Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-14

Wilkins, a society bud" Charles Lee
Calder and Miss Redding take the other
principal parts in the sketch success
fully, and there are some bright lines
in their dialogue.
Miss Mabel Mckinley has a pleasant
voice and good control of her tones,
lending vivacity to her operate selec-
lions and quiet feeling In her simpler
numbers. Accompanying herself at
the piano, she SINCE Annie Laurie" to
insistent encores, and concludes with
one of her own compositions. which
appears to win a popular success.
There are varied motion pictures ana
the orchestra plays frequently, includ-
ing a new Elk two-step in its roper
toire.
In obllvious enthusiasm over polly
of the Circus" yesterday 1 dubbed 1t
"the best new drama of the local
| theatrical season." which simply shows
the folly of using hasty superlatives,
even with the best intentions. OF
course, there is no real comparison be-
| tween Margaret Mayo's charming play
Of rural life and Edward Sheldon's
Salvation Nell" which is easily head
and shoulders above any rival legiti-
mate novelty which has shown here
since the wane of the winter season.
Common honesty to ones own convlc-
lions requires this partial retraction,
which is suggested entirely by the pres
sure Of the Critical conscience an
organ whose existence few theatrical
managers are disposed to credit. Polly
Of the Circus" can afford to stand
purely on its own merits as compact,
refreshing comedy of American man
pers played by thoughtful, discriminat-
ing artists In the gift of portraiture.
All Of which makes it logical to say
a few words of some of the individual
Characterization at the Mason this
week. which were crowded out of yes
terday's criticism. Best of several I'M
assuming eXcellences in Earl Ryder
portrayal of the minister is his talent
as a listener How few modern actors
know how to l.sten to another member
of the company In an extended utter
ance without showing signs of bore
dom, or impatience, or artificial, spas
modic approval! Mr.. Ryder's method
is the simple one of every day life
He listens as though he were really
interested, not as though he grudged
! every second Of prominence which dld
not include him in its direct focus. In
this he showed a keen understanding or
| one prime requisite for practically
successful clergyman, and he made
! himself felt, too with Jury and timei-
ness, when the situations demanded
such dominance.
Miss Ida s.. Lee, as Polly, affords
striking object lesson in natural act
| ing which it were well if every stock
company member In the city could
study. 1t seemed to me, however, that
she failed to define with sufficient
| clearness the partial maturity that had
slipped like a garment around the
Polly of the parsonage, eleven months
after her injury. She felt-and showed
this difference in the last act, and the
impressiveness Of those three brief
scenes was largely due to our percep-
ton Of that crescent wOmanliness. In
the second act she burst into woman
hood in a moment when confronting
a heart searching alternative. We
should have. fell that change as po-
tential, I believe, even before we saw
il flower into vision. I am also in
ouisitiye as to Miss St. Icons reason
for permitting Polly to evince no sur
prise at meeting the minister behind
the scenes in the first scene of the
last act. Certainly, after so long a
separation, some show of emotion is
imperative, or at least we should see
the effect Of feeling suppressed by a
consciousness of its own intensity.
Miss st. Leon read her lines from the
book of Ruth at the close of the Sec
ond scene in act / with well modulated
expression, and gave something of this