Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-06-09

The best" b.
That is. the verdict of theateRgoers
who witnessed atrthe Bijou Fast night
the first performance of @Tfe Law Of
the land, by the Lytell-V Vaughan
Stock. Company, with the following
cast of character
Arthur Brock1and Phillips Tead
Chetwood Ethelbert d. Ha1es
Robert Hsrding ? . Alexis Luce
Mrs. Harding Evelyn Vaughan
Bonnie ....... Lucille Aflagie
DIR. Whittridge 2. Ernest Van Pelt
Hurlburt s. - Mae Thorne
Police Captain Pritchard .........
......... - William Amsdell
Policeman Burns .4Chas. Elder
Inspector Cochran !. !. Henry Simmer
This play has not tie sensation
piled on sensation, situation over stu
alton, of Seven Keys to Baldpate." 1t
has little of stage trickery, little OF
the fascinating wizardry of action at
fourth speed But it has clean, cool,
powerful, dominant force from the
first curtain To the last; a great story
greatly told; cast whose balance is
remarkably effective; and scene after
scene which strike to the heart of
mothers and fathers -. and lovers
with stIreness (which never fails.
And yet there is not a line Of nawk-
ish sentiment in it. George Broad
hurst, a master of modern melodfan1a.
at far intervals falls into hackneyed
phrase of the "melo" stage. hut else
where his dialogue and his situations
are freshly forceful
The story briefly, is that of n mar
RED woman with a brilliant brute OF
a husband who suspects and finally
finds out that his wife has not been
faithful-and finds it out in way
which grips the audience to the fin
ger-tips. The calculated revenge he
begns unon his wife, the child and her
loyer-another brilliant and high-spir-
lueu figure; the sudden flaming turn
Of his hitherto quiet, Weii-poised wife,
and the terrible situations that ensue
brim the four acts with tragedy-and
a final ending of happiness.
This story was not written for a
star, but for capable cast, and the
LytellYaughan company as an aggre-
cation reaches heights of excellence
much beyond what it has shown be.
fore-because the opportunity is
there The cast is small and the whole
burden falls on Evelyn Vaughan as
the wife, Alexis Luce as the husband.
Bert Lytell as the lover, Ethelbert
Hales as the butler, Phillips Tead as
the secretary, William Amsdell as the
police captain and Henry Simmer as
the police Inspector. Yes, and upon
a Honolulu girl, Lucille Aflague, who.
puts on yellow curls and knickerbock-
ers and takes the part of the Swear
old boy-takes it splendidly, too, with
clear, well-handled reading of lines
which is most praiseworthy.,
Miss Vaughan's emotional work is
perhaps the best she has given Homo
lulu. and to maintain it through four
acts without losing the sympathy of
her audience and giving it a feeling
of dreary monotony is no small feat.
Z Alexis Luce in the single act where
he appears is head and shoulders
above any other role he has played
here 1t is thoroughly dtsagreeable
role, but he makes the husbands
power, ruthlessness and very human
bitterness of soul stand out as the big
gest piece of dramatic work in this
first act =. ....-.... .....-....>.<.s 49,:
And Lytel is, also powerful, but in a
different key. He plays with repres-
sion, with poise, with a sincerity Of
character which refieemri his part
fr5In thai 3f.4 LStEaJsr GI h5a-sh3idse
and makes il the part OF a man who