Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-14

Count karl0n. .GeOrBe tarfen
Col Frank Raleigh. Frank Richardson
Monsieur Pierre. re.......... Nicholas Cogley
Magistrate Watts. james X. Applebee
Clerk Of the court William Garwood, Jr.
Onicer Obrlen. ............... Harry Speor
OFFICER Cassidy. y.............. Edwin Vivian
William .................... Harry Oakes
| Miss Betty Annesley Miss Florence Oakley
Miss Nancy WorbutOn. Miss Beatrice Noyes
Mrs Conway. .........s Miss May kdgeway
Cora ................... Miss OrrO Gardiner
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE
k6YII HE MAN ON THE BOX" an
! entertaining comedy with melo-
IL dramatic intervals, is pleasing
! ly presented at the Auditorium thlS
| week by the Lewis S. Stone company,
! Mr.. Stone enacting the role OF the
young army officer who ma5queradeS
as a groom. The play was seen here
last season, when Max t1gnan pre-
sented il at the Los Angeles theater
1t has never before been played in
/ stock, however.
Dramatized by Grace Livingston
Furniss from Harold MacGrath's story
Box" tells a diverting story in lively
fashion. The story hinges upon the
| prank of Lieut. Robert W orDurtun, VINO
dons a groom's livery, shaves off his
beard, and plans, as joke, to kldnap
his own sister. Instead, however, ne
CllHlDS upon the DOA VI tire WiOll6 SeAA
riage and drives away with Betty An
nesley, whom he kisses before dlscoV-
ering his mistake. Miss Annesley
promptly has him arrested, appears
! against him in police court and then
behaves like a conventional young ne
! roine, paying his FIRE out of her own
pocketbook and taking him into her
; own employ.
Realizing that Worburton is not
groom, and suspecting that his
! masquerade is a joke, Miss Betty pro-
ceeds to make things very lively for
| her putative servant. SO much for the
comedy. The melodrama occupies the
stage with the arrival of Count Kar-
loft, Russian diplomat of course, VINO
leads Col Annesley into a reasonable
plot and then attempts to force Miss
Betty into a distasteful marriage with
himself. Naturally the groom foils
this scheme, and naturally, too, the
final curtain falls upon Miss Betty IN
Robert Worburton's arms, the identity
Of that young man having been dls-
| covered at last.
| Mr. Stone plays Worburton with his
accustomed ease and something more
| than his customary success in COM
edy role. He makes the groom some
what more dignified figure than did
Mr.. Figman, and the change, l thlnK,
| is for the better.
Florence Oakley makes Betty Annes-
ley most attractive figure. The role
makes few requirements upon her abil-
ity, but it is handled daintily and, in the
| final scene of the third act, with telling
force Miss Beatrice Noyes is spr1ght-
| ly and yiyacious Nancy, and the minor
roles for the most part are we'll played.
The audience at the Auditorium yes
terday afternoon was made up largely
of women. Among them were many
friends of Miss May Ridgeway, a local
! society girl who is cast in this play as
Mrs. Conway. Miss Ridgeway was
| elf-possessedr and wore elaborate
gowns. Her role called for no acting,
! and. fortunately, she didn't try to act.
| Her voice is not now strong enough for
the Auditorium, thoupgh this is a de-
feet that may disappear with training.
Rice and Cady, German comedians,
who are well known here and who
have many friends in Los Angeles,
| are at the Mason opera house this
week, where they struggle valtantly
to overcome the handicap placed upon
them by supporting company that
doesn't support Rice and Cady are
| funny. This was apparent last night
even through the fog. Moreover, 1t
is quite possible that something could
be made of Hip. Hip, Hooray" were
the piece properly cast. AS 1t is, how
ever, the hooray never arrives, and
HIPS IueS6 udyS VI lilC ohS1bh 6OWh
are no longer important adjuncts either
of musical comedy or burlesque.
1t is scarcely fair, however, to charge
the entire company with incompetence.
Harry Skunk is really funny as
colored ,janitor, and Bill Mack ex-
tracts considerable fun from the role
of Punch Hardy, boxing instructor at
Doolittle university.
Last night rather a small audience
remained within doors two hours and
ten minutes to applaud the stars when
they appeared and to fight boredom at
other times The company is particu-
larly weak in it's feminine contingent.
There is not a voice in the collection
nor comedienne of even ordinary
ability.
There are good lines in the piece
and the Rice -Cady patter is as anus
ing as ever. Likewise there is some
catchy music.
Robert Morris and Elsie Esmond. who
have been at the Burbank theater ever
since that house came under the man
agement of Oliver Morosco, have re-
signed and will leave Los Angeles in
three weeks. Mr.. Morris plans to enter
into a partnership with James Neill,
with whom he was associated some
years ago, and to establish a stock
company in Baltimore. Miss Esmond,
who in private life is Mrs. Robert Nor
ris will be a member of the company.
Robert Morris has been stage direc-
tor of the Burbank stock company ever
since its organization. Both he and his
clever wife have many friends here
wholwil regret their departure.
In speaking of their closing last night,
Mr.. Morris said: I'VE are going to
Baltimore to open stock company
with James Neill and Edythe Chap
man, Under no circumstances would
Mrs. Morris or myself leave Mr.. Mo-
rosco for any other manager, but we
have been offered a chance to work for
ourselves, and we thought it advisable
to make the change. We have been
with Mr. Morosco for nearly nine years,
and this engagement has been the
happiest of our lives. You can realize
how hard 1t will be for us to leave,
but this is one chance in a lifetime, and
we feel that we must embrace it."
Albert Lang, for several years prom
inent in the directing staff of Charles
Frohman, viii succeed Mr.. Norris. Mr..
Lang is expected to leave New York
late this week and will come directly
! TO Los Angeles. The identity of Miss
/ Esnond's successor has not been dis
closed, though Manager Morosco de-
clares' he has secured young woman
for ingenue roles who will be a distinct
acquisition to the Burbank forces.
The Orpheum announces a special
souvenir matinee Thursday, when ev-
ery ticket holder will be given a souve-
mir mirror bearing Charmions portrait.
and post cards, with her compliments.
In addition, Charmion will give a spe-
cial exhibit of her skin and strength.
The children of the Los Angeles Or