Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-26
THE BATTLE" is A
BURBANK SUCCESS
Cleveland Moffett's Drama Finely
Acted by Members of the
Stock Company
PLAYERS DO GOOD WORK
Miss Grace TraverS Contributes
Strong Portrayal of Girl of
the Streets

the Burbank theater yesterday after
noon Cleveland Moffett has written a
bipartisan play, problem play which,
in a measure at least will satisfy par
tsans processing allegiance either to
Socialistic or capitalistic tenets of be-
lief. To accomplish this Mr. Moffett
has adopted the not unusual expedient
of putting into the mouths of his char
acters the stock arguments of their
respective creeds which are the easiest
demolished. OF course this makes
iconoclasm easy. but it does not lessen
it's dramatic effect. There is primitive
JOY in seeing the idol OF which you do
not approve toppled in the dust, and
when, a moment later, the tables are
turned you can console yourSelf-and
do-wth the reflection that it wasn't
your idol that fell. but merely some
thing the author supposed to be yours,
whereas really he knew nothing what
ever about it, though he did appreciate
the fallacies of the other fellows be-
liefs and demolished them most salts
iactorily. Fortunately for the dramatist,
there are sophistries in Socialism as
well as platitudeS in politics
Here is one phase OF Mr. Mofletts
problem: Given $10,000,000 to alleviate
conditions of poverty in New York
city, how can 1t best be expended
without pauperiZing it's beneficiaries?
This question is put directly to
Gentle, a character described on the
program as a Socialist by principle.
Gentle doesn't answer it. Neither do
his Socialist friends. Instead they re-
fer the question back to the capitalist
who has promised the donation and
who has turned philanthropist through
stress of circumstances, not because
his conscience dictates.
There is only one way he says.
IT'S all simple enough
Then he produces a blue print,
spreads it upon the table in front OF
him and begins to expound. You listen
attentiyely. Can 1t be possilae, you
ask, that capitalism, speaking through
John ]. Haggleton, "a character in
play has discovered satisfactory
solution to this problem as old as the
present social system itself?
First we will buy big tract of
land up in Rye county he says. Then
his voice fades into nothingness and
the curtain descends. The play is over,
The problem has not been answered,
you see. Naturally ii couldn't be, for
a problem solved is problem no long
er, and this is a problem play. though
not, in the main, sex problem play
--IOT WHICH we SllOulO DC 81 dNNibi'
"The Battle" PAGES the System" on
trial. with a Socialist prosecutor con-
ducting the fight against it and with
a corporation att Nrney skillfully hand
ling the defense. The result, fore
gone conclusion, is a disagreement or
the Jury. From the capitalistic view
point the play is a vindication of the
rights of property and of the old bust
ness law which doifies the principle of
the survival of the fittest. Regarded
from the Socialist viewpoint 1t is an
impressonistic picture of existing So
cial unrest, a shadowing forth of the
struggle for race uplift.
As a matter of necessity Mr.. Moffett
has supplied his play with a love story
and he has done it so skillfully that the
love interest really seems TO belong
there and not to be intruded merely,
as it actually is. Likewise he has re-
leved the stress of conflict by occa-
sional touches of welcome comedy. It's
an interesting drama, THE Battle,
but it is poor propaganda, which, of
course, is much preferable to a power
full preachment set into poor play.
The Burbank company is at it's best
in this work. A. Byron Beasley does
his most commendable acting in many
weeks in the character of Haggleton,
the role assumed by Wilton Lackaye
at the Majestic theater a few months
ago. Very good work. too. is done by
Howard Scott as the kindly old Social
list: by Charles Ruggles. who yesterday
made his debut as a member of the
Burbank organization in the comedy
role of Joe Caffrey; by Marjorie Ram
beau as a militantly good" young
woman with socialistic leanings, and
by Grace Travers as a young woman
who isn't good at all, militantly or
otherwise. if she is to be judged by
puSfoD1arV staDd1rlS Miss
acting deserves something more than
passing comment She realized accur-
ately the character she was called upon
to depict and gave us u portrait at
once bold and clearly defined in it's
lights and shadows, and plainly in
focus at all times.
Ferris Hartman and his company
yesterday afternoon opened their Sec
ond week of '"The Toymaker' at the
Grand opera house, and as has been
the rule all during the first week of
the Audran comic opera, there We're
no vacant seats to be found anywhere
in the house. The piece being IL jour
ney to the land of make believe, makes
it appropriate for holiday offering.
The production that Mr.. Hartman
has this year given the piece is the
most brilliant in every particular that
has ever been shown on the Grand
SldSS. anu the presentation tnlS year is
betto- sung, better acted and better
staged than ever. A special Xmas
matinee of 1.-The Toymaker will be
given this afternoon and tomorrow
afternoon.
Every theater in the city, with the
exception of the Mason and Majestic.
announce holiday matinee perform
ances for this afternoon.
"In Search of Sinner is the some
what enigmatical and yet promising
title of the comedy Lillian Russell
will make known at the Mason opera
house tonight and for the remainder
of the week, with Wednesday and Sat
urday matinees. The piece was pro-
duced early in the season in Chicago.
It's author is Charlotte Thompson a
we'll known California literary and
newspaper woman. Miss Russell is
supported by the same company that
aided her success in the Chicago run.
George Broadhurst's play of prac-
ticaI politics, "The Man of the Hour"
opens a weeks engagement at the Au-
ditorium with a special matinee this
afternoon. The piece is well known To-
cally by reason of several previous
productions both at the hands OF tour
ing companies and at the Belasco. where
it ran for several weeks in stock.
At the special matinee at the Belasco