Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-17
THE CAST
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE

TRANCIS POWERS interesting and
atmospheric tragedy in little,
a 'Ihe First Born" is revived at the
BeIasco this week with several mem
bers of the original San Francisco cast
in their old roles, with Lewis 8. stone
as Cham Wang and Dorothy Bernard
as Loey Using. The play was present
ed at the Belasco soon after that
house was first opened. Since then 1t
has been absent from the Los Angeles
stage. Consequently 1.-THE First Born
| is a novelty to a very large number OF
| local theater goers. 1t should prove
novelty of strong attraction.
| The home life of the Chinese. even
when domiciled in America, Is and
must remain q mystery to Caucaslans.
| The Occidental at best may understand
only in a small measure the Oriental
character. Therefore the verify of
Characterization presented in this play
| is merely a. matter of conjecture. The
| Chinese themselves do not approve.
| They declare "The First Born" a
| libel on their race. So strong is this
| feeling that when the Belasco manage
ment tried to employ Chinese for SUI
pernumerary roles none could be found
who would accept the proffered en-
ployment. The japanese, however, had
no such scruples and consequently Jap
anese were impressed into service.
| Carefully made up and with raise
queues, it is doubtful If dozen per-
| sons in last nights audience recognized
the difference.
Upon what the Chinese base their
objection to this Chinese play do not
| know. Certainly, so far as the eau
casian may discern, it presents no
cause for racial grievance. On the
contrary, certain characters in the
tragedy are presented with sympa-
thetic appreciation and with at least
a surface realism that should still
complainings.
Story Is Simple
| The story is simple. It's beginning
antedates the first curtain, when the
wife of Cham Wang deserts her hus-
| band and child for Man Low Yek, who
sells the former mistress Of his house
| hold into slavery to make way fQr
his new favorite. Subsequently-this
after the plays opening-the wife alb
ducts her child and the boy is acct
dentally killed when his father goes
in search OF him. The father, melted
| thereto by Man Low Yek's discarded
woman, kills the man who had de-
spoiled his home.
The appeal of the play to Occidental
audiences Is not through its story, but
through the manner of that story's pre-
/ ii.
presented every appearance of a Sec
ton of Chinatown. Both in general ef-
feet and in detail the counterfeit was
skilfully contrived and effectively put
forward. Chinese walked the streets
| piled their ordinary avocations. pur-
sued the accustomed tenor of their
ways. With the arrival of evening
came a little party of tourists in
charge of a native guide. The Chinese
with
the evil influences wrought by devils,
the Chinese ragpicker. the slave girl,
children, merchants, highbinders, a
pipe bowl mender-all gave realism to
the scene.
| Candidly I do not know whether the
acting was good, bad or Indifferent.
Judgment on this point would presup-
pose at least a superficial understand
ing of the Chinese character. In ex-
ternals II was Satisfactory. Beyond that
I have no opinion.
"The Private Secretary"
The little tragedy was preceded by
1.-THE Private Secretary" its text much
abridged to avoid undue length of the
program. The farce is so well known
| here that comment would seem to be
superf1uous. Howard Scott repeats the
eccentric characterization of the Rev.
Mr.. Spalding he has before given on
the Belasco stage. William Yerance
plays the choleric uncle from India In
amusing fashion; Joseph Galbraith
gives a breezy impersonation of his
uncles nephew; Richard Vivian again
employs his Bow Bells dialect as Glib
son, the socially aspiring and bibu-
lous tailor; Miss Eleanor Carey is the
spiritualist aunt, and Miss Florence
Smythe and Dorothy Howard her
young and charming charges.