Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19
THEATERS PROMISE
A BRILLIANT WEEK

THE present week, with new at
fractions at every theater in the
n city with one exception, promises
to be one of the most brilliant of the
season. Chief interest naturally cen
ters in Miss Mary Shaw's production
of her new play 1.-The whirlpool at
the Los Angeles. Wilton Lackaye
brings "The Bondman" to the Mason.
At the Auditorium the Edgar Temple
opera company Will present an elao-
orate revival of "Florodora." The Bur-
bank will; offer a big production or
Charles Hoyts most successful farce
comedy. "A Trip to Chinatown, ana
the Grand, evidently with an eye to
fleet patronage, will present The
White Squadron" AT the Belasco THE
Girl of the Golden West" will continue
for a third week. This play has made
a remarkable record locally. Holy
week, which made itself felt In every
other box office In town. had no effect
upon the Belasco Every seat In the
house has been sold for every perform
ance during the past fortnight, ana
consequently "The Girl" will run for
still another week.
All of the smaller houses announce
special features designed for the en-
tertainment of fleet visitors. Fischers
the Unique and the Empire will have
d
Royal the burlesque house, a special
fleet number is promised.
Miss Mary Shaw will produce 1.-The
Whirlpool at the Los Angeles theater
tomorrow night for the first time on
any stage The play is an adaptation
from the French, made by Miss Shaw.
In it's original form the drama was
played in Paris by Rejane and was ac-
claimed a triumph. For writing 1t the
plays author, Maurice Donnay, was
made a member of the immortal forty
of the French academy.
1.-THE Whirlpool" is sex problem
play. Nevertheless its theme Is un-
usual and is developed along new lines
There is of course, the usual problem
play trinity-a man and two women.
One of the women Is the mans wife;
the other, a practiced siren. The wife s
grievance against her husband is not
that he has been unfaithful in deco,
but that he has been faithless IN ms
thoughts. She feels that her husband S
interest in the other woman, even
though his relations with that woman
remain platonic, have wrecked her nap
pine SIS and finally she leaves him. 60
ing TO the home of her mother, NINE.
Angevipe.
The husband follows, and there, IN
the big scene of the play, the two meet
to discuss the. matter. IHe coiiopuy 10
spirited and it is frank. The wife re-
iterates her position. She tells the
man that mere possession counts Tor
little; that she must have complete
mental allegiance If their life together
is TO continue. Abroad this scene Gre
ated much talk. The points of it's ar
gument were widely discussed. Doubt
less they will be quite as widely dis
russed here. The crux of the drama is
embodied in single verse from the
sermon on the mount, as reported by
Matthew; and that verse might we'll
have been taken for the plays text.
The husband departs. subsequently
the wife learns that the woman she re-
cards as her rival is preparing to visit
him in his home, and she herself goes
there bent upon averting any further
wrong. Ultimately she comes to real
ization of the fact that possession, after
ali. is more important than she had
thought, and reconciliation is ef-
fected.
This, of course, Is the briefest outline
OF The rlay's plot. Its scenes are lald
i'm Paris. Its cast of characters num-
ber twelve persons. Mace Greenleaf,
well known in Los Angeles, has been
engaged by Miss Shaw to create the
role of the husband Gertrude Rut-
ledge viii play the other woman, ana
Miss Shaw will interpret the part OF
the wife. other members OF the pro-