Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-20
The Theaters

MARK SWAN, who has written
N several sprightly comedies ana
A-A farces. is the author of 1.-THE
Lady from Laramie" pleasantly re-
vived this week at the Burbank with
A. Byron Beasley in the role of
Howling Hank and H. ]. CHM as Sir
Blakesley Beresford. The story con-
Germs itself with the curious love af-
fairs of a breezy young woman from
wyoming whose suitors are a fortune
hunting nobleman and a poor but
honest civil engineer. Naturally the
engineer wins the girl, but only after
she has engaged herself to the baronet.
THE Lady from Laramie" is admir-
ably suited to hot weather uses. 1t
makes no demands upon the audience.
Comfortably seated within the theater
you are not asked to think. Even
should your interest in the plot lead
you to anticipate its unraveling, you
have only to remember, for the story
proceeds along familiar ways, even the
bye paths leading to oft explored terri
tory. But one request is made of you:
To forget the weather and laugh, and
you do it.
The characters in the play, too, are
old acquaintances. There's the western
girl, a grownup child, caring little for
what the butler calls Ugh society, but
who is led into an engagement with the
usual mountaineering, drawing sprig
of British nobility for the very original
reason that she believes she can't get
the man she wants. There's the noble
man, with a malodorous past, for
tunately not unpleasantly obtrusive in
the present, who doesn't care for the
girl but wants her money. There's the
girls father, Howling Hank" a cow
boy millionaire with the manners of
the roundup and a pearl-mounted
revolver in each hip pocket. And
there's the girls young man." to
say nothing of a few more folk who
really don't have much to do with the
story, but who are on the stage in their
appointed places. However, it's all
amusing enough, and yesterday after
noon the usual large audience laughed
its approval throughout four acts.
Acting honors of the revival go to A.
Byron Beasley as the father and H. ],
CHM as the fortune-hunting nobleman.
Both present familiar stage types, but
both realize we'll the characters builded
for them by the author. Blanche Hall
is the girl-beg pardon, 1.-The lady
from Laramie. Desmond Is the civil
engineer. Louise Royce is 1.-The lady's''
aunt, who wants a title in the family
Mango buffet is Sir Blakesley's cousin
who wants a million or so in his family
Harry Mestayer and Elsie Esmond are
a pair of lovers who play at cross pur-
poses through three acts and embrace
In the fourth. H. S. Duffield is a
butler.
| An unusually picturesque stage set
| ting has been devised for the third act
though 1t is scarcely appropriate In the
environment suggested by the program
1.-THE Campaigners," a new musical
comedy, to be presented by the newly
organized Manhattan opera company
under the direction of Fred j. Eustis
and Perciva1 Bell, will reopen the Aud.
itorium tonight. Fritz Fields is fea-
tured at the head of cast which pre-.
sents several names familiar to Lo:
Angeles theater..eoers.
"The Rose of the Rancho enter.
upon it's third week at the BelascC
theater tonight with Jane Grey in the
role of JuanitG and Hobart Van Zand
Bosworth as Kearney
At the Grand "Gayest Manhattan" /.
in it's second week. The production Ia.
been shortened somewhat since tn,
opening and now moves more brisk,
than it did a week ago. A number O
new songs have been introduced. TIL,
bathing scene, which has created con
siderable talk and some criticism, Il
retained unchanged.
The usual weekly changes of bill
beginning with matinee performance
today, are announced at the Orpheum
FIscher's, the Empire and Unique thea
tiers. The Orpheum headlines the Fa.
dettes Women's orchestra, with Jess
Lashy's sl5it, Fun on a House Boat,
as a strong second attraction The tab
4 s.k ~ TT.,lr t. 80
Fischer's offers Love in the Dark,
and the Empire presents new vaude
| vile bill, followed by the stock com
pany in one Of AL Franks comedies.