The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-08-25
DECEPTION"
A Brilliant and Successful Per-
Torrance,

Torrance,
1t has been s long time since an
audience at the SAT- Lake Theatre
was as highly entertained as that
which was present last evening to
witness the initial performances here
by Piercy's Deception" OOmbins-
ton. The well-knoTn names in The
company, and the very compliment
airy criticisms of their playing which
had preceded them in the western
papers. led people to expect some
thing gooi, and the expectation was
more than grstifed. Talented actors
may sometimes make up an interest
ing entertainment ont of a play that
Is devoid Of merit, but when the
worth is to be found 10 both the per
formers and the piece. the audience
must be interested. And this
latter was the case last even
ing. Deception" is q new play,
bus it has bright future before 1t.
1t is a society story, and while
highly sensational, it is in no part
vulgar, nor is there point at which
an unnatural strain or effort has been
made to create exciting situations.
There are really tour heroic charac-
ters in the plsy-one lady and three
gentlemen-besides eight or ten very
pretty and effective parts. some of
them requiring good acting. The
central character is that of Elise de
Lignieres miss Eleanor Carey). 1t
is OF the emotional kind and taxes
the powers of the actress to the fullest
extent. Miss Carey proved herself
equal to the role, which is that OF
q noble wife and mother made
wretched through the practicing of q
deception upon her husband. Miss
Darcy shOwsd much energy and
cling in her acting, and was re-
Warded by generous applause. which
was fully merited. Mr.. Samuel
Percy, as CASTOR de Lignieres, is the
hero Of the play, and so chsrmingly
doss he sustain the character, which
is that of a dashing young French
soldier, that one can imagine thai
the author had the actor in his
thoughts when be framed th g part.
With Miss Carey Mr.. Piercy abb
sorbed the attention of the audience,
and with her was the recipient OF
merited applause. Perhaps the finest
scene in the play is in the third act.
The interest has been increasing and
the mystery deepening up to this
point and the audience will
lose no word, when occurs the
exposure OF the story in an intensely
exciting scene between Raoul, Mr..
Lewis Morrisonl and Miss Carey. It
was a piece OF magnificent acting,
which stamped the lady and gentle
man as artists OF high rank in the
profession. Amid q storm OF applause
both were called before the curtain,
the audience fairly going wild in their
enthusiastic admiration Of the scene.
Mr.. Morrison had q difficult role in
the injured husband, but he was
equal to it in every liue. Our old
acquaintance, Mr.. John Wilson, had
q part peculiarly suited to him, and
as the audience witnessed his careful
rendition, faithful in every detail,
they cheered as they remembered the
John Wilson who had entertained
them in years gone by. and who was
always the correct actor that he
last night. The burst of
applause that met Kate Denim
when she appeared, was the
hearty welcome extended to an old
and familiar friend, and as she went
through her not difficult. but rather
part, her admirers knew
that she would bring out all that it
contained. A fne piece of character
acting was that of Viscount Distract,
MIR. j. o. Barrowsl :garrulous, COS.
siping, meddlesome old man, who
gave to the play its only humorous
feature. but who was particular not
to overdo the thing. A rather small,
but agreeable part, agreeably rem
dered, was that OF Mathilde de Lig-
nieres, the daughter. sustained by
Miss Emily Denim. 1t was a good
deal oil disappointment to the many
warm friends and admirers OF the
veteran acto. and manager, Mr. j.
II. Vinson, TO see him in the insight
hcsnt character OF servant. When
he appeared the welcoming applause
was desfening, and continued for
several moments, showing how much
Jim" is loved by Salt Lake theatre
goers. The fact that Mr.. Vinson
was seen only in minor character
must not be looked upon by his
friends as an evidence of his 'letting
down" in the profession. He ranks
as high as ever, and before ne leaves
the public will insist that he shall
come before them as be fused to do"
&c is the manager of the combination,
and though realizing that he would
his friends by appearing in
the minor part, which he persisted in
doing against the wishes of his sssoci
ales, be concluded that it would be best
not to call in outside assistance, but
to give the performance entirely by
the combination.
The audience was large and en-
thusiastio. We suggest that "Decep-
ton" be repeated before the company
leave, as many would like to witness
it again, and others would be attracted
to the Theatre were it reproduced.
Tonight another society play,
"Forget-me Not" will be performed
Il is highly spoken OF.