The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-03-01
DRAMATIC AND LYRIC.
A Week of the Legitimate
Drama.
SHERIDAN, THE TRAGEDIAN.
Loutse Davenport-Kate Cast1eton's
gagement-scalchi and Her
Parrot-Amateur Hews.

Up 10 the time of McCullough's mel
aacAoly wreck, there were five men in
America who were universally recog-
ui.ea as the standard exponents of the
legitimate drama, Booth. Mccullough,
Barrett, Keene and Sheridan. Fred.
Warde has made some conVulsive efforts
to have his name classed in this exciu-
sfve list, but of recent seasons he has
been rather falling away from, than
climbing nearer TO it. Every one OF
these stars, who has appeared in Salt
Lake. has had no reason to complain OF
the appreciation of our audiences Tor
the intellectual form of entertainment
here presented, and we believe all, except
Booth and Sheridan, have some
time favored US with visit after
this week Booth will be the only
one of the great tragedians whom Salt
Lake has yet to behold. Sheridan comes
for seven performances, giving us what
is said 10 be his greatest impersonatlon
tomorrow night Louis XII, and
following, as will be seen by his an
nouncement with Sh~'9ck, Richelieu,
Lear, Hamlet, Richa. II and a natl
nee Of the Marble Heart. Probably the
best estimate of Mr.. Sheridan's powers
has been given by the critic of the New
York Star; his opinion of this actors
Louis XI is Two column article, and is
too extensive to reproduce here. we
oh hnyEnUnr tho fnllnwInp
selections:
The talk of the town among pr ofess-
ional people is the splendid acting of
W. z. Sheridan in Louis XII" When
he appeared in Delavigne's sombre
day night, old and experienced critics |
who we're wont to sit quietly through a
performance were moved to applause |
and the audience fairly rose at him. 1t |
was a great artistic triumph achieved |
by genuinely artistic methods. 1t was |
all the more gratifying, following so |
closely as it did upon Mr.. 1rving's per-
Torrance Of the same character per-
Torrance generally conceded to be the |
best given by that gentleman during his
engagement in this city. $50
These qualities are not given to many
men, and hence it is that few actors
essay the portrayal OF Delavigne's hero.
During the present generation the
greatest interpreter of the part was the
late Charles Kean. He acted itwith the
fire, passion, directness and cunning
that tradition attributes to his fathers
Edmund Kean) performance of Richard
III. It was great revelation of dram
attic art, lurid in its fearful realism and
in its portrayal of human
horror. The part has not been acted in
such manner since, until Mr.. Sheridan /
in it at the Star Theatre last
He is the legitimate successor
of Kean. He reaches in this character
almost the absolute perfection OF dram
actic art.
With Mr.. Sheridan there was a
condition of affairs. The sur
were tawdry, the support in
efficient The entire weight of the per-
Torrance rested upon his shoulders. He
was like Atlas, bowling under heavy
burden. Yet, despite all these draw
backs he awoke the enthusiasm of bldSe
theatre-goers. He riveted their atten-
ton by the force and directness of his
art; he moved them TO tears at will, and
he provoked their cheers and en-
phatic plaudits at the end of each act.
There was nothing perfunctory in what
he did. There was no traditionalism;
nc puny theatricism 1t was nature,
and it made the whole audience kin,
When the curtain went down on the
last act two of the oldest theatrical
critics in New York, men who have
seen all the great tragedians who have
appeared here during the past thirty odd
years. turned to each other and grasping
hands, uttered simultaneously the one
1t is impossible not to be enthusiastic
over this really great performance. And
1T is all the more gratifying to be able to
praise it because it is given by an Amer
lean actor, who has not been pulled and
advertised with all the fummery of
modern managerial tactics. OF course,
Mr.. Sheridan has been familiar to New
York theatre-goers for some years. He
has always been recognized as careful
intelligent andsconscientious actor, who
strove to do well all that was allotted to
him. AS Louis XII, he has leaped into
fame and, after years, when the history
of the stage of the present day is writ
ten, his name will be classe6 among the
notable events of an era brilliant with
dramatic endeavor and rich with stage
incident