Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-10
The Theaters
MISS BERNARD STRONG
IN NEW EMOTIONAL ROLE
"MADAM BUTTERFLY" a tragedy of
Japan in act by David Belasco, from
John Luther Longs story


John Luther Longs story.
THE CAST
Cho- Cho-san, .'AIadam Butterfly" PIN
kertOn's Japanese wife .s........,
.............. Miss Dorothy Bernard
Mr. sharpiess, the American consul
Lieut.. b. f. Pinkerton of the warshlp
Connecticut" ........A. II. Van Buren,
Yamadori, citizen of New York -.
............. ..,....,,.... Harry Gialier
Nakado. marriage broker -
SUZUKI, Butterfy's maid. ............
. Miss Fanchon Everhart
Kate, PlnEerton's American bride
............... Miss Florence Smythe
Trouble. Master Richard de Wees Arandt
Attendants to YamadOri. ...........
..........M Mr.. Fuchi and Mr.. Yamato
~ YER since the days of Euripides,
| X dramatists have made use of art
~ lessons and innocence, tither as
foil to villainy, or as dramatic con-
trast to the deeper designs of life.
Perhaps these elements never have
been used more effectively, or appeal
ingly, than in John Luther Longs lit
tie tragedy of Japan, Madam Butter
fly" a dramatization of which now Is
being given at the Belasco theater.
The story itself is the very soul OF
pathos, but, realistically staged, 1t be-
comes so deeply and intensely NOV
ing that person almost hesitates TO
see it a second time, so poignant is the
vicarious suffering with little Cho-Cho-
San.
Miss Dorothy Bernard was cast IN
| the part of the devoted little wife.
While it was believed shat she was
given the part as a matter OF eX-
| pediency, no other actress being at
hand who had the natural qualifica-
tions for the role, Miss Bernard gave
an excellent Interpretation oe the part
Both by her youth and her tempera-
ment she is admirably fitted for the
role and she possesses one marked
| characteristic Indispensable in this
| part-naivete. While these qualltles
! of artlessness and insouciance have
sometimes detracted from her acting
of series roles, they aided her vastly
in her performance last evening. Miss
Bernard is piquant and pretty both
of which qualities are indispensable. in
MADAM Butterfly" and she undoubt-
edly possesses real dramatic ability.
Technically she undeniably is good,
although she has tendency
to over-emphatize certain lines,
and to draw out some of the more
STACEY passages in tank drama style.
But the technic of an actress especially
of a young one, Is the last criterion BY
which to judge her. Whether Miss
Bernard is or may be a really great
actress, only time can tell
Play Is Well Staged
Mr. Frederick Belasco and Mr..
Hobart Bosworth have achieved some
high-class craft in the staging of the
play. You can almost sniff the cloy-
] = .IsTVNa Il
with the opening panorama, OF scenes
of old Nippon, and the stage business
throughout is cleverly designed and
well managed.
There are several situations of the
greatest intensity, but the climax OF
the play does not appear until the very
moment of ending, when Cho-Cho-San
has decided to "die with honor" not
being able to live with honor. Miss
Bernard's success in til part hinges
on the more intense acting of the
! closing lines, and it is in this that she
/ shows that she has not only technlc,
but something infinitely more i'm
portant in the making of an actress.
She has an appreciation of the deep,
underlying motif of tragedy unusual in
a person of her years.
| 1t is a fragile little play, with only
one act and one scene. But Cho-Cho-
San and Trouble. the sober little baby
and Suzuki, with the flowers and the
moonlight and the talk of the robins
nesting again, and the final soul
wrenching tragedy, have an appeal
that will last as long as the human
tiles.
Mr. Hobart Bosworth, in Richard
Brinsley Sherdan's little playlet, THE
Critic" gave an altogether pleasing
and charming Interpretation of the
role of Mr.. Puff in this amusing little
comedy. "The Critic" is perenially
popular, and, like Miss Bernard, Mr..
Bosworth was happily cast.