Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-26

burDdnk- MIME. sans Gene.
Orpherm-Vaudeville
Grand-"Iow Baxter Butted In"
Fischer s-"Jolly Old Sports"
Peoples
Chutes-Variety of amusepents.
TWO Los Angeles theaters will cell
ebrate anniversaries this week. the
Burbank today, when it will COM
memorate its eighth birthday, and the
Belasco tomorrow, when it will enter
its third season. Each will give spe-
cial productions. The Burbank will re-
peat. very appropriately, the same sue
cess with which it opened, Mime. Sans
Gene" with Mary Van Buren, the same
leading lady who christened it, in the
name part. This is both fitting and
gratifying and small doubt exists that
all who attended that opening eight
years ago will now, so far as is pos
sible, go once more to see the same
star in the same play in the same
theater
Down at the Belasco the companv
will put on THE School for Scandal. )"
that great English play which is ever
popular, one of the few that survive
with ever-gathering freshness, as do
the immortal works of Shakespeare. It
will open Monday night and there will
be souvenirs. Also there will be Bos-
worth and Amelia Gardner in the cast
and some new folk, and George Bar
mum will be back again.
Both these events serve to ernphasize
point that many Angelenos constant
ly overlook-the very unique and large
part the stock companies fill in the
theatrical life Of this city. Other towns
nave stock companies and are devoted
to them, but almost without execution
they are quite inferior to the organiza-
tlons which play here. Neither the
players nor the plays approach the Los
Angeles standard. Those cities pin their
faith to the travelling companies and
rest their cause with them: here trav-
cling organizations are in a way in
terlopers; our hearts are with the stock
players and to them we go for our real
theatrical amusement
There are two reasons for this-the
excellence OF the companies themselves
and the fine offerings they make. Also,
Dack or these two facts are reasons
We get fine players because we demand
them, because there is keen rivalry he
tween the local stock houses. biz, and
little, and because, being an all-the-
year city, we can utilize talent at any
time that 1t is available, and thus Sc
cure people who are stars in their own
iiSHt pul are Sldu 10 come here and
play for us in stock a thing that
would damn them for good in the east.
because of the mediocrity of the COM
panies there.
In the same way, as comparatively
few of the travelling companies come
here during a season, 1t is easy for the
stock companies to get for use dramas
and comedies which are still on the
road in the east These are worked
over year after year there till they are
threadbare, while still they are moi
sent west of the mountains. But our
own managers go back there and GET
the good things often and we see them
here before any, except the very lare-
est cities In the east, have a gIimnse
OF them. And we are done. with them
ere they reach the smaller eastern
places In the hands of a No. 2 companv
frequently we see In them the Gre
ators OF the original roles, who are al
the time playing here, but whom no
middle-size city In the east ever
gllmpses, except at exorbitant prices.
Putting all these things together n
Is no surprise that stock in Los Angeles
Is an exceptionally fine thing and ex-
eeedingly popular, and that II Is our
main threatrical pabulum. The double
anniversaries Of this week, therefore
are really milestones that we should
rejoice to pass, and at the same time
we should fervently add, May we sec
many more of them"
Stage Director Robert Morris under
whose direction Madame Sans Gene