Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-22

~ ETw1XT the tragedy at the
X Hotchkiss and the tragedy at
the Belasco literary matlnees,
dramatics here last week were ito
weep"
AS to the Hotchkiss, things are in a
peculiar shape. The house was taking
In money like shell game at a coun-
try fair. but apparently It was going
out even faster. Anyhow when a
reckoning came and Ed Seamans ap-
peared on the scene to ascertain where
he was "at," there was a hurried
scramble for back salary wherewithal
and wild hunting for ghost that
was not able to amble. Seamans
scared up enough for the week that
was back by persuading the players
to continue for another week, and
that, while it left no one better off.
enabled him to unload. Don Chick,
whose thespian ability has been con-
fined to stage carpentering, bit" and
Seamans and White are out. The
promise is that the house will reopen
today
There has always been hoodoo
hoy ering over the Hotchkiss 1t has
broken everyone who tried 1t. Poor
Jake Waldeck couldn't face the music
nrd lies in grave of his own digging.
Rube Welch regrets that he ever saw
It, Seamans came here with the best
intentions and took the house on a
shoestring. Before the string broke
he managed to get Kolb and Df1l in,
and for once the hoodoo seemed in a
fair way to get the worst of it.
But Seamans went away and left
Jeff White in charge. The inside of
the White administration is dark Sc
cret, but when Seamans retired the
chances for future continuance of
affairs looked pretty slim. Now that
Chick has tackled it the doors remain
open, but there are those who wonder
just how much he is willing, or, has,
to lose before the catastrophe comes
again.
1t was pretty tough on the chorus.
The principals got pay enough to tide
over a couple of weeks, and even If
they didn't secure themselves, which
is a moot question, they are not in
misery. But how about the chorus,
whose members get $40 up per week,
and find themselves? They surely de-
serve sympathy, if nothing more.
There ought to be law, something
like mechanics lien, for players; the
house ought to be subject to attach
ment or be held in some way for Great
ures who do their best and then find
themselves chucked out in the cold,
cold world because of the management
changes. Just what the present law
affords in the way of redress it is
hard to say till trial of it is held.
But if it affords no relief, then 1t
should.
The "lit'ry matinee" tragedy was of
another sort. AS near as can be
learned it came about through the
overuse. of Lillian Lamson's voice,
whereat she was roundly hissed by the
nj who almost alone
constituted the audience. Now, Miss
Lamson's voice may have been strid-
ent and even raucous, but kissing is
i'll bred and silly, and should not have
happened. Geese and serpents hiss"
it is said; which were these?
Apropos of "lit'ry matinees," isn't
there danger that we will be surfeited
with 'em? Betwixt the Belasco and
the Burbank and doubling up two a
week at that, it's really becoming
fearsome. Maybe we can assimilate
all this "lit'ry'' pabulum, but, as
Dooley says, Il dunno"
The James company gave its ver-
sion of the doll dance last week. And
after seeing it, one wonders why any
one should have gone to law about
the thing One doll dance is like an
other; those in vaudeville differ hardly
at all from either the James or the
K & D. version; all are more or less
silly and inane, and why fight about
them? Maybe it was all a good adver-
tisement. If so. it's value was worn
out before James got any benefit from
it, more's the pity.
Another week of 1.-The Halfbreed," of
course It's a good show of it's sort;
may we have more of them. This town
has enough talent for almost all the
arts; certainly we ought to have a
few dramatists. With two burlesque
companies here, it is wonder that
they haven't put on a local writer's
show or two Isn't there a librettist
in town? Now's his chance.