Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-13
RUSSIAN STAR
IN DOLL'SHOUSE.
MADAME NAZlM0vA APPEARS
IN lBSEN PLAY
NORA BEST IMPROVISATION OF
DOLL WIFE YET GIVEN
Large Audience Attends, but Does NOT
Seem Altogether Pleased with the
Drama, Although Enthusiastic
over Brilliant Actress
ny LEMuEL PAXTON

large and fashionable audience
Witnessed tine opening performance OIL
1.-THE DOLLS House at the Mason opera
house last night Apparently IL shppeo
neatly off the large and Iashlonaple
backs, as far as any appreclation VI
the play was concerned, although MIne.
Nazimova won the audience sweeping
iv hx, her masterful art Compared
With such subtleties as THE Red Mill
or Girls" Ibsen's plays seem 10 Dc
selling platers in the judgment OF Los
Angeles playgoers. 80, aond.
ish delight IL his shade could nave
been lurking somewhere ABOUT anu ns
could have heard the remarks Wneii
the audience was leaving last night !!
He would have known that he had got
,ndar their skins. 1t was noticeaple
that the most bovine OF the peloIe
mentioned large and fashionaples pro,
tested the loudest There never Hveo
a man too dense to be MADE uncoIn-
Portable by Ibsen. In fact the o,sc III
fort seems to increase in direct pro-
norton to the density. To man VINO
believes that life is more than laws
and conventions, and that Nora rear,
iv ja q thurman being, before all else.
her leaving home seems the inesieso -,
triumph of truth and the curtain Ian,
zyith 4he clam of the door ana the
cnAnRe
stirred emotion of conviction.
Ibsen lifts the fourth wall out OF the
Helmers' house. In the development Oh
his theme, relieved from didactlcisIi
nv the inevitable sequence sof ms ula-
logue and incident, he shows the wiie'
made a doll by the blindness ana sen
ishness of her husband, suddenly pc
cone woman in one of those clair
voyant moments when we suddenly see
the truth. one of those moments when,
as Nora says, I'VE must stand alone, TO
know ourselves and our surroundings.
1.-THE Dolls House" gives no answer
as to whether Nazimova Is a realiy
great actress. 1t establishes to Ger
tainty that she is great in her power
Of DISQUALIFICATION, in the subtle artis-
try of coloring, intensifying and iliu-
minating a character, but the role OF
Nora does not offer sufficient oppor-
tunity for the display of such talents
as those which made Modjeska the
greatest tragedienne of her time
Nine. Nazimova's support Is excel-
lent. The two children in the cast are
NOT the marionettes usually seen in
child actors. Brandon Tynon gives an
admirable Characterization OF Brandon
lyon, showing in minutest detail the
mans blind, doInineering, male stupid
ity In his patronizing attitude 10 MS
wife. Cyril Young is equally success
full as Nils Krogstad, as are Miss Eve
Iyn WELDING as Mrs. Linden, and Per-
cy Lyndal as DR.. Rank.
Raw L. Royce, character sketch
artist, formerly with York State
Folks" is the star on the current bill
at the Orpheum. Mr.. Royce has been
in vaudeville several years and his in
Irritable representations have become
familiar to thousands of theatergoers.
The school superintendent, the old
Justice and the small town lawyers.
which Mr.. Royce conjures up out or
an astonishingly small makeup equip
ment. seem funnier and more genuine
Nv real than ever. This gifted imper-
senator is among the cleverest who
have undertaken this kind of work.
The Eight Palace Girls are billed
as coming directly from the Palace
tbeater, London. Several are decidedly
British types and the songs have a
distinctly British turn. The girls are
clever and pretty and James Ciemons,
who assists them, does some very diff
ficult eccentric dancing.
James Mcdonald and Valerie Hunt
ington sing several charming character
songs with finish and effect. Their
coster newsboy song is especially pleas
ing.
The Blessings, a man and woman
acrobat, have an act the chief dis
tinction of which Is the striking beauty
of Madam Blessing. Her marked
charms of face and figure make de-
cided. success of their act, which other
wise would be commonplace, as the ac-
robatic performances are not extra
ordinary.
The holdovers include G. Herbert
Mitchell, raconteur; "a Modern Poca-
hontas," the Indian sketch; "Six Little
Girls and a Teddy Bear and the Kita-
bapzai troupe of japanese athletes.
"The Tourists" the Offering for the
week at the Grand opera house, was
given vastly improved production
last night. That is the production was
vastly superior to the opening per-
Torrance of Sunday because the men,
bers of the cast have learned their
parts. Sunday they relied on wing
ing their lines and the very vociferous
prompter had the big end of the show.
While there are some bright lines in
the piece and Mr.. Hartman's comedy is
as effective as usual, on the whole 1t
appears to have rather an unfortunate
selection. The plot deals with the af-
fairs of an adventurous American who
goes to India and becomes involved
in a bizarre mixup with a rajah
The best of the comedy business
centers around a dynamite pill, given
to the hero in the last act by crazy
court physician. The impending ex-
plosion of the pill gives Mr.. Hartman
an opportunity for some good funny
business.
Miss Christina Nielsen and Edgar
Walch dominate the musical end of
the show, pleasantly and refreshingly.
Each is a clever artist and may be
depended upon to illuminate even the
dullest of musical pieces. Charles
Airing, Miss Muggins Davies, Walter
De Leon all work hard and effectively,
but the obstacles in the piece are al