Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-19
GIIRRENF
- aeBIEtS.

AUDITORIUM-Joh Mason and Au-
gustus Thomas remarkable play, me
Witching Hour" remain but TINS
week at the Auditorium. The engage
ment has been uniformly SUCCESSFUL
The polished yet dogged demeanor
of Jack Brookheld (Mason), pollie
gambler, is an element of magneIlc
personality that counts much for the
sure sympathy which the gamester
ever arouses. Turning to cards TO IoI-
get lost love, then turning back 10
love and away from the gambling "a
bles after half a lifetime of gaming Is
a new route for character destined
to be the hero of a play. But MI.
Thomas has impaired charm to ms
creation and Mr., Mason is well adapted
to the role. The work of Edward see
Russ Whytal and Amelia Gardner Is
almost equally noteworthy.
The production, scenically, is ac-
curate and elaborate, and the company
as a whole, is one of the smartest ever
seen in a straight dramatic attractlol
on the Pacific coast.
There will be Wednesday and Satur-
day matinees of "The Witching Hour
MASON-On Monday David Belasco
will present Blanche Bates at the Ma
son opera house in her latest success
"The Fighting Hope" a play American
Ill LU6Hl0 ny w. hui lphN' - 49,
past half dozen years Miss Bates has
been identified with 1.-THE Girl of the
Golden West" 1.-THE Darling of the
Gods" and Madame Butterfly" In
the new play she appears for the nfst
time in many seasons in a strictly
modern play in which she is required
to wear modern gowns 1.-THE right
ing Hope" was one of the pronounced
dramatic hits of the New York year
and was played at Mr.. Belasco's the
aters for over 800 performances.
In "The Fighting Hope" there are
few characters and but one scene,
showing the library in the country
house of the president of trust COM
pany on the bank of the Hudson river
at Ossining. Anna Granger is the wife
of an embezzlng cashier of New
York trust company who has been con-
victed and is serving term IN jail.
She believes him innocent and not a
few people in the community think
that Burton Temple, the president of
the trust company, is the real culprlt.
With the object of exonerating the
father of her children, Anna Granger
enters the employ of Burton Temple as
his stenogra pher. In very short
time she learns that there is no ques-
ton Of her husbands guilt, and that
he has been faithless to her. During
the month that she has spent in Tenn
her and with the knowledge of her hus-
bands perfidy her feeling of hatred for
Temple undergoes a change, but not
until she has destroyed a most import
ant piece of evidence that would clear
the name of Temple and establish her
husbands guilt.
The company provided for Miss
Bates support includes Milton Sills,
John w. Cope, Wedgwood NOVEL; and
Loretta Wells. Miss Bates engage
ment at the Mason is for one week.
with matinees on Wednesday and Sat-
urday,
BURBANK-Mis Lillian Burkhart
will open "a special five weeks engage
ment in the stock company this after
noon, when she will be seen as Rhy
MacChesney in Rachel Crothers' inter
esting play, THE Three of U.s. a bit
of life and love set down in a mining
camp, Though she has never before
played it. her work having been con-
fined mainly to vaudeville, this role is
one which Miss Burkhart has long
wanted to essay The production will