Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-30
THE CAST
By sIDLE LAWRENCE


By SIDLE LAWRENCE
III HE Stoddard james version Of
"Sapho," presented at the Bur-
= bank yesterday. differs in import
ant particulars from the Fitch version
played at the Mason earlier this season
by Miss Olga Nethersole and her COM
pany. Obviously 1t was constructed
after Mr.. Fitch had completed that par
ticular bit of pot boiling, for it give;
us the spiral staircase scene, which
Fitch devised for advertising purposes
and it appropriates also the colorfu
first act of the Fitch dramatization
There is little OF Fitch, however, in the
succeeding acts, where the dramatiza'
tion follows with reasonable accuracy
the earlier translations.
Wisely the present adapters have re-
tained the figure of Alice Dore, Deche-
lette's Golden Girl" as an acting part;
and they have retained, too, the scene
at Cesaire Gaussin's home in the coun'
try, which Miss Nethersole scorned, as
it kept her off the stage much of the
time. Elsewhere the difference from
former versions lies mainly in the over
frankness-a frankness sometimes ap-
proximating brutality-of the play
wrights.
The character of the play is too wei
known to require comment. 1t is ar
outspoken story of Illicit loves, very
much in the plural, if you please. II
teaches no lesson. Its central figures
are a wanton and her lover OF the
long list of characters, two only are
what the world would call respectable
On the other hand, this Daudet move
has been welded into highly dramatic
play, with excellent acting opportuni'
ties for the players; and, at the Bur
bank, 1t is well acted.
Miss Hall Scores Triumph
Every now and then Miss Blanche
Hall, in an emotional role, surprises
even her most loyal admirers. Sapho i:
one OF those roles. Yesterday Miss Hal
discarded all those little graces thai
ordinarily make her SO charming G
stage figure and stood forth the cal
woman. feline in movement and utter
ance. She realized the part. She die
not skimp her Interpretation, but gave
us the unlovely character in all Its
badness, from the Sphysical lure of the
opening act. through the content o
Saphos earlier days with Jean, and Il
the final sanity of her desertion t.
Flamant. Those little bursts of tenn
per for which Sapho was noted were
simulated admirably. and the woman!
detection at the close was not over
done-a mistake, by the way, that il
ordinarily made in this part.
William Desmond, too gave US {
good Jean, though his obvious un
familiarity with the lines of the las
act proved rather trying to the audi
ence. Maude Gilbert's Leopardine wal
highly picturesque, both in point o.
costuming and acting. Elsie EsmonC
was a finely sympathetic Alice; Harry
Mestayer. an effective Flamant; anC
good work was done by John W. Bur
ton as Uncle Cesaire; II. ]. CHM as NJ
Hettema, and David Edwin as Sapho':
cab-driving father.
Restrictions imposed by the chilt
labor law made 1t necessary that Flo
renee Walters be cast in the part Of
little Joseph.
The play has been elaborately staged
the first act scene being noteworthy
and the spir;.l staircase all that could
be imagined. Some few O. the costume:
in the first act, however are scarcely
suitable for wear at an artists fancy
dress ball.
The seat sale for the Edgar Temple
opera season will open at the Auditor.
ium box office at 9 o'clock this morn.
ing. A feature Will be made of season
reservations. Seats for the entire peri
cd of the company's stay may be
ordered, and will be laid aside each
week without extra charge. The COM
pany is now thoroughly rehearsed fol
the opening bill, The Filibuster." and
has begun work on the succeeding
opera.
When Commencement Days" goe:
on. tour next fall under the manage.
ment Of John Cort and John Black
wood, the Marquis Ellis quartet will
be made feature Of the play. The
boys will play small parts and will, oi
course, sing. The songs, by the way
belong in the play and will not have tc
be dragged in by the heels, so to speak
Mr.. Ellis has been engaged. too, tC
drill the male chorus of twenty voices
which will be heard in the Forthcoming
production of "Old Heidelberg" at the
Belasco Then he will betake himself
and his quartet to the Burbank, where
they will appear in a-revivai of Hoyt':
"A Temperance Town" There is alst
an engagement of six weeks at tho
Pickwick theater, San Diego; and ar
engagement at the Alcazar, San Fran
cisco.