Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-06
The Quake in Drama

TIME PROLIFIC playwright has not
allowed any time to be wasted
before he put the first San Fran
cisco earthquake play before the lovers
of sensational melodrama. 1t will be
only a few weeks ere the patrons of
the bloody-mystery class of shows will
be able to sit at ease in their orchestra
chairs and watch the San Francisco
horrors enacted before their very eyes
Earthquake, fire and famine will
each contribute their little mite to the
grand sum total of strenuous horror.
The hero will stay the walls of the tot
tering tenement house with his strong
right arm while the only girl in the
world goes safely out; then in the
deserted streets of San Francisco he
will share with her his last peanut.
The villain will meanwhile sprinkle
the hero's coat with kerosene and buy
up all the food supply in San Francis
co. Watch for the three sheets which
will certainly appear IN a few weeks.
A tiny newsboy will save some ones
life and lose his own and in some
devious manner a fat Irish lady will
make comedy for the masses. While
she makes the coffee she will sing pop
ular melodies in which the gallery
will assist by whistling.
Chinatown viii be the favorite loca-
tion of the shuddery third act, and the
fleeing Chinks will contribute their
share to the evenings gaiety. Opium
dens in which real hop is consumed
will also be seen. and when the big
noise wakes the echoes, the scenes will
be illuminated with red fire in the
wings.
All sorts of comicaI and thrilling
situations can be evolved by any able
minded playwright. The crashing
buildings can be effectually initiated
by the off stage glass clash or the trap
drummer can beat one of his tom toms.
Theodore Kremer, the play carpenter,
in recent interview said:
Il have been very busy for the last
few days planning scenes and ordering
posters for my earthquake play. In
fact, the piece was already so far along
that 1t needed only a few more strokes
of the pen to be ready for rehearsal
You see," explained Mr.. Kremer,
II happened by lucky chance to be
just finishing up four-act piece the
main scenes of which were laid in San
Francisco's Chinatown. | got my idea
for the piece partly from the Taft ex-
cursion party to the far east, although
of course L did not put any of the
party into the play. But had my hero
and heroine meet In group of travel
ers TO Hong Kong. / took them TO a
forbidden temple. Then in the second
act / brought everybody back to San
Francisco and slowed 'em away I'm
the tunnels and underground dives of
Chinatown"
Mr.. Kremer went on TO say that since
the earthquake all he has had to do
has been to fix up his third and fourth
acts to make big earthquake drama.
This latest edition third act will be a
thing OF three scenes. /, the EARTH
quake; O. the flight from the doomed
city; 3, the holocaust.
The last act is to take place in a
tent In Golden Gate park. Mr. Kremer
hinted that since reading the morning
papers he had put in a heavy RAIN
storm and a few cases of pneumonia.
But the curtain will fall on a tableau
Of the hero and heroine hand I'm hand
against a lovely Golden Gate sunset,
just as somebody brings In the villain I
waistcoat buttons found IN the hottest
part Of the smoldering ruins. Mr..
Kremer says that he is going to call