Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-10
THE MELTING pot IS
PLAY FOR ALL PEOPLE
Treats of Great Theme Of the
New American Race in
Its Making
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS

see 1.-THE Melting Pot" at the Majestic
this week. You will come away pet
ter citizen, truer patriot, more hu-
man and sincerer individual. But
you'll have to think to be benefited,
Just as you have to exercise to be mus
cular, for "The Melting Pot" is not
play for silly sentimentalists or plgmy
brains. 1t is for these who desire pet
terment, those who desire to share IN
the great uplift of humanity. Your
ears will certainly be pleased with the
music of eloquent speeches, and your
eyes will certainly be delighted by the
matchless magic, OF exquisite acting.
But YOU will gain no lesson unless you
are willing to think. And possibly you
will not think you are thinking. Maybe
the greatest the deepest and the pest
thoughts will come after you have left
the playhouse and have even rested
night. But If you have brain and you
wish to use 1t don't fail to see Walker
Whiteside and his co-players present
"The Melting Pot"
Israel Zangwill has taken theme
the amalgamation of the races In the
making of the American-which
lesser genius would hardly dare at
tempt. He has made Russians and
Jews the basic characters. But he
might as easily have taken German
and italian, French and Norwegian, as
Russian and Jew. He has given an
answer as to what could and should
be done with the immigrants who are
seeking refuge in this great country of
ours. Some may say that Mr. Zang-
Wills answer is too advanced and is
based upon individuals too much. That
is for the years of tomorrow to de-
termine. Suffice it to say Mr. Zang-
will has written a great play which
grips one with its intensity its plaus-
ibility, its eloquence and the magni-
tude of the property It carries.
OF few, too few, plays may 1t be said
that they contain ZEAL eloquence. More
often are they grandiliquent. Much
of the dramatic philosophy is mere
sophiStry. But not so with THE Melt>
ing Pot" 1t is sincerely eloquent, con-
vincingly logical.
To many the story of 1.-THE Melting
Pot" is familiar but it will bear repeti-
ton. In "the melting pot" Of New
York city are cast David Quixano, a
Russian Jew, who has fled from his
home, and Vera Revendal. He is a
musician, she a settlement worker. By
his playing first and his personality af-
terwards, he attracts her to him. 1t
is almost a case of love at first sight
for these two. She seeks him out in
his home and there for the first time
learns that he is a Jew-a great shock
to her, for she is the daughter of
Russian nobleman and has been taught
all her life that Jews are to be despised.
But she overcomes this feeling of re-
pugnance and does all in her power to
aid the young musician. She herself
has been radical in Russia and has
even been arrested and only escaped
Siberia by fleeing from prison. She
and David tell thsir love, he departs
from the traditions of his race and she
from hers. and their wedding is plan
,oI tc nTla mi IL
lionaire, Quincy Davenport, who loves
Vera, and does all in his power to
break up the match, and finally per-
suades Baron Revendal, Vera's father,
to come to this country to prevent the
marriage to David. Baron ReVendal,
it appears, was the man who COM
manded the Russian troops who shot
down David's family at Kischinef, and
it is the baron's face that constantly
recurs to the young Jew in the horrible
vision of the massacre. The baron de-
mands that his daughter shall not
marry David, but she insists and brings
David and her father together. When
David realizes that she is the daughter
of the man who has brought all the
unhappiness upon him, he turns from
Vera and goes back to his people, de-
claring that nothing can bridge the
sea of blood which lies between them.
He goes his way and she hers but the
closing act brings the two together
again, both pioneers on the lost road
to happiness"
Walker Whiteside illumines the role
of David with the light of genius and
great art. He convinCeS one in man
ner few actors are capable of. 1t is
rare treat to see him, or rather to feel
the magnetism of his acting. His
description of the massacre is unfor-
getahle. His manner betokens a hid
den sorrow which is held in check
only by a desire to rise. always. If
Florence Fisher had no talent beyond
her musical speaking voice she would
be entitled to high praise. But she
has fresh beauty and emotional ability,
and she displays it in a manner which
leaves little to be desired Her Vera
Revendal is delicately penciled dra-
matte portrait which will not soon be
effaced from ones memory. There
are other characters portrayed in
manner befitting Mr.. Whiteside's
Characterization of the unfortunate
Jew. For instance, Robert Whit
worth's Quincy Davenport Dore Da-
Wilson'S Mendel QuixanO and Hubert
Wilkes Herr Pappelmeister, Louise
Muldener's Frau QuiXano, Leonora
Won Ottinger's Baroness Revendal and
Alice Mays Katherine OReilly each
is a dramatic gem. And last towers
Will d. Corbetts Baron Revendal a
careful study and a wonderful char
acterization of the harsh. bigoted aris-
tccrat whose Staying of innocents is
deemed a duty.
Again I say see "The Melting Pot"
1t is a play for all people.
"The Substitute" is a delightful COM
edy light and frothy, with touches of
farce here and there to make it more
enjoyable, and was built for the pro-
verbal "tired business man." and the
woman who thinks she is tired but is
simply mentally slothful. All the
types dear to the two mentioned
classes are to be found in 1.-THE Substi-
tute," therefore it pleases the audi
ence immensely. The comedy is di-
mood of most playgoers these hot
afternoons and enervating nights.
While in the main 1.-THE Substitute
is we'll acted there are times, especial
ly in the first two acts, when the en-
tire company save Byron Beasley
seems 10 be off the dramatic key, and
when the action drags slowly. Max
Figman enacted the role of James
Smith in a farce-c comedy vein. And
Max Figman is one of the few men on
the stage who can be farcical without
being ludicrous. Other members of
Mr. Figman's company played their
roles more or less seriously, that is to
say. in a high comedy manner. The
contrast made Mr.. Figman's person.
ality stand out prominently. But the
Burbank players depart a bit from
the Figman method. Mr.. Beasey fol-
lows Figmans lead, but some Of the
other members OF the company refuse
to take their roles seriously and play