Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-01
BY sIpLE LAWRENCE

| I local stage last hight at ltlC hCoN
= of company bearing his name.
He was welcomed by a socially dis
tinguished and kindly disposed audi
ence which taxed the seating capacity
of the spacious Auditorium and which
greeted him. upon his first entrance,
with applause that refused to be stilled
until he stepped to the footlights and
made little speech.
In these parlous days of political
controversy 1t is the fashion to time
| the "ovations" extended to popular
| idols. 1 do not know how long Stone
was applauded, nor can / conjecture
how long the tribute might have con-
tinued had he refused, as John Black
wood did, to comply with the demand
| for a speech. l do know, however, that
his reception must have been highly
gratifying both to himself and to his
associates.
Howard Scott, recently of the Be-
lasco forces, shared in the general ex-
preston of good will, as did also Ben
nett Southard, formerly a member OF
the Burbank company.
Flowers In Profusion
At the close of the third act a long
line of ushers made their way to the
stage, each bearing in his arms frag-
rant floral gift for the new star or for
some member of the company. When
they had finally deposited their bur-
dens the whole scene was gay with
many colored blossoms. Great horse
shoes, baskets, bouquets and other set
pieces crowded the stage.
Again the audience demanded a
speech and again Stone complied, most
happily. Then he tore some of the
using them as ammunition bombarded
the aDDlaUdinQ DarQuet,
Some one called for Blackwood. At
once the cry was taken up, but the
willy manager could not be found. He
had, discourteously, sought safety in
flight. Mr.. Stone, however, saved the
situation with a third speech and Dick
Ferris, who was in the house and who
heretofore has held the speech-making
record among Los angeles actors,
trembled for his laurels. Stone ex
planned his predicament; said that
Blackwood had run away and re-
quested that anyone finding a IMAM
ager with an almost mustache" notify
him at once
Play Not the Thing
The play last night was seemingly a
secondary consideration. 1t was a
good play, though, finely staged and
for the most part intelligently acted.
The fun of George AIDES 1.-THE College
Widow" is not new to Los Angeles
The comedy was presented here last
season at the Mson. Then, however
we had only an ephemeral interest in
the widow and her friends. Last night
all this was changed. True this charm
ing little widow has but recently come
out of the east, but already she is
firmly fixed in our affections. She and
her friends are friends of very good
friend of ours, and that is sufficient.
There are, naturally, a few rough
spots in the presentation, but they are
surprisingly few and doubtless will dis
appear with a few more performances.
One thing should be mended. If you
have ever seen the members of a foot
ball eleven following a gruelling to
8 game, you know that most of them
show outward and visible signs of
the conflict. Last night one man
walked with crutches. OF the others
not a man limped and not one dis
played the slightest facial disfigura-
tion. Perhaps it would detract from
the romance of the scene to see Billy
Bolton of Minnesota carry off the
widow, vi ct footballs, with black
eye or a bruised cheek, but it would
make for realism, which, on the stage,
is to be honored above all things.
The Acting Is Good
There is small need here to comment
upon Lewis Stones acting. AS the
star halfback Mr.. Stone, last night,
gave us a convincing portrayal of a
character so essentially American that
London failed to understand, when the
was presented there a few
ago. And the widow Dainty,
pretty, with an ingenious knack of
coquetry, Miss Florence Oakley capti-
waited her audience as completely as
she did the All-American half. If last
T10 nd
as an index of what we are to expect
from this actress in other roles, she is
certain to win wide popularity.
The cast Is too long to permit Of ex
tended individual mention. Excellent
work in their respective roles was done
by Howard Scott, Bennett Southard,
George Farren and Frank Tanning.
Miss Ray Beveridge played the ath-
Ietic girl as though she enjoyed 1.-THE |
audience certainly did-and Miss Bea-
trice Noyes made a pronounced hit as
Flora Virgins, "a prominent waitress"
The PreXy Witherspoon of Darrell
Standing was badly overacted. College
presidents of today are not old fogies.
On the contrary most of them are hu-
man beings.
A pleasant feature of last nights per-
formance was the singing of the Mar
luis Ellis quartet, though the selection |
offered was rather inappropriate in the
1.-THE College Widow" will continue at
he Auditorium through the week. She
s a sprightly young woman of many |
,ascinations and with pretty wit.
A gayly attired assemblage in holi-
lay humor made the scene in front of
he curtain almost as festive and jolly
Is did the party gowns of lovely
ane Witherspoon and her girl friends
It the opening prom" at Atwater.
The boxes were filled with we'll known
people, and there was a lavish dis
,lay of handsome toilettes both there
nd on the floor.
Former Governor and Mrs. Henry T.
iage, with their charming daughter,
Hiss Lucille, occupied one box, while
n the box adjoining was party of
-oung people who were the geusts of
Grs. Robert Jones Burdette, who with
)r. Burdette arrived from New York
after an absence of several
months in Great Britain.