Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-22
PART w


ater Naturally the brush of romano,
has been used literally yet deftly IL
order to produce proper stage pic
lures Yet for all of that the pictures
give us of today a glimpse of those o.
yesterday, their lives, their loves, theil
trials, their pleasures, their successes
their failures and their temptations
1t is the fact that 1.-THE Rose of the
Rancho" is a historical play which
lends it its greatest worth in one way
or another causes the appended ideas
All plays, If true to life, are his
torical or will become 80 in after
years. The dramatist, IL he be keenly
alive to his opportunities and his
duties, will reflect the customs, social
and political conditions or tendencies
of the period of which his play treats
the dramatist's mind will in after
years be surer index to general con-
ditions than histories written years
after the events chronicled are for
gotten. Shakespeare, Bulwer Lytton,
Sheridan and others have given more
ters and conditions than ever did any
modern historian writing of the dead
past. Clyde Fitch, George Broadhurst,
Porter Emerson Browne, Edward Mill
ton Royle and dozens of other modern
dramatists have embodied concrete
dramas. In time these plays will be
read in historical research.
But it is not of the dramas which
have been written and which are or
are to be historical in their effects I
would treat. Rather is 1t of themes
for historical plays such as 1.-THE Rose
of the Rancho
In every community there is some
romance. The establishment of cities,
especially in the west, could be made
a fertile dramatic field. The mission
days of California might furnish
grandeur and educational advantages
to the Passion play. Gustave Froh-
man, his brother Charles and Edward
Elsner are at work on a mission play
which will be produced in a mission
theater to be built by Frank Miller
more than idle talk about the play
and playhouse, for when Gustave
Frohman was in Los Angeles recently
he made several trips to Riverside and
made definite arrangements for the
play. Mr.. Elsner, who is stage man
a oar for tho Kaloau- CbopDov, Urrktafs,
company, went over the whole matter
with Mr.. Frohman and Mr.. Miller,
even arranging the taking of q set
of pictures which will be used as a
basis for the scene painters who will
work out some of the effects of the
mission play.
What is true of Southern California
is true of Utah, Colorado and every
other western state. The pilgrimage
of the Mormon-"The Handcart Brig
ade"-to Salt Lake and the events
following would make an excellent
play. Certain events incident to the
various gold rushes in Colorado were
exciting enough to give atmosphere to
a dozen dramas, and not cheap melo-
dramas at that. Through a Win
dow" play recently produced on the
Belasco stage, has in it a bit of the
atmosphere of the San Francisco dis
aster of 1906. Texas has a romantic
history. And so it goes. There is
always work for those who will.''
So many accusations are being made |
these halcyon days that the writer |
feels in duty bound to himself to make |
q short announcement. The dramatic |
editor of Los Angeles Herald is not |
writing play and has no immediate |
or remote intention of so doing
"Jim the Penman," the famous old |
drama recently revived with nearly
all-star cast at the Lyric theater, New
York city, probably will be seen in Los
Angeles soon. Arrangements are be-
ing made for Pacific coast tour of the
company seen at the revival. Florence
Roberts is member of the cast and
John Mason, he of "Witching Hour
and other fame, is another.
Here is an announcement which will
interest many theatergoers in Los An
seles Marguerite Clark, the dainty
iItlO uOuiidg Q0CldTeS Sne is In6re- |
y engaged, not married, to Robert
Dempster. "Bobbie," by the way, used
to be member of the Belasco theater
'orces before he went east to Join the
'anks of the famous.
The act of John Cort director of the
great majority of the theaters west of
he Missouri River; Albert Weis, who
controls the playhouses in the entire
southwest; j. ]. Coleman, with almost
he complete middle south; Jake Wells
IND H. L. de Give, owners and repre-
of the large part of the the
tiers in the south; the firms of Cham
'erlain, Harrington & Kindt and Craw-
ord Philley & Zehrung, with the prin-
ipal theaters in the middle west; c. P
Walker, with his Winnipeg circuit; C,
\. Marshall, director of the Copper and
ron circuit; James Wingfeld, repre-
enting numerous theaters in Illinois,
indiana and Wisconsin,; Nose Refs,
yith over 100 theaters In the east and
ulius Calm. controlling practically all ]
+ New England, in organizing the Ma I
ional Theater Owners association and !
hrowing all of the theaters they rep !
esent open to every producing man
ger, has given decided impetus to the [
heater business throughout the coun- ,
ry.
While the booking agency of Klaw
Z Erlanger has been deprived of its i
reat source OF revenue, producers and
heater managers throughout the coun- :
ry will have materially larger oppor-
unity for profits. The policy of the
ssociation in forming it's organization I
o as to make every theater owner his +
wn master and enabling him to place
4 the profit column of his weekly :
tatement the revenue that heretofore ;
10 IA firm xryI.f f,1. H.