Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-18

tural-so much so as to suggest to us
that the masquerading prince did not
think much of his job. If 1t was con-
scious boredom, the prince must acquit
the actor.
Mr.. Lewis cardinal was a fine and
subtle creation. He unbent in his pre-
! latical severity again and again, while
maintaining a placid dignity which im-
pressed one as altogether fitting. The
same praise is due Mr.. Vivian's Father
Anselm, the best thing he has done of
! late. Mr.. Giblyn was rather too alert
and lively to fit ones notion of the
ducal dignity-at least, at a severe
! court function. Miss Noyes pouted
| prettily as the bad tempered prince,
and Mr.. Morrison developed vein of
grave comedy as the blundering sleuth.
Miss Lewis was the apotheosis of arls-
tocracy as the dowager.
But the real dramatic triumph of the
evening was Miss Holmes. At last we
have seen this winsome actress In a
part which fits her temperament, and
yet whose motiviZation is careful and
! credible where her last weeks role de-
fed all probabilities. The result was
a sweet, assured piece of work which
will fill it's niche in our memory long
after her departure from Los Angeles.
In this sort of light comedy role we
have had no better actress in stock
of late than she. OF her abilities in a
heavier part we shall judge next week
in Pierre"
I noticed two mispronunciations last
night-no matter by whom. They were
of "extempore" and "allies." 1t would
pay the most confident actor to con-
suit the dictionary when in doubt. 1t
| is trif1es light as air which make or
mar dramatic entity.
In all fairness, one must say a part
ing word for the revolutionists whom
we are not permitted to see on the
stage. They are wretchedly treated by
the playwright, kept out of the lime
light, betrayed and finally Jailed. AS
a tolerably good American, trust they
will soon be set at liberty and sue
ceed in making a republic of Arcacia
1t would relieve our democratic scru-
pies, and 1t might also relieve the ex-
queen of the occasional presence of her
mother-in-beg pardon, queen dow
ager
An unusually good vaudeville bill is
being offered at the Los Angeles theater
this week, the last four numbers of
which are about the best amusement
that little playhouse has presented this
summer. Some ingeniously diverting
motion pictures open the fun, and then
Berry and Nelson present an interest
| go to the young woman of the team
Miss Allen follows with solos which
would be more effective If there was
less sameness in her voice and ex-
preston. The act is pleasant and re-
fined, however, though not out of the
ordinary.
Eva Nudge sings and changes her
dress, then sings again, all with toler-
able If not lightning rapidity. She is
most bewitching in her scarlet costume,
and most dramatic in her lyric mar
ration of the case of the bold but gall
liant highwayman who robbed the rich
without compunction, but spared the
poor widow. She concludes her attrac-
tive act with a song, Il Want Some
one to Care for Me-" a desire which
seemed to be answered affirmatively in
the plural number, judging by the un-
gratified demands for an encore
Rae and Brosche present a combi-
nation act-snappy monologue followed
by a domestic sketch, which ends with
a quarrel in which paterfamilias takes
off his coat, only to be confronted by
real live stage hand crying indig
nantly: Would yuh strike huh?
I say no." What the stage hand gets
when the Kaleidoscope eternal feminine
unsolicited peacemaker can conjecture.
There Is a round of applause, and the
pair (without the stage hand) return,
to sing about 1t all over again la
grand opera, which is about the saddest
punishment the much enduring hus-
band has to bear. This capital sketch