Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-26
THE PRICE HAS FIRST
PRODUCTION At BELASC0
Struggling Young Artist, Drudge,
Stenographer, and Physician
Principal Characters

Having written dozens of plays to
please the theatergoing public George
Broadhurst has now written one to
! please himself 1.-THE Price," which
was given its first production on the
Belasco stage last night, Is the one
which pleases the author and may in
turn greatly please the public. 1.-THE
Price" is a sex problem play of great
complexlty.
"The Price" is an exceptional play
along lines almost unique. Its dramatic
intensity is cumulative and its climaxes
are powerful and well placed. Mr..
Broadhurst is fortunate in having such
an excellent cast to present his work
as the Belasco players.
The story of 1.-The Price" involves
a struggling young artist who as a re-
suit of propinquity is trapped into mar
rying a woman much older than him
self. She is drudge, little better
than household servant. They grow
apart, and when the breach Is irrepa-
rable, young stenographer comes to
the artists home, and he falls in love
with her. The stenographer has been
buffeted about the world, so that the
affection and kindness OF tho artist
| make her life seem like a perfect
heaven. The result is inevitable.
Another man. one of those strict,
narrow minded, self centered ply
sicians who believe in one law for man
and another for woman, comes into the
girls life Then she realizes what love
really is.
The artist has a weak heart and his
physician conceals from him the fact
that sudden shock will kill him. The
shock comes when the girl tells the ar
| tist she does not love him, but loves
his friend, the physician. and intends
to marry the latter. After his tragic
death she marries the man she loves.
ARoUsEs wIFE's JEALOUSY
TO the home of the physician and
his bride goes the widow of the artist,
where In the guise of a housekeeper
she arouses jealousy in the heart of
| the young wife. Here the plot becomes
involved and only is unraveled when
! the widow brings her husbands diary
into play. BY diabolically weaving the
| truth with falsehood the widow reads
aloud to the doctor and his bride the
| artists alleged confession of his guilty
! love for the former stenographer. Then
ensues a heartwrenching scene, which
ends finally in the physician accusing
his wife with having caused the death
| of the artist as well as being unchaste.
| lie leaves ner ana Sne SelZeS ueduly
| poison and attempts suicide, but is
! dissuaded by her maid, who convinces
her that men are not worth that price.
Lewis stone as the physician was
strong, and convincing. He is almost
| too stern and one wishes he might be
humane enough to show signs of a de-
| sire to relent.
The requirements of the part por-
| trayed by Florence Oakley-that of the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS tremendous, but she
meets them we'll. Her emotional
| scenes are a trife more petulant than
intense. Especially is this noted in
the final act. Miss Oakleys voice
lacks the note of appeal when she is
| begging forgiveness. Her tones are
harsh and anti-pathetic. Perhaps her
errors are more of temperament than
| Interpretation.
Frank Camp essayed the artist. In
| the scene when he tells his wife he
| can no longer remain her husband, Mr..
| Camp was particularly strong. His
death scene will long be remembered
| for its naturalness.
! Ida Lewis gave a most faithful and
consistent representation of the artists
wife. The character is one which does
not appeal in any wonderful manner
| to an audience, but Miss Lewis acting
made It stand out exceptionally we'll
Howard Scott as Professor Damaroff,
/ an eluGIlY lONeIs gave a. hClAIaNNlJ
| tritstic Interpretation. Adele Earring
ton, as the maid Susan, did an excel
lent bit of acting IN the last act. Helene
! Sullivan as an emotional ingenue was
bad in the second act, but redeemed
herself in the third.
Nonette. violinist and singer, made
the sensational hit of the five features
on the vaudeville bill offered yesterday
afternoon at the Orpheum theater.
Her rendition of Mendelssohn's "Spring
! Song" on her violin, and her singing
and playing of The Mendelssohn Rag"
seemed to strike the audience with the
right amount of force. The result was
series of encores, which she was
forced to end
La Petite Gosse," the European nov
city, seemed not to be clearly under
stood by the audience. 1t is drama
of the Partisan underworld where the
Apaches hold sway All acting is done
| in pantomime. La Petite Gosse" is
undoubtedly one of the cleverest vaude-
Vile acts of its kind ever seen here.
| Every person in the cast is an artist.
! The Apache dance is a revelation to
most persons. Even though the drama
be wonderfully skillful in every detail,
and acted with rare ability, 1t still re-
| mained somewhat sordid.
Wits Girls from Melody Lane have
pretty voices and faces, and are worth
herring. They added greatly to the
worth of the bill.
His Last Appearance" a drama in
one act, in which scene from "The
Bells was given by Walter McCul-
Tough, is fair.
Stelling and Revell did some clever
! twists and turns on the horizontal bars.
Holding over are Berg's singing and
dancing girls, Avery and Hart, negro
comedians, and Madame Mauricia
Morichini. who captivated everybody
with her new repertoire of grand opera
selections.
The new vaudeville bill which opened
at the Los Angeles theater yesterday
afternoon will be reviewed in tomor-
rows issue.
oNInnI nnMnO csnI n