Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-26
AUDIENCE CHEERS
AMELIA GARDNER
~THE HEART OF MARYLAND"
MAKES BIG HIT
New Leading Woman Of 5elsseo Is
Greeted With Storm Of Applause.
Both for Acting and
Personality

my dress is falling off and I don't
like to appear in public, but oh, am
glad to be back In Los Angeles"
1t is a certainty that no actress ever
before made such a confession in her
first night speech, but gladly would
we forgive confessions innumerable
could they but be prefaced by such a
performance and such smile as
Amelia Gardner gave last evening atI
the Belasco.
This old time favorlte comes back to
Angelenos and received welcome such
as Los Angeles has accorded to few
and she deserved all and more than
could be given her
Amelia Gardner came back as Mary
land Calvert, the southern girl, around
whom David Belasco built that stirring
story of the struggle between the north
and the south, "The Heart of Mary
land" The theater was taxed and yet
hardly more than one-fourth the peo-
pie who wanted to have q share in the
welcoming of Amelia Gardner were
able to get in. 1t was an ideal audi
ence, bubbling over with enthusiasm.
During the entire first act the play
was forgotten, plot and lines were as
nothing. 1t was Amelia Gardner that
the people wanted to see and they had
eyes for nothing else.
Adele Harrington was the first one
of the women to make an entrance and
the audience gave her a preliminary
cheer. Marie Howe was the secoud
and 1t almost seemed that there would
be no applause left for the star but
they were only getting warmed up, for
when Amelia Gardner did come she had
no chance to say a line, for 1t was
almost five minutes before she was al
lowed TO do anything but smile. Then
she became Maryland Calvert
The part was we'll chosen, as it gave
the actress scope for some splendid
acting. In the first act she was a girl
torn with the conflicting emotions of
love for a man and patriotism to a
nation. In the second act she was a
woman torn one hundred times as
badly, and as each new situation called
for more strength to meet it, the actress
was not found wanting. Curtain after
curtain followed this act. and at the
| close of the third act she was forced to
make the speech, while the floral trib-
utes of many admirers were showered
upon her. Only a minute before she
had been swinging in a belfry to keep
the bell from tollng death to her lover,
and it is little wonder her words came
ana HeT uTeSS WOulQ not
stay just where 1t was put.
The melodramatic situat tions of 1.-THE
Heart of Maryland" call for strenuous
acting and they also call for many fine
touches. The Belasco stock company
gave both. Every member of the COM
pany played as if he or she was bent
upon making Amelia Gardner's home
coming a success and the result was all
that could be desired.
Will Wp1linp who charad tho bonorr
of the play with the leading woman,
revealed powers which his other parts
have not given him opportunity to
show. There was force and quiet
strength in his Interpretation of the
role of Alan Kendrick, the northern
soldier. Howard Scott was the man
without country-he who served the
most gain-and his work was good
Robert Dempster and Virginia Brissac
contributed two charming bits of act
ing. Robert Dempster was a young
southern lieutenant. The. part is a
better one than has fallen to the lot of
Mr.. Dempster lately and he proved that
he is capable of something more. Vir-
ginia Brissac as his northern sweet
heart was a vivacious little witch, and
the telling scene between her
and her lover was one of the prettiest
in the four acts.
Richard Vivian was another of those
who did strong work. He played the
part of Maryland Calvert's brother,
shot as a spy.
Walter Belasco, who was engaged
especially for this production, was the
old sexton, the role in which he ap-
peared with Mrs. Leslie Carter. His
acting of a small part was an artistic
achievement. William Yerance was
good as the southern general. and
Marie Howe and Adele Harrington, the
only other women in the cast, both
made the best of their parts. The cast
is large one and the production is
given a splendid stage setting.