Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-27
MARY MANNERING'S ART
SUPERB IN NEW PLAY
Viewpoints on "A Mans World
Likely to Differ, but the
Acting Is Fine

Regarding Rachel Crothers play.
"A Mans World" there probably will
be as many different opinions as there
are persons who see it, but regarding
the excellence of last nights produc-
ton of that play at the Majestic
theater and of the quality of its act
ing there can be but one. Miss Mary
Manenring and a highly capable sup
porting cast, give the authors arSu-
ment adequate Interpretation. Miss
Mannering herself has achieved a
notable advancement in her art in the
interval since her former visit to
Los Angeles as GLORIOUS Betsy" She
| Is, perhaps, less "glOrious,' but she is
immeasurably more human. She has
ceased to be a stage puppet and has
become u stage woman. And in the
supporting company there is SOunS
woman, Miss Helen Ormsbee. who in
one brief scene last night won the
tribute of a spontaneous outburst OF
applause, richly mcrited through her
handling of a situation nicely poised
upon the hair line between comedy
and tragedy.
Crank Ware" the name being the
nom de plume of a woman author, is
the dominant figure in Miss Crothers'
play. Frank" as she is known to
her intimates, not only writes success
full books which also are big books. but
she has theories OF life which fit lily
into the social practices of the age,
She believes as do most persons who
! have any belief on the subject at all,
that there should not be one moral law
| for women and another for men. But
she believes it 50 strongly that, though
loving a man who has come uncXpect-
edy itno her life, she drives him from
her upon the discovery that he is the
/ father of an illegitimate child. boy
boy who had been intrusted to her care
by his dying mother. OF course the
motive in This case was wholly per-
sonal, which weakens the force of the
play rs q preachment but enhances it
dramatically.
PLAY HAS WEAK POINT
The weak point of the play is the
tenuity of its plot. Its story Is strung
along through four acts and there is
overmuch iteration and reiteration OF
points which are made unerringly on
their first presentation ana which con-
seouently need no further CXpounding.
In the first TWO acts the audience is
saved from positive boredom only by
the skill with which Miss Crothers has
limned her characters and the inter
esting atmosphere of Bohemia which
she has created. In these acts the
characters are introduced the audience
is told that perhaps Frank is in love
with a certain Malcolm Gaskel, or
perhaps she isn't that maybe she has
n past" that possibly she herself is
the mother of the child that she is
bringing up so tenderly. and that the
child resembles Gaskell so strongly
that there are good grounds for sus-
pecting q close relationship between
them. This last point is driven home
with such frequency that it ceases u
provide an element of suspense III the
plot That's all there is of Importance
| in the entire two acts. Apart from the
characterization it could be told in ten
minutes However, the acts which fol-
| low compensate. and after all it is fan
better to foundation play too strong
| ly than not strongly enough.
Miss Mannerings acting in the role
| of Frank Ware is broad and sure. She
rises in one scene, to height of emo
! tional expression of which few of us
had thought her capable, and in hel
scenes with the child she exhibits a
maternal tenderness that is very win
ming. In this role, for the first time in
Los Angeles. she has vindicated her
right to stardom.
The supporting company is good
throughout. Mention already has
been made of Miss Ormsbee, whose act
ing as the 'superfiuous woman" the
woman IIlSdlll lOI llldl ldSt' DuN Nii'
possessed so little sex attraction that no
man ever had proposed to her, is Who'll
" admirable. Charles Wyngate is eX-
cellent as a German musician, in love
with Frank and who, in turn, is loved
by Leonie Bruno, an opera singer, skill
| fully played by Ann CreWe. Alphone
Either is the Malcolm Gaskell The role
is an ungracious one but Mr.. Either
plays is accurately. Lesser parts are
well presented by Claud Bogel and Ar
thur Berthelet. Mark Short is very
good as the child.
"A Mans World remains at the Ma
| testc through the week, with matinees
| tomorrow and Saturday.
"The Way Cut" which was given its
! first production on any stage at the
| BelascO theater yesterday afternoon,
was viewed by a large audience with
! illy concealed disappointment. There
was perfunctorY applause at the close
| OF the several acts. but no enthusiasm,
| and even this mild expression of APP
| proval was due more to the personal
| Ipcpularity Of the Relasco players than
| to the play. Perhaps the faults of the
! play may be rcmCdied, but to bring this
about the entire piece will have to be
reWritten
The theme of "The Way Out prom
| ises well. It's story is not without m
| terest and its characters in the main
| have been well drawn. but the story
| itself is 50 badly told that at the close
| OF the second and even at the close OF
I M