Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-06
THE CAST
BY sIDLE LAWRENCE

1T was a big battle scene, an exciting
battle scene, that the actors and
u militia boys presented on the stage
of the Burbank theater in the third act
of Shenandoah" last night. Likewise it
was faithful picture of the Civil War
brought down to date. Probably they
wouldn't have understood if they had
seen it at Cedar Creek in the COS, but
we understood and we applauded. We
know all about smokeless powder as q
matter of course and we can recognize
the army rifle of today quite as readily
as we could the old Springfields. There
are advantages, too, in this modernized
stage combat of armies. The smoke
from those old Springfields used to
make us cough. Last night our
larnyxes remained unaffected. and after
the fight was over we didn't have to
shoe the war vapors away with hand
kerchief. For which, doubtless We
should be properly grateful.
Shenandoah" is a strikink example
of how little theatrical managers know
about their own business. In talk 1
had with Bronson Howard a few years
ago Mr.. Howard told me that the play
had been rejected by pretty nearly
every manager in New York before it
was finally produced. Perhaps 1t never
would have seen the stage at all ex-
cept for the unexpected failure of an
other piece which necessitated hurry
up production of something or other II
the box office was to escape complete
paralysis. That gave Shenandoah" a
chance, and it has been played all over
the country ever since, until now pretty
much everybody who isn't a theatrical
manager can tell you offhand just how
good play it is.
Revival Too Long Delayed
1 don't know just how long it has
been since this war drama was last
presented on a local stage, but what
ever the interval it has been too long
There aren't many Shenandoahs, more s
the pity. Suppose you do feel like
prompting when the actors forget their
cues. Suppose you do remember just
how the scenes should be played, and
suppose you do wonder why Blanche
Hall last night didn't seize that Ameri-
can flag from the hand of the fallen
color bearer and rally Col. Vests
troopers around it. What of that? Per-
haps Miss Hall is afraid of shooting OF
of being shot. Anyhow, Shenandoah
| is too good play not to see merely be-
cause you have seen it several times IL
| the past.
The cast, printed above, will tell yol
about all you need to know regardfnt
| the acting. When you read it you will
realize at once just what delightful
Jennie Buckthorn Elsie ESmont
makes; you will know that Henry
Stockbridge works hard to be bashful
that William Desmond is his usua
heroic self , as Col. Kerchival West;
that Blanche Hall makes you envy his
opportunities for love making; thai
John w. Burton and Louise Royce will
stir your risibles with their belated and
strenuous affection, and that all the
rest of them will send you away from
the theater after the play is over con-
scious that you have seen a worthy
drama, worthy acted.
Apart from the battle scene there is
one other new thing in the Burbanked
Shenandoah" Margo Duffet has dis
covered a new-old way of doing" her
hair, a way that is so vastly becoming
you will marvel that Miss Duffet
doesn't make 1t her own for the rest OF
her days.
The threatened eight weeks incur
sion of James Neill and Edythe Chap
man upon a local stage has been avert
ed. Mr.. Neill and his wife will play
a summer stock engagement in St
Paul, Mimi, opening late next month
The Peoples theater will reopen to-
night as a popular priced vaudeville
house under Sullivan and Considine
management. 1t is said the firm has
deal on for a new theater.