The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-04-02
THEATRE.
A Finished Performance CT a Fine
Drama.
this.

Repeated reference has been made
in these columns to the organization
of an amatanr dramatic aasnci-tion,
and to the fact that it would make its
first appearance il the Romance of
a Poor Young Man." on Thursday
evening, the Let inst. The effect of
this was to draw oat large audience
last night, which assembled partly
out of a desire to see the initial per-
torrance of the new company, partly
out of good will, and partly out OF
curiosity; none, however, expecting
to see a fine performance and one
that was worth every cent paid for
admission. Consequently every per
son was disappointed. The perform
auce was one of the few genuine sue
cesses we meet with on very rare &C.
casions. Il was thought that as an
amateur entertainment it would be
good, but that it would be an
amateur performance nevertheless;
and while being disposed to be chart
table, few if any dreamed that their
admiration would be challenged by
acting, criticism of which would
prove it of genuine merit, such as Is
nos often found in the average pre-
fessional. Throughout the whole
entertainment the large and intelli-
gent audience was struck with as
constituent at the unexpected energy
and artistic ability displayed, and
everywhere, in all the scenes, was
discernible careful painstaking on
the part OF the performers which had
been improved by critical dramatic
training from a person Of long experl
ence and thorough acquaintance with
stage business.
Several of the members have APP
reared before, among them Mrs.
DeIlie Cummings, and Messrs. Whit
ney, Cummings, Wells and Spencer,
but none OF them, with the exception
of the lady, has performed often
enough 20 make him anything but
amsteur-we might say very amateur.
So it is just 10 class them all as anna
teurs. Miss Lottie Claridge, as Mar
guerite Lsroque, surprised every
body, and it would be a pretty safe
statement to say she surprised her
self. Though never having appeared
before, she rendered the part with
finish, displaying reading powers OF a
superior order, an appreciation of the
character that was accurate, and
ability to portray the passions and
motions suggested to her By her
lines. True, she lacked that stage
ease that comes with tims alone, but
there was also g remarkable absence
of amateur aWkWardness; she talks
little too rapidly at times, and has
not yet stage control of her voice.
Her manner and appearance gener-
ally suggested to old theatre-goers
Miss A. A. Adams, when she first |
appeared on the stage, which is no
small compliment to Miss Claridge.
Mrs. Dellie Cummings is an old-tlme |
favorite, and one whose name en-
sures an accurate and artistic render |
ing of any part she undertakes; and |
the difficult and disagreeabe charac-
Mile Helonin vas better even than
one would have expected from her.
Mrs. s. II. OlsWson, her first sp-
pearsnee on the stage, displayed |
ability of high order, and made the |
most of her part. Miss Ida Wells kept |
everybody in roars of laughter all the |
time she Was on, and developed
fund of humor that entities her on |
her first appearance to the reputa-
ton of coincidence of great ability. |
The character was a little over done,
oerbaps, but a good fault in an
amateur. the reverse being the rule. !
Her makeup was sufficient to Iaise |
a laugh, and every time she spoke q
burst of laughter succeeded. Every
thing about her partook of the |
Iudicrous. Miss R. Grundhand,
though having but q small part,
created q very favorable impression,