Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-09
S0THERN LIFTS VEIL
FROM PAST CENTURY
OUR AMERICAN COUSIN BRIMS
WITH 0LD-TIME HUMOR
Mason Opera House Packed at Sec
ond Performance of Famous
Actors Los Angeles
Engagement
BY LEMUEL PARTON

or the Mason opera house and sour
American Cousins" sweet apostrophe
Of the old days-the gentle old days of
crinoline and hoop skirts and lavender
and musk and stilted Vatican figures.
But the red automobile is blotted out
and the audience is carried back into
the other time.
Many of those present last night
doubtless had seen the elder Sothern
in the part of Lord Dundreary, but
comparisons were forgotten-every-
thing was forgotten but the charm Of
E. H. Sothern's inimitabIe art in the
portrayal of the empty-headed but
l1kable Dundreary, with his mutton
chops and his lisp and his little knee
sprung hitch across the stage.
No doubt if one Of the characters Of
Our American Cousin should appear
on the street today in one of the cos
tunes of the play they would attract a
crowd, and no doubt if the Dundreary
humor were offered as a modern prod
uct 1t would be the cause of a similar
sensation. The humor Of the piece is
as distinctly that of another generation
as the costumes.
Il Say-can you wag your left carp"
says Dundreary abruptly to the young
woman to whom he is PROPOSING.
mo; why should II" she replies
Can your
"No; but some felIah might be able
to, you know"
Talking of mud he continues, "I
want to say something to you He
follows with his proposal, and in con-
GLIDING he feels nervous. "a fellah al
ways does feel nervous, you know
when he knows he is going to make an
ass of himself"
eff there is anything 1 hate it's a
crick in me own back. don't care a
hang about a crick in another fellah's
back, you know"
The play, which was originally pro-
duced in 1858, is interesting as an ex-
ample of the plays which held the
stage at the time when the production
of the first Ibsen play, with it's revolu-
tionary problem motive first shocked
London. This revolt against the heroic
and the romantic was met with a tor
rent Of Billingsgate by critics and re-
viewers, and "Our American Cousin"
frequently was cited as a model of the
delightfully."- wholesome plays which
should properly hold the stage.
When E. H. Sothern revived the piece
1t was predicted that it would be neces-
sary to bring it up to date, as it is so
entirely different in motive, coloring,
construction and plot from modern
dramas that it seemed impossible that
it could be appreciated. 1t was Mr..
Sothern's idea to preserve it as nearly
as possible in it's original setting, and
the success of the piece has shown the
soundness Of his judgment
There is just enough plot in the piece
to string along the action until the
end. The American cousin, Asa Tren-
chard, visits the family of Sir Edward
Trenchard in Hampshire, England. He
is, according to our modern notions,
an absurdly exaggerated Yankee, pos
sibly intended to be so. and is delight
fully reminiscent Of one of the heroic
characters of Miss Haddon's novels,
which were widely read at the time
when the play was first produced. 1.-THE
rough, homeSpun sort of a chap, you
know. carrying heart of gold" Rich
ard Coyle, an unprincipled lawer, tries
to force Edward to sanction his mar
riage with his daughter Florence, using
a mortgage which he has received from
| the older COyle as a means of coercion.
OF course the sterling cousin appears
OPPORTUNITY, finds a hidden release
from the mortgage, saves the family
and wins a beautiful girl who has ap-
peared in one Of the side ramifications
of the plot.
One of the most delightful scenes in
the play is the country dance after
the archery meeting on the green at
tic 6IIu VI Ill6 LIllIu SdCl. LIE yOhSlS
! in their Smock frockS, the girls with
their fiaring skirts and the men in the
picturesque costumes of the period,
with the excellent scenic background,
make up a charming and idyllic if at
the same time extremely funny picture.
Sydney Mather has a difficult task
in the role of what was supposed to be
an American by English lady novelists
of that period, but he carries the role
III
| GeOrgiana Trenchard, one of the two
attractive daughters of Mrs. Mont
chessington, is seen to much better ad-
vantage than in Richard Lovelace."
| The character parts all are exceedingly
| good. In fact, there is nothing but
| praise for the entire company appear
ing in Mr. Sotheern's support.
The chorus ladies with Corinne in
| Lola from Berlin coming to Ham
burgers Majestic theater next week
are in revolt against the term chorus
| girl which they say has fallen into
disrepute through abuse and misunder-
| standing.
1.-THE trouble is" says Miss Young
who is of an aristocratic Philadelphia
! family and is in the business because
| Oscar Hammerstein said the other day
that he was hunting for operate So
| pranOs, that the term chorus girl has
| become one Of opprobrium."
| "Huh'' put in Miss Wilson.
| "Come again; 1 didn't get that
| screamed Miss Bennett.
"Opprobrium," ladies, from the Latir
| OPP meaning upon, and 'probrium'
meaning disgrace; same as contume-
| lium, only you don't say it so fast; the
term chorus girl has become one Of
| opprobrium"-
81 like contumelium better" suggest
| ed Miss Clemson.
COR epithetibum," put in Miss Kellar
'Epithetibum means so much" pen
| sively, sadly. 4
"The idea isl said Miss Irish, 'that
we don't want to be called chorus girls;
is that it ?"
"It is" said Miss Purcell
''Then all I've got to say" said Miss
| Irish, sis that after all the things I've
| been called by the stage managers
can stand anything, and so long as
| get my SIS per week, with the priv
| lege of working in every chorus, @doub-
ling in brass and taking tickets on the
one-night stands, 1 don't care what
they call me-"
All this don't settle the question OF
what chorus girls will in the future be
| called Some Of the girls think seri
! ously that they ought to have a more
/ digniffed and ladylike title in general
| because many of them abhor the stage
| door Johnny; and whether the audi
| ence I'm front believes it or not, some
/ of them are supporting sick mothers OF
| little brothers and sisters, and most OF
| them do their own small washing ia
save laundry bills.
Sentenced to Prison