Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-12
"VIVIAN'S PAPAS" LATEST
FUN MAKER AT BELASCO

Nothing more downright divertng
and sprightly has ever occupied the at
tention of the Belasco theater stock
company than "Vivian's Papas." a farce
new to local theatergoers which was
given its first presentation in the west
last night at the Belasco.
From the very beginning of the per-
formance the large audience intuitively
seemed to know that something un-
commonly entertaining was about to
occur and these fond hopes were not
shattered during the progress of the
play.
''Vivian's Papas" is the work of Leo
Ditrichsten, whose expert work in fash
ioning plays calculated to create no end
of hilarity is familiar to the play pa
irons of this city by reason of the local
productions of the authors Are You
Mason" and "Harriet's Honeymoon"
The Belasco management had an
nounced prior to last nights presenta-
ton that "ViVian's Papas" was even
better and funnier than any of Dit
richstein's other products, and this as
sertion was amply justified by the
manner in which the experiences of a
wealthy Chicago man and a similarly
financially equipped New Yorker with
Vivian Rogers, a young woman of the
volatile, vivacious sort, who sung in
a chorus of comic opera, was re-
ceived
No fun creating Offering of the Be
lasco organization has ever been given
with more stantial-meaning. of
course, with a greater volume of
number of laughs-than this new Dit
Tichstein affair. From the alpha to the
other end of the performance the audi
ence was in roar of laughter-a Verit-
able whtrlwind of fun, to quote Be
Iascos imaginative press agents ad-
vance representations anent the niece
The audience laughed immoderately
throughout the entire three acts-a trio
or capital scenes, by the way and
splendid specimens of what the BeIascO
painters and carpenters can do in the
way of building imposing ard elaborate
pictures-the audience simply sat back
IN its seats and wallowed in good hearty
fun, while things on the stage became
more and more mixed up until the final
strengthening out process was aDnIied
virginia Brissac, the clever ingenue
or the Belasco company. is assigned the
chief feminine role in the Ditrichsteiu
piece undoubtedly because she is botb
tenperamentalIy as we'll as physically
exceptionally well equipped for such a n
eXacting part Miss Rrissac gave new
evidences last night of the possession
Of q rare art, and her delightful arch
ness of manner, her insinuating deft
hlstrlonlc touChcs-touChes in a doubIe
sense, be II underStOOd--Wcren nositivpl,,
delicious. Miss Lawton's assumption Of
me role of Alice Farnham a Young wife
with husband addicted to the habit
or playing the horses, is splendid. Cal
bralth as the young husband IS VERY
much Galbraith, with nothing new to
ms contribution. and nothing that might
ne We'll calculated to arouse even his
most ardent admirers to undue onthlI-
slasm over his work. Mr.. Rarnun
gives a finished and carefully sketchcd
portralure of western millionaire MS
western millionaires are generally mic
lufed by dramatists who have never
peeh western milliOnaires themselves
ana consequently do not always give
absolutely yeracious drawings. Bur not
me slightest fault could be found with
barnum's Mr. Walker of Chicago an
aged gentleman with a fondness for tbe
company OF young women of the chorus
~ is all beautifully acted is this BAR
mum performance. Mr.. Yerance's
Chester Farnham is a rugged sort OF a
charaeterzation, full of veracity. even
NOT OF versatility. Howard Scott
ialriy revels in the sort of roles he has
III Nlvians Papas," and as Pollal1. n
music instructor he gives one of the
pesI plts OF character work he has ever
ulsplayed since he Joined the Belasco
organization Adele Harrington comes
prominently TO the fore this week i'm a
wonderfully fine bit of character draw
nis, ana Whlle mayhap some of the au-
uishee We're not cognizant of the fact
MISS harrington last night gave sam
PIE OF IRE IN certain stratum OF
Gotham society that disclosed manifold