Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-03
CALIFORNIA PLAY
CONTINUES ITS RUN
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE

NOR a month now the management
III of the Belasco theater has been
announcing positively the last
week. OF 1.-THE Girl of the Golden
West" but the girl, having once ar
rived in her own golden west, seems
reluctant to leave, and last Friday
night, after several hundred persons
had been turned away from the box
office. Mr.. Blackwood called in his sign
for fifth week.
Like the late Sir Alfred's famous
brook, 1.-THE Girl of the Golden West
bids fair to flow on forever. Locally
only one other play ever attained a
consecutive run of five weeks, and, sig
nificantly, this, too, was melodrama,
"The Halfbreed," by oliver Morosco.
Omitting the attendance at the Belasco
yesterday matinee and night, box Of
fee reports show that 62,347 persons al
ready have seen the Belasco play in
this city. Manager Blackwood's esti-
mate of the attendance for the five
weeks is 5000. I don't know just how
many persons saw 1.-THE Halfbreed," or
which of the two plays will hold the
record once the run of THE Girl' is at
an end. This much is certain, however,
bot, have made remarkable successes
successes, too, which have been based
not alone upon the merit of the plays
themselves, but upon the excellence of
their acting and upon their careful and
effective staging.
A Stock Company Town
Such records as these have caused
Los Angeles to be known among east
ern theatrical managers as a stock
company town." The stock companies,
they say, have killed" the business of
travelling organizations; and in large
measure this is true. However, there
is good reason for 1t. No city of its
size the country over has such thor
oughly competent stock organizations
as are maintained here the year round
at both the Belasco and Burbank thea
ters, and no stock companies present
a better line of plays. Then, too, Los
Angeles geographical location oper-
ates frequently to give us "Nuber 2"
or Number g. companies, of indiffer-
ent merit or demerit, instead of the
cast which presented in the east the
particular play sent US; and that fact
in itself has had an important part in
building up strong following for the
local stock houses.
When big attractions come here
plays of admitted worth, presented by
competent casts, they are well sup |
ported; but local theatergoers demand |
the best and will not accept anything |
else. Thus the city's name is anathema |
to such managers as Joseph Gates,
Jules Murry and others of that kid
ney, who would have heart failure if |
they ever discovered a real actor in
their employ; though Maude Adams
can come here and break her own best
previous record; while "Mme. Butter
fly can do the same thing.
The stock companies have, in truth,
"killed" the business of inferior travel
ing organizations; but at the same time
they have helped the business of the
better class of plays and players by
educating Los Angeles theatergoers to
an appreciation of what is fine in the
drama and in its presentation.
"The Critic" Richard Brinsley Sheri-
dams fine old comedy which was given
it's first presentation upon a Los Ange-
les stage at the Mason opera house on
Friday afternoon, was written for a
time when the green room was an insti-
tuition and when habitual theater pa
irons were quite as familiar with the
mechanics of plays as were the actors
themselves. Today its strongest appeal
is to actors, though much of it's burles-
que is vastly amusing to the occasional
playgoer as well.
The local presentation was notable in
that 1t illustrated the widely divergent
points of view existing before and he
hind the footlights. Having myself
been an inconspicuous member of the
cast ] was privileged to at
tend the rehearsals and was compelled
TO be present at the public performance
Therefore 1 know that many of the
scenes which most delighted the play
ers missed fire so far as the audience
was concerned: while other things,
which had been accepted at rehearsals
as matters of course. were received