PART IV
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BV SHIRLEY OLYMFIUS
DOBS the hard work of stock acting
..'pay?..
Ask Thais Magrane, Florence
Reed. Thais Lawton and Lillian Albert
son and a me.st positive affirmative an
swer will be received, for these four tal
ented young women have stepped from
Main street, Los Angeles, to Broadway,
New York. 1 said four. I should have
said three, for Miss Magrane has not
yet taken the big stride. She is just
preparing to do so.
Now, It may not be that acting in
the Belasco theater, Los Angeles, is
■ responsible in the last analysis for the
successful advancement of its leading
women, but it is a fact that nearly
every woman who has made good in
leads at the-local playhouse has been
called to New York, almost immedi
ately, for some big production. Miss
, Magrane la the last one. She will leave
Los Angeles in a few days to appear as
the extravagant wife in Porter Emer
son Brown's "The Spendthrift." Fred
Thompson, one of tne few managers
who will eat a dramatic lemon before
he will pass it to the public, will pro
duce the new play which had its pre
miere at the Belasco theater, Los An
, geles. "The Spendthrift" will be a suc
cess, say all who are supposed to be
theatrical wiseacres, and Miss Magrane
will come .into her own after many
months of toil. ■ She was a hit in the
Los Angeles production and will be the
same in New York.
It must be a satisfaction to Manager
Blackwood to know that his judgment
anent leading women Is proved good
by their being taken away from him.
Also it , must be a little annoying to
him, for it lteeps him on a still hunt
all the time for new talent. He is a
kindly soul, however, and is ever ready
to forward the interests of any player
in his company. Never yet has it been
recorded that he has attempted to dis
suade a leading woman—or man, for
the matter of that —from accepting- an
offer coming from the east.
Stock companies are the best places
for the development of stars. A player
gets more experience in one month in
a stock organization than in a year on
the road. Nowadays many stars are
made over night by some doting man
ager. H When a .stock actress graduates
into stellar roles It is acclaimed as one
of the marvels of the day. Not so
many years ago New York had one or
two stock companies in which a num
ber of today's permanently great* stars
played. And they were mighty glad to
play there, too!
• • •
Have Martin , Beck and William
Morris formed a combination?
Such is the question being askvd in
New York, and, judging from what
some of the eastern papers have to
say about it, there Is reason to believe
the two ■ audeville magnates have
."gotten together" and will no longer
fight for supremacy. If the combina
tion really has been effected it will
mean that j Beck wjjl soon have his
own theater in New York, will cease
using the United Booking office as the
; means of supplying his theaters with
; talent, and will do to eastern vaude
ville what he has d.ne to the western
■ portion of the- United States— control
it absolutely. Also it will -mean- that
Morris . will cease trying to tear Or
pheum territory'into shreds.
Beck and Morris —quite by chance,
it is said — in San Francisco while
the Orpheum genius was looking after
■•his interests on the Pacific coast and
Morris was seeing to it that Harry
Lauder got all that was coming to him.
New York believes that while the two
. vaudeville kings were in the , Golden
(Sate city they made an agreement
which means much.
Heck has never been ' fully satisfied
with the talent provided for him at
times. There is no hostility between
the United and the Beck Interests, but
sometimes all has not gone as well as
it might. If the Orpheum circuit
breaks away from the > United agency
intense business rivalry will result.
Maybe Beck plans to combine all vau
deville Interests except those of Sul
livan and Considine, then wage a war
of extermination.'. Who knows? iAt
any rate, there seems to bo something
brewing in vaudeville circles worth
watching.; ;r^#*« ■ ■ ": ' '
The Scene Painter and His Art
THE modern scenic, artist is a curi
ous conglomerate, bringing- to his
work a smattering of many arts
and sciences, as well as rare mechan
ical ingenuity. He is something: of an
architect, for his houses must bo
plausible and his knowledge of per
spective faultless; he is something of
a botanist, that his vegetation may not
appear ful.se to its locality; he is no
mean student of history, for he must
be able to create any period, and most
Important, he has to be an artist, with
an innate sense of color harmony, a
natural appreciation of effects, a feel
ing for composition on a large scale,
and possessing a gift of imagination.
1 With the studio sanctum closed to it,
the theater-going public is not privi
leged to see the interesting processes
of the scene painter's work of fashion
ing thoss dream worlds which delight
it, grown up child that it is, and which
presently are ruthlessly ; demolished
when the public cries for something
new, something different. "Wonderful
men, these, who can take the merest
fragment of a dream in some ■ poet's
mind and change the few words upon
a piece of paper into a pseudo reality!
As one enters the studio, usually a
big • barnllke- structure, gloomy ■ and
mysterious, there is no suggestion that
here are created the beautiful forest of
Arden, the sylvan glades where Tltania
holds magic sway, or the sumptuous
palaces of Mantua. All about are long
rolls of canvas scattered on the floor.
A narrow winding stairs lead to long,
narrow bridges suspended far over
head, and which are jocosely referred
to as "bridges of size," where stretch
long, narrow tables covered with rows
upon rows of pots containing gaily col
ored mineral paint mixed with glue
water and known as "size." There the
scene painters, in overalls j or long
coats, ply broad brushes !In broad
strokes to vast, brilliantly colored can
vases. 'The windlasses churn and the
pulleys creak as the huge frames upon
which the canvasses are stretched are
lowered or raised to facilitate ■ work.!
I
Los Angeles Sunday Herald
And the air is redolent of the smell
of paint, so characteristic to the scene
loft.
But how is the work done?
First of all, (he manuscript is read
to catch the spirit and atmosphere,
very much as an illustrator reads a
story over and over. For the scenic
arti,st strives to attain a hignor ideal
j than merely to hold the mirror up to
! nature. Today scenery in its most
I artistic conception does not form a
! background only for the actors. It
j is part and parcel of the^predominating
i sentiment in the play; it attempts to
j convey by color, tonality and compn
! sition the abstract essence, as it were,
of the effect that the "lines" and
I action seek to produce. Aside from
the pictoral element there rises the
problem of securing the due proportion
which must exist between emotion and
circumstance. The one must be in the
inverse ratio of the other. The stronger
the emotion to be portrayed the less
elaborate must be the decoration, and
vice versa. This is but one ,of the
many aesthetic problems which havo
entered into this interesting profes
sion during the last few years, ele
vating it to a plane of art for art's
sake. And hence it will be seen that
it is imperative for tho scenic artist
to possess a subtle appreciation of tho
dramatic instinct.—Theater Magazine.
TO AMEND DEBT LAW
A bill has been. introduced in the
Massachusetts legislature by Judge |J.
Albert Brackett to amend the statute
which permits arrest for debt. This
outworn law is found only on the
books of that state, and permits the
collection of debts which more often
than not could have no standing in a
court of law. It has been particularly
hard on theatrical folk, for in order to
take them at a disadvantage they
were served with the process on Sat
urday nights, or just before a perform
ance when It was impossible for them
to refuse to settle. In this way many
unjust claims have been collected, and
It Is said the vaudeville folk in par
tlcunlar were subjected to this treat
ment mans times. . v - t - ■;
SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 13, ]!)!<).
Neuws and Views of the Drama,
First Aid
to the
Play-Goer.
■^'^iw..;;::;,-",:-. .drama • ■ ,"•■
BELASCO—"The Man of . the Hour."
George • Broadhurst's powerful - comedy
,; of love and politics, will beeln its
■third" week Monday night. It has
drawn capacity - houses. | * - ■
liriißAN'K — Tarklngton and Har
-ry Leon Wilson , have ■ dramatized a
- Chesterfleldlan gambler \ of the i early
'30s. making "Cameo Klrby" a most
enjoyable play. - it has a touching
love story and should score heavily.
MAJESTIC — "Mary Jane's ' Pa" Is ■ the
story of a tramp printer who becomes
his* wife's cook and -is unknown as a
father to his. own children—The com
plications which follow will give 'Max
i'igmnn opportunity to produce laughs.
CTNIQUB- "St. Elmo," the much talked
of melodrama, is the offering of the
• Earl-Kauworth company;. It has done
. big business In other places and should
duplicate the success In Los Angeles.
;.^i', ■'■'■■ MUSICAL PLAYS ;</
MASON—Marie•.'. Cahlll, who delighted
:. Loa. Angeles playgoers : two .years ago,
- probably, will duplicate her success in
"The Boys .and E.'etty." It Is a musi
cal comedy by George V,' Hobart .and
Silvio Ileln, and 18 replete with songs
. that .linger In the mind, pretty girls
ami fine costumes. It will please.
rISt'HER'B — Plenty ;of wholesome
comedy surrounded with music Is "His
Nobs." -It will while away . the . time
and aid -digestion. {■-,- '■"..; .
GRAND "Florodora"'. will : run another
week. .Ferris Hartman and hie com
pany are responsible. 1 Nuf Bed! 7
01-YMPIC—"MiIe. - Chicken," which will
serve to Introduce Miss Anna H. Golde,
is full of clever lines and tuneful melo
dies. The scenes are laid In Paris.
VAUDEVILLE
OKPHKVM — Eight Gaisha girls will be
the feature of the Beck house, this
•week. Jean Clermont with a troupe
. of . trained animals, Brown Harris and
Brown laugh-makers, and the Doherty
sisters, sons: and dance artists are the
other new act!,
I.OS AISTIKLK.S —Leo Cooper, an old Los
Angeles favorite, heads the Sullivan
and Conßidlne bill. His sketch Is
i "The Operator." Sensational music is
promised by the three Heltons, some
clever comedy by Trainer and Dale, ,
and Bckert and Francis. ■ Gertrude
* Van Dyke is known as "the Kill with
two voices " Whitman brothers . are
contortionists. The bill looks promis-
Jln. .■■■.---' -:..-:»-.:- ■- ■" - —8. ■ *.. <O.
Gossip Overheard in Greenroom
Henry B. Harris annoiinces that he
will produce Sydney rtosenfeld's new
play, "Children of Destiny," on Feb
ruary 21.
* • *
"The Watcher," a new spiritualistic
drama which received its New York
premiere recently, will remain at the
Comedy theater for a limited engage
ment, owing to the many new produc
tions that are yet to be brought to
this city by the Messrs. Shubert. "The
Watcher" will resume its road tour af
ter the fortnight.
• • •
Jennie Dolly, a Hungarian singer anil
dancer has been selected by the Shu
berts to succeed the late Lotta Faust
in "The Midnight Sons." There are
those who see a remarkable likeness
in Miss Dolly to Mjss Faust.
Sarah MeVicker, who plays Mrs.
Babbitt in James Forbes' comedy,
"The Traveling Salesman," was a
member of the company that presented
"As Tou Like It" at Palmer's theater,
New York, on November 21, 1894, in
which all the parts were played by
women.
Lew Fields is one of the few man
affera who knows where to get any
number of talented children to enliven
his musical comedies. One ot the
numbers in "Old Dutch" is greatly em
bellished by two clever kids, who im
itate in pantomime Alice Dovey s and
George Leon Moore's singing. Also in
"The Jolly Bachelors" about a dozen
Children assist Nora Bayes In her ren
dition of "Young America," winch, by
the way, was composed by Miss Bayes
and Jack Norw_orth. _
Mtxine Elliott opened her annual
New York engagement under her own
management at Daly's theater, when
she presented "The Inferior Sex, by
Frank Stayton.^ (
George Sutton, former 18.2 balk line
illliard champion, has been engaged by
Martin Beck and the veteran player
will appear in vaudeville. The con
tract Is for a season in the west. Mr
Sutton is having a sp.cial table built
which is surrounded by mirrors in such
a way that every play in his exhibition
of champion billiards can be seen from
every part of the house.
« * «
The next musical production to be
made by the Shuberts will be from the
German of Albini. The opera is en
titled "Madame Troubadour,", and the
American book will be supplied by
Joseph Herbert.
. ■ : • • * ■ 1 \ ]
--A unique feature of Maxine Elliott's
new play, "Teh Inferior Sex," is the
fact that there is only one feminine
role, the part being assumed by Miss
Elliott herself.
--.••• ~', ■ ,>
.Ethel Green has succeeded Laura
Guerite as "Dick" in the Shuberts'
production of "Dick Whittington." ,
. Says the."Traveling Salesman:" .",,'K
What ?to ' do and when .to do it "is
a \ strong factor, in the makeup of . a
successful man.' .
Ignorance is 'at : a preminm , when
brains are at a discount. ' ■ • .".;
.. Bad pay makes bad business and bad
business makes good jobs for lawyers.
. It's - a wise man who . buys ; bread
when he can't afford cake.
, The self-importance of a hotel clerk
is gauged by the size of the diamond
in his shirt front. • :.. , .
A silk hat doesn't always cover the
biggest bunch of brains nor a diamond
ring indicate a large bank account.";
Time, the most valuable of assets, is
of little worth to a lazy man.
* * «
Thomas Jefferson In a condensed ver
sion of "Kip" is , playing out west (on
Orpheum time. / .
• • •
The Pinney, aquatic act, one of the
best ■of . the "tank shows,"' is headed
this way on Orpheum time. '- ■■'.»
•' -, ■ • * •■'-.
The Sullivan-Considiiie people have
taken over the Morris house in Evans
ville, where the . Grand ■ (Orpheurn
house) is the only, vaudeville opposi
tion. Morris also has .given: up, rafter,
onef. week, an , opposition to the Or
pheum ; in ! Dcs i Moines.'
Dramatic Section
THROAT HOSPITAL FOR
CHORUS IN NEW OPERA
An adjunct absolutely unique in the
annals of the theater has been installed
In the Casino theater in New York city
by Fred C. Whitney, and to its agency
may be traced the fact that the great
strain on the* throats of the chorus
men and women of "The Chocolate
Soldier" Mas had no appreciable ef
fect on their voices, which continue aa
fresh and strong In spite of the six
months' wear and tear on them a»
when the opera was nrst produced:
here early in the season. This inno
vation is nothing more or, less than
the installation of a thoroughly equip
ped throat hospital, or inluilatorium,
under the direction of Dr. Joseph Muir,
the well known throat specialist, ami
a trained nurse working under his di
rection, in which the chorus girls par
ticularly are treated every night be
fore the second act, in which in tha
finale there is such a tremendous
strain on their singing powers.
For some weeks before the installa-*
tion of the hospital in the Casino many;
of the young women of the chorus and.
some of the principals as well had:
found it necessary to take private*
treatment for their throats. This ne
cessitated an interval between tha
time of taking the treatment and their
appearance in the theater, duringl
which some of the beneficial effects had
time to be dissipated. Thereupon Mr.
Whitney hit upon the idea of having]
the mountain brought to Mohomet,
and after considerable negotiation,
with Dr. Muir some of that special
ist's apparatus was moved to tha
Casino and a thoroughly equipped hos
pital installed.
The results have more than exceeded
the best expectations of Mr. Whitney.
The chorus girls not only appreciata
the efforts made in their behalf, buC
they are enabled to throw themselves
into their work with a vocal abandon
that has caused much comment on tho
part of the audiences that witness the
performance, and their fresh, strong
voices ring out in the wonderfully con
certed finales in a manner to bring
forth ringing app'ause.
So great has been the success of thin
venture on the part of Mr. Whitney
that he has adopted it as a perma
nent feature during ihe run of tho
opera here when it goes on the road
next season, and it will unless New
York demands more of it then, an as
sistant of Dr. Muir will accompany tha
show, and in cities where it plays for
more than a week an inhalatorium, as
complete as can be installed, will Ijj
put into the theater where "The Choc
olate Soldier" plays. It has also beyn
arranged that Dr. Muir's apparatus,
or replicas of those being used h»ic,
will be sent to London, where Mr.
Whitney expects to present "The
Chocolate Soldier" in the haunts of
George Bernard Shaw this spring.
It is one of the most novel sights
ever witnessed in a theater to see tha
chorus women troop down to the hos
pital aftefl the first act of the opera (in
which they do not appear) and pre
pare for their treatment before me
second act. The hospital is entirely of
white enamel, furniture, washatands
and all other paraphernalia being of
the most modern antiseptic invention.
The place Is convenient to tho stage,
kept by the trained nurse with the
most scrupulous care and no one m
allowed to enter it or take tho various
treatments for nose and throat except
under the direction of the physician or
his assistant.