Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-14
In the Spotlight

OS ANGELES will be given an in
itial performance of considerable
note in the premiere of Alfred
Aliens new play, THE Master Power"
which will be presented at the Mason
opera house tomorrow night.
The play was awarded the Town
Topics $1,000 prize and was pronounced
the strongest drama ever written by
no less an oracle than Prof Richard
Burton. Much is expected of it.
The cast has not yet been announced,
but is understood that it is made up of
Los Angeles and San Francisco players.
Mr.. Allen admits that the company in
cludes no actors of great distinction,
but says each part is adequately pro-
vided for, and critics who have read the
manuscript declare that the play is, for
the most part, actor proof" It deals
with. the negro question in the south,
with an exposition similar to that OF
'The Clansman," carrying a love story
with the underlying problem of the re-
lations between the two races always
in evidence.
THE fact remains indisputabIe that
you cannot bring any human being
from savagery to civilization in a half
This is a process genuinely in the or
der of evolution, requiring, not hun
dreds, but thousands of years.
However, it has been my constant
endeavOr not to be unjust to the negro.
1 have endeavOred to present him as
he is, exhibiting all the features of
Wonderful interest which append only
to a study of the human race
The bill at the Majestic theater next
week will be Marrying Mary" with
Florence Gear and a strong support
ing company in the cast. The play is
one in which Marie Cahill was recently
starred and has won wide favor in the
east.
Miss Helen Goff a popular Los An
geles singer, will begin an engagement
at the Orpheum this week Miss Goff.
who has lived eight years in Southern
California, is among the best known
local Vocalists, and the Orpheum
patrons may expect an exceedingly
pleasing and artistic number in her an
pearance. She will sing "Carissima,' a
difficult but delightful aria, when well
sung, and several other songs of more
popular character, including Longing ~
Miss Golf is at present studying under
local teachers, preparatory to begin
ming a period of several years study in
Europe.
Jessie Mae Hall, who played ingenue
roles with the Burbank stock company
four years ago, will return to the Bur
bank stage to play the important part
of Wendy in Peter Pan" Since her
departure from Los Angeles Miss Hall
has been starring, at the head of her
own company, in the east, and when
the project was first broached to her
she declined it instantly Miss
Blanche Hall, her sister, who was Wis
1ting her at the time, persisted. how
ever, and in the end won her point,
Miss Jessie Mae Hall agreeing to come
here to play the one part. Manager
MoroSco agreed to her conditions.
though they will entail probably the
largest expenditure ever made for a
single engagement in stock outside of
a star role. Unless present plans are
changed, Peter Pam will be presented
at the Burbank beginning February %.
with Miss Blanche Hall in the part
which won fame for Maude Adams and
which Miss Adams, in her turn, made
famous.
Miss Bessie Tannehill appeared op-
portunely at the Belasco theater this
week, taking the part of the woman
detective in "a Stranger in New York, -
for which Mr.. Blackwood had been un-
dOiC " HlIu d suitable ACTRESS. MISS
Tannehill has an excellent voice and
contributed much to the success of the
performance.
Manager Oliver Morosco of the Bur
bank and Majestic theaters, who re-
Gently contracted with Gus Hill for an
early production of the musical com
edy I'm Gay New York. at the Bur-
bank, closed a second contract with
Mr.. Hill yesterday by which he Sc
cures the exclusive right to present in
Los Angeles that producers play,