and Thursday, to be followed by Be-
lasco and DeMilles successful society
DRAMA The Wife, both conceded by COM
petent judges to be among the very
strongest of modern plays and put the
Erawley company to a full test of its
powers. The Frawley company is the
best balanced organization that has ap-
peared here in years Every one Of the
parts Is given with finish that denotes
artistic Judgment in the distribution of
characters. The company is essentially
different from some of the combination
shows that have appeared in the past
ter years, composed of one star and q
dozen sticks.
Augustin DAILY took the Two Escut-
cheons to London and it was in this play
that Ada Rehan made her great hit and
don playgoers.
!: The Wife is one of Belasco's greatest
successes, showing the temptations that
besst the paths of society women in our
grent cities, q story of virtue tried and
triumphant. The stage settings of these
plays are arranged with perfect taste
and leave nothing further to be desired
on the part of the playgoer.
As to the Two Escutcheons, it is a
piece fairly bubbling over with comical
situations and the funniest of up date
quips and jokes. 1t was adapted from
the German by Sydney Rosenfeld. and
unless he has taken good many liber-
ties with the original lines those who
fashioned the play gave their own coun-
try trifle ''the worst of it" in tilt be-
tween German nobility and American
dollars.
Mary Foster, the daughter of mill
ionaire pork packer of Chicago, while
travelling in Berlin under the chaperon-
age of Mrs. Stevenson, young Anne. =
can widow. is wooed and won by Ru-
dolph von Wettengen. Mr.. Fosters con-
sent to the union is received by cable,
but on the other side the old baron, Ru-
dolph's father. is terribly shocked at the
prospect of an alliance of one of his
family with the daughter of butcher"
The idea becomes a nightmare with
him, and when Mr.. Foster arrives un-
expectedly on the scene to attend the
nuptials the situation becomes more
strained than ever and the fun more hi
1arious. The young widow has brought
the ra-dignified baron and the ire
pressible pork packer together to have a
little understanding, and in making her
escape she naively warns Foster to deal
gently with the old nobleman. Think
Of the long line of ancestors he has to
carry" she says
There are tilts innumerable between
the baron and "the butcher" and gradu-
ally the newly welded pair become tenn
porarily involved.
Finally Foster determines that peace
would reign if he betook himself back to
Chicago. The baron about the same
time is imbued with the idea that he
ought to make himself scarce, and the
young couple, not knowing of either Of
these contemplated departures, resolve
to leave their pickering parents and
start out on a second honeymoon. The
climax comes when the parties all
equipped for travelling, meet unexpect-
edly in the reception room to make their
way to the midnight train. Then there
are explanations and better understand
ings.
Miss Blanche Bates is the young wild
ow, Mrs. Stevenson. and she made a
highly favorable impression. She has
all that has been claimed for her in face