Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-07
NE w PLAY
MAKES HIT
MRS. ANDREWS DRAMA PROVES
A RARE TREAT
MISS STONES KATE is AN
ACHIEVEMENT
Audience Expresses It's Enthusiastic
Approval, and Author Is Obliged
to Make a Speech After
Third Act
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE

II the verdict OF last night auulence
at the Auditorium theater is to be ac-
cepted Gertrude Nelson Andrews mas
written a big play In Kate Shannon
which was given its first production on
any stage in that playhouse last night
1t Is by no means a conventional DRAMA
this play. Its theme. so far as Know
is new to the stage. 1t propounds prop
lem that is more common in life than
might be supposed and 1t works out sat
isfactory solution without either preach
ing or seeming to be didactic.
Mrs Andrews as she explained in a
brief speech at the close of the third act
has builded her play upon the weaken
ing influence of mothers love. with It's
attempt, inspired only by affection. to
keep in leading strings man child, OLD
enough and strong enough to walk alone
and to do his own thinking. mo one can
live anothers life This is the teach
ing of the play.
Doubtless meanings will be read into
the text that the author never intended.
Doubtless, too the third act will be pro-
nounced Ibsenic. But it is not. 1t is
merely human. That Is the reason its
meaning may be misinterpreted, for life,
as a certain well known philosophical
comedian has put it, is "a very funny
proposition, after all"
Displays Much Skill
In her story and in her character draw
ing Mrs. Andrews has displayed excep-
tional skill. The tale she tells Is well
worth the telling; and her people are in
teresting folk to know. For the most part
also, the narrative moves briskly. as the
crow flies, to its destination. There is,
however, one detour-the second act.
This is the weak point of the play. 1t
fact, it seems as though Mrs. Andrews
had written q three-act play and then,
by mischance, had made 1t over into -FOUR
acts, with the addition of no new ma
terial. The second act might almost be
cut in it's entirety as 1t now stands With
out being missed. There are some few
incidents that go to strengthen the story,
but they could we'll be introduced else
where. 1t is a pretty scene, that view
of Kate among the posies Of her garden,
but its value is doubtful at best. and
I say this with clear recollection Of the
eight curtain calls that followed the acts
conclusion last night.
In its other periods this drama displays
a high degree of craftsmanship. Its eli
makes are quiet and are reached natur-
ally. That of the third act is tremen-
dous Yet there follows no let down In
the interest In some respects the fourth
is the biggest act Of the play, despite It's
final curtain, which seems like the usual
concession to the popular demand that
plays of today must end happily
Audience Was Enthusiastic
AS for the opinion entertained of the
play by last nights audience there can
be no doubt. The verdict was one of en-
thusiastic. approval. Curtain calls were
numerous at the close of each act, and
following the third Mrs. Andrews was
compelled to make a speech. She was
led upon the stage by Dick Ferris, and
when she left 1t she was called back
again and stood there while baskets and
bouquets of flowers were passed over
the footlights until the stage resembled
the show windows of a florists estab.
lishment. In her speech she thanked
the audience for its approval and
thanked the company for courtesies ex-
tended to herself at rehearsals and
while the play was in preparation.
Kate Shannon makes larger de-
mands upon the players than any other
piece presented at the Auditorium since
the Ferris season opened. Naturally
there were some shortcomings, due in
part to nervousness and in part to an
inability on the part of certain members
of the cast to realize the characters
drawn by the author. On the whole.
however, the company acquitted itself
very well. due allowance being made for
the nervous strain of first production.
Miss Stones Fine Work
Miss Florence stones Kate Shannon is
an admirable notwithstanding,
finely maternal and real, real, real, with
a human quality that marks 1t as one
of the very best bits of work she ever
has done in Los Angeles. There was
finished art in her listening to Atwood's
speech in the first act, where the man
tells her how he came to be interested
I'm the children's home charity; there was
artistry in her attempts to deceive ner-
self into the belief that she hated the
man who had so wronged her, and there
was very real suffering In her perception
of Toms misconduct and in her assump-
tion of responsibility for his fault Last
night Miss stones Kate Shannon was an
achievement. Before the week ends II
should be a triumph.
Joseph Kilgour accomplished something
as Atwood that, in the retrospection,
seems well-nigh impossible. He re-
deemed the role from priggishness and
won for the character a genuine re-
spect. have seen Mr.. Kilgour do moth
ing so well as this part, which really Is
of minor Importance, Frank Beamish as
the senator having much the stronger
role of the two. Mr.. Beamish however,
was less fortunate In his delineation. His
senator lacked that assumption of au-
thority the man must have to make him
seem real. 1t is great opportunity,
this part, but for Mr.. Beamish missed
opportunity.
Good and Bad Together
John l.. Phipps, newcomer, gave
curiously uneven performance OF Tom
shannon. quietly effective in the first and
second acts; woefuly inadequate in the
hie scene of the third act; but much bet |
ter in the fourth where Mr.. Phipps |
acting in the scene wherein Tom learns
the truth regarding his parentage was
of a high order of excellence.
Harry eastman, as Pat Brady, Hates
father, presented finely rounded eccen-
trio characterization.
Next o Miss Stone the acting honors
among the women fall to Carrie Clarke
Ward. whose Aunt Lizzie richly merited
the laughing approval accorded her
FLORENCE Barker was at her best as Dor