Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-08
" THE WHITE SISTER" IS
MAJESTIC'S BEST BILL
Play Paints Pictre of Nun Who
Goes to Death Faithful
to Vows
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS


In order that the battle of self-love
and love of the Omnipotent One might
be brought out in bold relief, the au-
thors of "The White Sister" have
pitted a nun whose VOWS were taken as
the result of a great sorrow, against
a man whose love was dearer than
life itself. 1 doubt If anyone who
watched the progress of The White
Sister" at the Majestic theater last
night failed to get the meaning tne
authors intended, for that meaning Is
as plain as the sisters immaculate
robes and it's lesson as severe as
priestly judgment.
We must pay the penalty of moral
death when we love ourselves too
much, just as Giovanni SeVeri paid
his penalty of spiritual death when ne
put his own happiness above faith ana
honor. Many there may be who, al
ter having seen Viola Allen and her
company work out the theme of 'Ihe
White Sister," will declare that 1t is
the nuns right to have love, ana that
the man was right in his constant
pleading for her to forsake her vows.
But, 1 fear that such persons nave
never known the enthralling influence
of a great faith, nor the hold super
stition has upon the individual For
my part, I believe the nun was right
in her inexorable resolve.
To state a detailed syllabus Of Tine
White Sister, would require much
space-too much, in fact. Suffice 1t TO
say that after a woman who is known
as Sister Giovanni suddenly comes face
to face with the man she fNs loved
and whom she believes dead. Then
begins the world-old struggle. The
man tries with all the force Of his ele-
mental being and his love to win the
sister away from her VOWS. But she
remains inexorable. She determines to
go to a leper colony. He tricks her
into coming to his home, where he
holds her prisoner. Through a set of
circumstances the nuns presence in
the mans home becomes known. He,
in an attempt to shield her good name,
kills himself. And she goes to the leper
colony, there to meet a horrible
though a welcome death so that she
may join her love In the great beyond,
where there are no PHILOSOPHERS, no
VOWS, nothing but peace and happiness.
Miss Allen brings into her charac-
terization of the nun the sweetness or
humility, which is the acme of strength
and power. She makes one realize that
those noble women who give, their
lives in the cause of charity and mercy
bear greater burdens than we who
fight with egoistic weapons of the
world. And James O'Neil-who does
not know him as an actor? His Mon
signore Saracinesca, though priestly,
is human, and therefore is perfect.
I doubt If a better Captain Severi
than Henry Stanford could be found.
The swagger of the soldier with its
bold disregard for the Unseen is ap-
parent beneath the nobility of a great
love in Mr. Sanfords portrayal. One
feels something pulling at ones heart
strings when that brave soldier is
pleading for his love, his life, his all.
Nina Gales Countess Chiaramonte is
an exposition of heart turned to flint
because another woman has taken
away her love. The countess is a
wonderful study for the psychologists.
I might go on paying compliments to
every member of the company, for
everybody in the cast is an artist.
But there are space limitations.
without overestimating in the least,
1t may be said that 1.-THE White Sis
ter" is the best offering the Majestic
has yet made.
1.-THE Blue Mouse" opened for third
week at the Belasco last night. A
crowded house greeted Lewis S. Stone
and the Belasco players and enjoyed
the clever comedy to the fullest.
The new vaudeville bill headed by
1.-THE Aeroplane Girl" which opened
at the Los Angeles theater yesterday
afternoon will be reviewed in tomor-
rows issue. A review of the Pan
tages bill will also appear tomorrow.