Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-10
.SORD|D FEATURES
MAR TO SUCCESS
MISS ROBERTS LIFE OF TESS
OF THE D'URBERVILLES"
Actress Given Hearty Welcome by q
Large First Night Audience.
Wins In Spite Of Difficulties
Of the Play
"Tess of the p,Irrhervilles.o -

Tess of the D'Urbervilles."
A four act dramatlzation by Lori
mer stoddard of Thomas Hardy's fa-
nous book presented last evening at
the Mason opera house by Florence
Roberts and supporting company, un-
der the direction of Frederick Belasco.
The cast:
Abraham, her son, boy Of l2 ......... 80.
...................... Miss Ollie Cooper
John Durbeyheld, otherwise Sir John
."..',................. Mr. William fefance
Argel Glare ........... Mr. Lucus Henderson
Mr. Crick, a deiryman ......Mr. Philip Lord
Alec D'UrberN lille ... Mr. Melbourne Mac Dowell
Marian, Milkmaid 49,. Miss Adele Worth
1zz. Mllkmaid ....,..Miss George Woodthorpe
Jonathan Kali .......,Mr. q. Gregory Rodgers
Amby Seeding .......... Mr.. Forrest Seabuiy
Tess ...................M Miss Florence Roberts
Bill Level ............,. MIR Frank McQuarrie
Liza Lu ....................... Miss Anita Allen
Bailln .................... Mr. christian lsyhtoh
Florence Roberts drew a large audi
ence to the Mason opera house last
evening and treated 1t to all the won
derful charms of that personality and
artistic work which have made her
name famous throughout the west. 1t
10 dllllOSl W lltI diullt thdb N'S 1b~
cess of the evening should be credited.
She wins in this tragedy in spite of
many serious difficulties.
Tess of the D. Urbervilles' is not a
pleasant story even in the hands Of
Thomas Hardy, but its creator was at
all times artistic, and virle, and VITAL
and these things predominated so that
all OF the coarse and sordid features
were obscured and gave no offense.
In the dramatization it is almost the
reverse. In arranging the play for
the stage the story has of course been
,1uch changed and shortened and not
altogether happily. Many of the scenes,
especially the first one in the third act,
approach unnecessarily near the point
where they would be disgusting. AS 1t
is many will feel that the play is NOR
bid and uselessly depressing.
The play is based upon the fatal step
aside taken by Tess before she meets
and learns to love Angel Clare. Sna
tries to tell her betrothed of her past
sin by writing him letter, and be-
lieves ne knows, but the message never
reaches him.
1t is not until their wedding day, i'm
medately following the ceremony, that
her husband discovers the contents of
the epistle which was stolen by Tess
coarse mother. He then deserts his
bride and after he has been gone for
many months and she has been told he
is dead, she gives herself to the man
who ruined her in order to keep her
little brother and sister from starving.
The first scene of the fourth act
shows her as mistress of Alec Dur
bervile. He is shown only in beastly
state of intoXication and his continual
degradation of her leads her at last ID
kill him.
Angel Clare returns repenant and
leads her away in an effort to have
her escape the consequences of her act.
ruins of the old temple of the Druids,
and when the officers approach her she
says simply, II am ready"
Although Miss Roberts has become
widely known. for her power as an
emotional actress it was in the lighter
scenes of the play that she displayed
the highest art last evening. The pc
culiar liquid sweetness of her voice and
her charming personality make her
appeal particularly to the happiest,
sunniest side of ones nature. In the
lighter passages she excelled the in
terpretation of Mrs. Fiske in the same
play.
The chief support OF the star and
nearly the only support of any consc-
quence was afforded by the excellent
work of Adele Worth and little Ollie
Cooper. The latter is child actress
who has been seen here before, but
never to such great advantage as in
this drama. Melbourne Mcdowell is
the leading man and was given an en-
thusiastic reception last evening.
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