Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-02
CONFINEMENT THEME
OF PLAY AT MASON
MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE
PATCH" FINDS FAVOR
II You Are a Believer in Honest
Poverty the Play Will
Be Sure to
Please
BY LEMUEL PARTON

III the worn, out SLlll S6fVlceaDl0 SEN
timent and humor of Mrs. Wigs of
the Cabbage Patch at the Mason opera
house last night. Believers in things
as they are find much that is pleasant
and soothing and even inspiring in
Mrs. Wigs philosophical acquiesence
in the squalid Wretchedness of her
world as she finds it. Poverty is not
so bad after all-for other people-and
if you-the other people-have sufficient
faith and optimism you can get along
nicely, and by being unSelfiSh and do
ing things for other unfortunates, you
can make it really very endurable,
don't you know. Of course we don't
often see one situated just like Mrs.
Wigs. No doubt there are lots Of
people just as poor, but we don't have
to meet them, thank heaven! OF course
we subscribe to charity funds and our
wife belongs to the ladies' aid society,
so that let's us out nicely. AS for our
selves, we are pretty comfortable,
thank you. We paid 81 for our seats,
and we are going to spend a pleasant
hour at a cafe after the play. Isn't
it beautiful, the way Mrs. Wigs gets
along in her makeshift way? And
how eXcruciatingly funny it is when
Miss Hazy uses the window curtains
for a bridal veil If all poor people
could only take things like Mrs. Wiggs,
how much better the world would be!
Borrowing from the scientists, this
is essentially a "static" play for
static people. 1t breaches the gospel
of things as they are. 1.-The poor We
shall have always with you" Last
night man sat near me of whose pri-
vate life l happened to know some
thing. In the early days of Los An
geles he was known as a land shark,
and it is said that he was and still
is more than ordinarily exacting in
matters of rent. He has grown pros
porous and respected and is one of our
best citizens. A tear trickled down
his fat cheek when Mrs. Wigs in her
beautiful faith conquered all the mis-
cries of her poverty and misfortune
He is a sympathetic man, but he will
be very businesslike in collecting his
rents.
Four years ago I saw this play and
was moved by it's beautiful message
and its sweetness and light" And
then 1 saw women and children crowd.
ed together in novels and tenements in
great cities; 1 saw the bread line
stretching four blocks in Twenty-third
street, and / knew that poverty
hideous, sitting, souI-wrenching pow
erty-is a reality. Last night I saw
this play again, and I knew that it's
message was a lie. l knew that it's
humor-the humor which makes a
woman use a window curtain for a
bridal Veil-iS a horrible travesty-a
travesty on love, truth, humanity and
the beatitudes.
From the beginning of things priests.
philosophers and teachers have taught
us to walk reverent1y in Whatsoever
walk of life it has pleased God to cali
us" We are to submit ourselves
humbly and obediently to our spiritual
teachers, masters and all others in
authority. Good Anglicans NAV find
the quotations a bit awry, but they
epttomize the worlds history of the
dominance of the strong and the ac-
quiescence Of the weak in Gods in
scrutable ways. If it could have been
Translated into the life of early Rome
Mrs. Wigs of the Cabbage Patch
would have touched deeply some muir
derous emperor, dispensing bounties to
his plundered people. 1t would have
carried a powerful appeal to the fat
bishops of the middle ages. who
preached asceticism and self-abnega
ton as the highest rule Of life for their
clergy. 1t would have carried an ex-
alted message of faith to kings and
popes and emperors of Europe in the
troublesome times Of famine and pes
thence and want.
AS to the production now being given
at the Mason, aside from the MESA ge
Of the play it is one of the best of
the season in Los Angeles. The cast is
practically the same as that seen in
California on two other occasions. Miss
Blanche Chapman does a finished and
artistic piece of acting as Mrs Wigs,
Miss Helen Lowell is good as Miss Hazy
and all the other grotesque character
parts are eXcellently done.
The bill at the Orpheum for this
week is the most frolicsome arrange
ment Of vaudeville specialties seen for
many months at the local temple of
fun and frivolity. The Salvaggi sis
ters, who sing French with an Indiana
accent, romp merrily through a gor-
geous dance, with much beWildering
skirt effect, for the opening number.
Rogers and Deeley, held over from last
week, repeat their Singer and his
Valet" sketch, with fully as much sue
cess as that of last week. Mr.. -Neeley
abandOns his black face and appears
to decided advantage in his own physi-
ognomy.
The Rooney sisters, two petite dan
GERS, give a gingery and athletic singing
and dancing sketch, with the dancing
considerably better than the singing.
Mr.. Wilfred Clarke's farce, "What
Will Happen Next" was first produced
about four years ago and seems to
improve with age. Mr.. Clarke has ad-
ded few touches each season and in
its present form it is full of bottled
tang, released with a loud pop. Mr.
Archie GILES still is with Mr.. Clarke.
Miss Lillian Gohn appears as one Of
the most fascinating little punches of
dry goods ever seen on the vaudeville
stage in Gus Edwards school Boys
and Girls" Every member of the cast
in this sketch is clever and in its en-
;- 9rrI7I scr%s
ing output of fun and foolishness.
Mr.. Edward Latell, who was seen re-
Gently at the Orpheum in his Dull
Care skit, was i'll and his place was
taken by Charles and Fanny Van in
their stage carpenter piece. Despite
the fact that the piece has been seen
for two weeks, it made another decided
hit. Gus HILBERT and Fred Warren do
black face singing and dancing
sketch and De Biere, ''illusionist," does
some weird tricks of legerdemain. Some
of De Biere's stunts have the appear
ance of novelty and are decidedly mys-
tifying.
"Paquita, Down to Date" an adapta-
ton by Director REIN, proved very
amusing and tuneful musical burlesque
at the Unique last evening. 1t is re-
plete with catchy and tuneful musical
numbers. good chorus ensembles and in
all is well worth while. The scene is
quantity Spanish and the plot con-
Germs a beautiful girl, Paquita, daugh-
ter of a Dutch innlxeeper, who has be-
trothed her to Francillo, a wealthy but
insane Spaniard, whom she does not
love. She instead has placed her af-
fections upon Pablos, a soldier of for
tune, and refuses to marry Francillo.
Her father imprisons her in a haunted
cham her hut through the friandShin Of