Life — November 30, 1905 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MISS BLANCHE DATES IN “S THM GIRL PROM THE GOLDEN west.” Saloon, where The Girt—that lovable Gir/— is the divinity of every one who comes near her? This may be a trick, but it gets a sort of hypnotic hold on one that lasts through the play, in spite of the necessary breaks between the acts when one’s thoughts have opportunity to fly back to the things of every-day life. This hold that the atmosphere of the play gets on the audience may be based on trickery, but it is more like the working of magic,in which Belasco is the magician working his spells through his consummate mastery of stage de- tail in construction and interpretation, We almost drink with the drinkers, gamble with the gamblers, and dance with those poor male dancers who, for lack of women, have to dance with one another, We certainly shiver -LIFE: in the blizzard, and, in the poker contest when The Girl 1 playing for ber lover's freedom, we could almost help her cheat to win. HE inspiration which animates Mr, Belasco himself he seems able to communicate to his players, for none of them ever ap- peared to better advan- tage than in their pres ent work, and in some of them he seems to have awakened abilities which perhaps even they never dreamed they possessed, First honors are shared by Miss Bates as The Girl, and Mr, Frank Keenan as Yack Rance, the gambler sheriff. To gain sympathy and ad- miration for a young woman who is at once proprietor of adance hall, gambling saloon and bar, in which she personally acts as dis- penser of drinks, is not an easy task for either author or actress, but the former has done his share in making her goodness credible, and Miss Bates hers in bringing to the part her wholesome attractiveness, strong personal magnetism, and the force which comes with sincerity and earnestness. It is not hard to understand the chivalrous and tender regard in which men far separated from women of their race held such a girl as Mr, Belasco has created in his mind, and Miss Bates makes real in flesh and blood, An actress less an artist, would have made The Gir/ an incredible crea- tion, but Miss Bates makes her a living and actual creature in whom we are perfectly will- ing to believe. No one who has watched the career of Mr. Frank Keenan was greatly surprised at his masterful performance as Yack Rance. He was very far from being the conventional min- ing-camp gambler familiar in plays of West- ern life, but has created a new type which will doubtless find many unsuccessful imitators, It was a portrayal abounding in too many fine points to be taken in at one performance, or to be described in a brief notice. To many it may have seemed unduly eccentric, but the California of more than half a century ago knew types of Americanism which might strike us now as grotesque and impossible. To those of us who know the life through Bret Harte and writers of the time, and through acquaintance with those who lived it, Jack Rance can readily be accepted as a real- ity, Mr, Robert Hilliard has never before so thoroughly effaced his identity as he does here in the character of Romerrez, the road agent who comes to rob, but through the innate goodness of Zhe Girl remains to love. In most of his previous appearances he bas stood out distinct amid his surroundings, but here he fits admirably into the picture, To mention the many pieces of good work done would mean to mention practically every member of the large cast. An apparently certainly 641 weak point was the performance of Mr. Benrimo and Miss Harriet Stirling, who per- sonated two apparently unnecessary Indian hangers-on of the camp. Any one who knows the West will realize that these were far from being bad portrayals of that kind of red-folk and of the way they hang around ard wait and look, and make grunts take the place of speech, THOUT gushing and without acclaim: ing David Belasco a second Shakes- peare, or hailing ** The Girl from the Golden West" as a dramatic classic, it is well within the truth to say that in this play and the ex- cellence of its presentation, we have one of the best theatrical accomplishments seen for along time in New York. In these days of slap-dash and mediocrity it is a joy to write of a performance which combines breadth of effect with such artistic conscientiousness in detail. More than this, Mr, Belasco gives us what is an effective, and what we believe is a faithful, picture, preserving a phase of Ameri- can life which is rapidly becoming only a thing of memory. Metcalje. Aes ie ile Yo the; penises cademy of Music.—* Babes in Toyland,” with ‘ictor Herbert's delightful mu: Belasco,—Blanche Bates in Golden West." See above. Bijou.—" The Music Master,” with David War. field's delicately shaded impersonation of the lov- able and laughable old musician. _ Casino.— The Earl and the Girl."" Fairly amus- ing musical piece, ie Foy as the star. tarrick.—Grace George in “The Marriage of Williaw Ashe. Notice later. Hifpodrome.—* A Yankee Circus on Mars “The Raiders cus, ballet spectacle, and tan All good. Lyric.—* Happyland.”” 1 erably better than the average in score and staging. Madison Sguare.—Henry E. Dixey and Carlotta Nillson in * The Man on the Box."’ Very ayree- able light comedy. Manhattan. Mactetlinck’s ** Monna Vanna,"’ ith Madame Kalich as the heroine. An interest- ing play in poetical vein, well produced, but not intended for a youthful a c Mendelssohn Hail. — Ben Greet’s players in Elizabethan presentations of Shakespeare. Bad acting and bed delivery. he of the Princess. with Margaret Anglia in the title part. psorbing play, well acted. Proctor’s Fifth jock company in well-known plays. Weber's Theatre.—"* The Prince Chap.” Very human Litle serio-comedy, with Cyril Scott as the hero. As no representative of Live. ts permitled to enter the theatres in the following list, they are not included in the Guide, Asa result of this exclusion, twenty-four managers have been arrested ona charge of criminal con spiracy and are now at large on bail, pending action by the criminal courts. Avenue. DALY'S. HUDSON, LYCEU EMPIRE, LIBERTY MAJESTH GARDE WALLAC SAVOY, KNICKERBOCKER. W AMSTERDAM, comicbooks.com