Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-01
STOCK GRADUATES
WIN MUCH PRAISE
/ MEL1A GARDNER, formerly

A MELIA GARDNER, formerly lead
"a ing woman at the Belasco thea
IA ter, has won high praise for her
work in 1.-THE Witching Hour" now
playing in Chicago. Lillian Albertson,
another former leading woman of the
same company, was highly praised last
week for her artistic portrayal of the
heroine in paid In Full" at the Astor
theater New York In fact, 1t is pre-
dicted that Miss Albertson's work in
this role, following upon her immediate
success in 1.-The Silver Girl" few
months ago, will go far toward estab-
fishing her as a New York favorite.
THE Silver Girl" was failure as a
play. The fate of paid in Full cam
not yet be predicted with any degree
of accuracy. but whatever happens
Lillian Albertson has arrived In New
York, Just as Amelia Gardner has ar
rived in Chicago.
Thus the local Belasco theater comes
into possession of the kudos attending
upon having furnished to the two most
important theatrical centers of the ma
tion women who have at once stepped
into prominence, not through freak
plays nor freak methods, but through
their artistry.
Writing of Miss Gardner. in the Chi
cago Tribune last Sunday, the dra-
matte editor of that conservative paper
says:
Praise for Miss Gardner
miss Amelia Gardner, whose appeal
ing acting as Mrs. Helen Whipple in
"The Witching Hour" is the high point
of the performance. has been stock
company actress for many years. She
lis a native of PittsbUrg, and her first
appearances were in musical comedy.
Her first important engagement was
with Francis Wilson in The Devils
Deputy Later she acted in Sowing
the Wind and Under the Red Robe
and was last seen in Chicago in a COM
edy role with Clay Clement in The
New Dominion. For one season Miss
Gardner was in stock In New Orleans
and then followed an engagement in
'Imprudence' with William Faversham. |
During the past season or two Miss
Gardner was a member of the well
known Belasco stock company in Los
Angeles Her success has been mainly
along emotional lines which fall to her
lot in Augustus Thomas play"
Such tributes are not won lightly. |
They come only after long years of in
telligent study and hard work, and
they come most often to those men and
women on the stage who have been
content to master their art through un-
ceasing toll "in stock" Had either
Miss Gardner or Miss Albertson been
satisfied with accepting road engage
ments" and playing one, or perhaps
two roles a season, neither of them
could have arrived at the positions
they now occupy.
Stock a Thorough School
Stock is a severe school, but it Is
thorough The chief objection to the
"star" system is the lack of opportun-
ity for advancement it offers members
of the cast other than the star. Con-
versely, the stock organization finds its
most potent reason for being in the fact
that it's members must, of necessity,
become versatile players of many
parts; that they must learn their bust
ness-for acting is a business as we'll
as an art-from A to u.
The trained stock actor, outside OF
stock, seldom fails to "make good"
The actor with a New York reputa-
ton on the other hand often falls dis
mally when he attempts to fill stock
engagement. If proof were needed In
support of this contention 1t has been
provided locally this season by the eX
perience of Joseph Kilgour.
Mr.. Kilgour is an actor of excellent
attainments in a very restricted line of
parts. He came here with an eastern
reputation behind him and much was
expected of his association with such
an artistic actress as Florence Stone.
The result, however, was unfortunate
in the extreme. 1t is no secret that
Mr. Kilgour failed to meet expecta-
tions He lacked stock training and
without 1t he could not make good.
The Burbank Theater School of Dra-
matte Arts. conducted by Phosa Nc
Allister and H. S. Duffield of the Bur-
bank company, will give it's fourth
matinee performance in the Burbank
theater next Thursday afternoon.
The program will include problem
playlet called "At Two A. NJ" farce,