Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-16
FANTASTICAL PLAY
STAGED AT BELASCO
"THE ROAD TO YESTERDAY"
is WEEKS OFFERING
Stock Company Is Seen to Good ADJ
vantage in Story of Young
Girls Fanciful
Dream

s'The Road to Yesterday" fantastical
comedy, in four acts, by Beulah M. Dix and
Evelyn Greenleaf sutherland, as presented
by the Belasco stock company the evening
Of Nov. 10. 1909
THE CAST
KeneIm Paulton. ...........L Lewis s. Stone
Jack GreatOrex. ..........., Richard VIVIAN
viii LeyesOn. n............'.'b frank Il. camp
Adrian Tompkyns. 80. .howarn scott
Eispeth Tyrrell. ...... Miss Thais Magrane
Malena Leveson, Wits wife. -.
...............A Miss Adele harrington
Eleanor LeVesOn, his sister. ..........
............,......M Miss Grace Gardner
Harriet Phelps. ............ Miss IDA Lewis
NOrah Gillnw. ........ Miss Jessie NOfiah
Dolly Fouls. is............Mi Miss Beth Taylor
IN 1908
Kenelm Pawlet. ......,..'.. Lewis D STONE
ReformadO Jack. ............R Richard Vivian
will wi the Feather Frank Il. Camp
Black Malena, the gypsy ...:....... A..
...............M Miss Adele Harrington
Lady EInor Tylney. Miss Grace Gardner
Goody Phelps of the Red swan inn.
................:..,.. Miss Ida Lewis
Mother Gillaw, the witch. .............
....... Miss Jessie Norman
Dolly, the maid ......... Miss Beth Taylor
TOmlin the tapster. ...... Howard scout
Sir John, the vicar ...... JAS. IA. Appienee
Hubert. t......................C Charles GlDlSh
=
Tam ......''.'''''.''' Chtries N"s s,si'i
Hal. Observation-Disclosures. Charles Buck
Lady Elizabeth Tyrrell Miss That's Magrane
An audience which tested the capac-
ity of the pretty Belasco theater trav-
eled back over "The Road to Yester-
day. last night with Lewis Stone and
other members of the Belasco COM
pany, laughing over the delicious COM
edy, holding their breath here and
there at a turn of the. road, sympa-
thetic, applauding and approving.
Sitting in pleasant anticipation be-
fore the curtain rises. one has visions
of a play that shall deal with fairyland,
of fower-strewn paths, down which
little children wander hand in hand, Of
a fairy godmother and her magic
wand.
on the contrary, one encounters a
set of persons who are of a mystical
turn of mind, believing, some more
and some less, in the theory of rein
carnation, and then following the
dream of one Elspeth, is plunged into
the midst of a country where the Ian
guage is besprinkled with strange
oaths, where men eat with their bowie
knives plus their fingers, where senti-
mental maidens are forced to wed de-
spite strenuous opposition, and where
men and witches are done to death at
word from the lord of the land.
The motif of the play is the idea
that each soul lives again and again
in many guises and under different
conditions, even the soul who had the
most discouraging start thus finding
an opportunity to work out his or her
redemption.
The keynote to the action of the plot
is found in the tradition which is said
TO 'still obain among the peasants of
England and Ireland, that a wish
made on midsummer eve under GER
tain conditions will be granted, and
the wish holds good until midsummer
eve comes again.
Seldom has the Belasco company had
a better vehicle for every one than is
found in this dainty fantasy Lewis
Stones work this fall is much more
virile than formerly, and, as always, is
finished and thoroughly that of the
artist.
That's Magrane gives an intelligent,
belieyable Characterization of the lit
tie American girl who, with her aunt,
goes to London to visit relatives, and,
while sightseeing too strenuously, be-
comes bewildered with the associations
of the Tower London bridge, houses
of parliament and other places filled
Win HlSluIlCdl eloSOC4d l4Oll9S anu ehANSA
falling asleep is quite as winning and
convincing in her dream. She is
charming in her boys costume and
equally so in the beautiful gown of
"milady," and in the white lights of
the tragic situations rises to the height
Of her opportunity.
Beth Taylor the dainty ingenue, is
little artistic to her finger tips and gives
great pleasure by her earnest work.
AS "Malena" Adele Warrington pre-
sents one of the best characterizations
recently witnessed by this gifted ac-
tress, and Ida Lewis was her usual
competent self in the parts of "Aunt
Harriet" and "Goody Phelps" Grace
Gardner was not at her best, failing
to meet in any degree the requirements
of the position of discarded sweetheart,
which In most people would have
aroused passionate hatred in place of
the friendly interest she evinced in
both the girl who supplanted her and
in her lover
Richard Vivian and Frank E. Camp
satisfactorily rounded out the princi-
pals in the cast, Camp doing notably
good work.
Makeup and costuming are excellent,
the one false note being the too red
dress worn by "Malena" in the first
act which is in sharp contrast to the
delicate colors worn by the other
women, even if it does bear out her
claim TO a gypsy ancestry.
1t is a charming comedy, well staged
and presented. M. N. f. b.
TREASURERs