The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-07
First Night Of the Great Trage-
dams Season.
MR.. BARRETT INTERVIEWED.
1.-The Merchant of Venice"-The Actors
Future Plans and Booths Season
with Modieska.

their being in most princely style Will
they are out on the road. They remaine
in the car most Of the day, only venturinj
out for a walk when the clouds lifted ant
then being forced to hurry back by tn
sudden storm that came up.
y 1t was the second visit of the two actor
TO this city since they began to act in con
junction, the third in all for Mr.. Booth anC
the sixth for Mr.. Barrett: it was nat
ural, therefore, that the interest over theil
appearance should not take the form of q
popular furOre as it did last season. wheI
the two great tragedians were announced
together for the first time, and when many
people believed that they might never have
a chance to behold them together again
With the scenes of last year, the besiegings
OF the box Office, the SPECTATORS harvests
and the banishing of the orchestra to the
stage, the public is more or less familiar
Last evening, there was no tumult, but the
audience which assembled was fine one.
nearly all the 50 seats being
filled, all the 81 ones. and all 81 30
places in the second and third circles
being heavily represented. The total re
ceipts were close upon two thousand dol
lirs.
1t would be the task of painting the lily
TO add words Of praise to the performance.
Salt Lake had the advantage, in all but the
at the great California theatre, was unfOr-
tunately too large for our stage-of seeing
the Merchant of Venice as Booth and
Barrett featured it for a great New York
run last winter. The play wasthe old COM
p!etc six act versiOn-c0nslderab longer
in this shape than when Booth
alone did it here before. the
Jcostuming was Of the richest degree Of
4 elegance and correctness. and the work Of
details, such as the male chorus, the new
arrangement Of the trial scene. etc, were
all fashioned from the most scholarly
ideals. and were all striking for their finish
Throughout
Booths Shylock is scarcely less known
and renowned than his Hamlet. All words
fall short in attempting to describe the
consummate genius of this man, and it is
perhaps the highest form of praise
we can offer to say briefly and
simply that when we have seen Booth
we have seen the greatest actor of his
time; it will take another generation yet
perhaps another century, to determine def
nitely what place Booth occupies in com
parisOn with the histrionic heroes whose
names have filed the world for the past
hundred years. But viewing him now with
the most critical of eyes, it is difficult to
coniure up any ideal that would more com
pletely fill the measure of Our anticipations.
He has hardly altered a whit his great rem
ditiOn of the sOrdid jew, and IL
is with the utmost satisfaction that we
perceive his recent attack has in no way
impaired the vigOr. the subtlety and the
masterful power Of his impersonation. He
had great reception, and the usual warm
plaudits for his rendition Of the familiar
speeches, Hath a dog money! IF you
wrong US, will we not revenge .'i-his rage
and grief over his daughters fight with
us ducats, and the one final OVershadOW-
- ing scene in the court where he applauds
POrtia as "a second Daniel prepares
to cut away the pound Of flesh
from AntOniO's bosom and learns
with baffied rage and CONSERVATION
that his life will be forfeit if he spill
drop of blood in so dOing-all were rend-
cred in his old manner and all evoked the
stOrmiest applause The one exit from the
court room will live in the memory as
among the finest OF ali Booths moments. 1t
was hard not TO feel sympathy Tor Siy-
% k as Booth portrayed him, dcspica6le d.
h was.
Mr.. Barrett shared the usual amount Of
favor. In none OF the pieces Of the Booth
and Barrett repertoire, excepting Julius
Caesar and OthellO is there a second part
which we feel is entirely worthy OF Barrett
and though he MADE everything possible OF
Bassanio, there was not the chance for
any such throwing out III relief, as is wit
messed in Cassius or OthelO. Barretts
great forte lies in the intense school. and
this evening and tomorrow his talents will
be given full scope. Miss Gale. as before.
was all that is tender, beautiful and
WOmanly. In the court scene she was
picture Of beauty, and her recall at the end
of act was most justly earned The sup
port is all in careful hands. though we like
not Mr.. VrOOm's ideal of Antonio. be it &C
cUrding to the author or otherwise. The
male voice singing was very beautiful and
4 was warmly applauded.
CHAT WITH LAWRENCE BARRETT.
Mr. Barrett was found in his dressing
room after the fifth act. MIR. Booth fed at
the approach Of the reporter as though he
embodied the seven plaques of Egypt His
brother player, however, atOned for his
absence, by extending courteous vel
come.
y see Salt Lake IS still on the improve"
said Mr.. Barrett Each time ] visit her
! find something fresh and new to admire.
We were cut sight-seein to-day, but the
ram came up and drove US in" He then
asked a number of questions regarding
real estate values in the city. and
said he often told Mr. Booth
that in Salt Lake was to be found the COM
ing great re Of western life and trade
when - you open the new California
theatre in San Francisco" he was asked /
Next Monday night. The auction sale
OF reserved seats commences tomorrow,
49, ~ N''' w. W ASN' - lAVN ~ ~
SUITS
Are you an advocate of selling seats by
aGction!"
When the demand iustifes it, yes It's
the only way to protect the theatre and the
public from speculators!n
when do you close the season!''
In Montana in July. ! have been there
once before, but Mr. Booth never. | have
letter to-day saying that they have raised
the price to something enormous"
''Will the new opera house in Butte be
readyr'
of that am not advised, I wish I
were'
What do you think of the Salt Lake en-.
gagement this time."
"Oh, we have a fine opening ,d'.pna to-
night; of course, this is orr scnond ,,isit
aud we cannot look for one SAM Mn bnsiness
as on first appear noe. y '''-'e '''--i0'9
.. w. Vas 'ii' week In DENVER"
,,,.o,os+ r-cse, Il would have been the
"a 10 ever done there but for the terrible
-Ather we encountered"
"De you find that the Fools Revenge
and 'Yorick's Love make too long bill
for one night"
OwNot at all. We have no waits, and ty
starting punctually at S-as we shall
each eyening-we get through by II o'clock
We play 1.-The Foo.'s Revenge first. Miss
Gale appears in 10th plays. l wish man
ayers EVERYWHERE would educate their au-
diences up to getting into their places
promptly at S O'Clock. In Sioux city, they
allowed no one entering after the curtain