The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-06-27
THE PROFESSOR.
Enthusiastic Reception of Gillette,
Miss Jackson and the Play.

The difference in the taste of commu-
mites was never more strongly Illus
trated than last evening, when the Pro-
fessor-the play which the Madison
Square people in their western tour
have only attached secondary import
ance to, which in advertising they have
entirely overshadowed by the Private
Secretary booming which in the
east is always the inferior attrac ton of
the two-"caught on, !" dazzled. enthused
and thoroughly charmed a Salt Lake
audience. Owing to the night being
the opening of Our Club to the Lake."
there was not so large gathering as on
the first evening, though the dress circle
was we'll filled. Those who were absent
last evening, however, shonld by all
means attend the farewell representa-
ton of the Professor, tonight.
The honors of the evening were
divided equally between Gillette, the
author of the play, and Miss Belle Jack
son. for whom the lady part might
have been written. Gillette has jumped
hundred per cent in the estimation OF
those who have seen both his Private
Secretary and his Professor; he is an
inmitaDle actor in a certain eccentric
style, and the play shows that he is
among the foremost of our American
play wrights; no sweeter, purer and
more tender idyll than the Professor,
we do not remember to have seen upon
the stage; it has substantial plot, too,
and a general rdison d'etre vastly pleas
ing TO the westerners who looked in
vain for reason, substance or probability
in the Private Secretary.
Great as Gillette is in his character,
it would be hard to imagine an
entirely successful rendition of the
piece with Daisy Brown in the
hands of anyone else than Belle Jack
son; those who growled at the Private
Secretary on account of the lack of any
prominent young lady, and asked what
the Madison Square meant by sending
US out no more Fife Ellslers or Carrie
Turner's, were broadly smiling last
night, and acknowledging that they had
been little previous. Miss Belle
Jackson presents in Daisy Brown
character new to the stage; anything
more beautiful and natural than the
artless innocence and simplicity OF her
untutored inquiries. her baekwoods
slang, and her childish expressions of
wonderment at all theiprofessor knew"
we have never seen on the stage; the
love scene was incomparably done, and
that so quiet a portion of the play
should SO rouse the audience as to make
them call the actors before the curtain,
tells Enthusiastically how artistically it
was all done; Miss Jackson is a beauti-
full glrl, and has beautiful part, which
in the hands of any one less
gifted, might easily have become
an Objectionable hoyden or a
forward miss; in hers it is the
perfection of artlessness. Tannehill
had an immense part in the detective
and played it'with rare skill and i'm
mense favor with the audience. Mr..
Kennedy had nothing to approach his
opportunity in the other peice, but it
goes without saying that he was also
immense. Mr.. Hal Warren made an
immense hit out of the white headed
boy Gustavus, and every one else in the
company, the ruffian Brown and the
charming Annie in particular, was at
his or her best
This afternoon the Private Secretary,
and tonight the farewell of the com
pany in the Professor; we can not help
thinking that had this latter opened
the engagement the money results
would have been vastly better.