The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-19
DRAMATIC
Ned SOtheln and How He Made
His Start.
REILLY AND WOODS BIG SHOW.
Mariana Once More-Cast of Nartha-The Ivy
Lcaf-A Full Week at the Theatre
Notes and JOtS.
REILLY AND WOODS BIG SHOW.


W last August, as the manager Of the
Lyceum Theatre company-whose excel
lent performances of The Wife are still
remembered as bright page in the amuse-
ment annals OF this community-is now in
the city in the interests of Mr.. E. H.
Sothern who appears at the Salt Lake
theatre during the latter portion of this
week In conversation with HERALD re
porter Mr. Warner said:
MIR. Sothern is also u Lyceum theatre
attraction, and like The Wife company
owes his present prominence to Mr.. Daniel
Frohman's busy brain. Mr.. Sothcrn and
his company divide the time at the New
York theatre with the regular stock com
pany. appearing there while the latter
organization is off upon its regular western
kour. and it is difficult to say which is most
Z popular with the New York public. Both
plays which he produces here had their
first performances at the Lyceum theatre.
In fact Mr.. Frohman began his successful
career in that house with Mr. SOthern in
The Highest Bidder, which, after 4 run
Of 100 nights. was withdrawn to allow the
stock company to produce The Wife
Last August while The Wife company
was.in your city, Mr.. Sothern was at the
hGDg theatre in the midst of a prosperous
ruiz of Lord Chumley,' which continued
until The Wife company returned in
November The same plan will be be in
progress when The Wife company again
visits YOU in August next.
Mr.. SOtECrn is yet young man, being
barely thirty years Of age, but he mas al
ready attained a position which compares
fayorablv with that of his illustriOus father,
the famous 'Dundreary' SOthern. He has
had a varied experience which began with
A failure that would have deferred one of
less determinats on. His father never gave
the Young man credit for any dramatic
ability. and OF ~ after considerable persua-
sion cast him for a very small part in his
play of Sam at Abbey's Park theatre
New York. in September, 1879. He had
but one line to speak-'Half a crown,
please, sir. hope you don't think it too
much. sir'' But it did prove too much for
Eddie. as he was Familiarity called to dis
tinguish him from his father. He forget his
words. spoiled the scene and so eXasperated
his father that ne would not give him
another opportunity. Had young SOthern
BNome discouraged at this the stage would
have lost q much better actor than his
father was. and Daniel ErOhman would
have missed an opportunity to again prove
the value of his managerial judgment. 1t
was Mr.. FrOhman who saw the possibilities
of Mr.. Sothern as he was struggling with
so1sfe of his fathers old parts. 1t was Mr..
fSFNhman who decided what were the
proper parts for the young actor to play,
and gave him those opportunities which he
has so admirably taken advantage OF.
Strangely enough, it was III play written
for the father, but never played by hlm,
that the son made his first success. 1t was
The Highest Bidder which will be seen
here. Though Mr.. SOIhern's parents were
English. he is thoroughly American both
by birth and inclination, and has been
brought 10 the front by the enterprise of
representative American manager, and
that in two seasons time.
at is a curious fact that an author or
manager is often a better Judge than the
a1Jor himself OF the parts Whlch pest pre-
sent him to the public. When the elder
Sotbern was first offered the part OF Lord
Dundreary he Indignantly refused it. Then, |
as a member of Laura Keene's stock com |
many he accepted it rather than sacrifice |
his position in the company. 1t subse- |
quently made him both rich and famous. |
When Lord Chumley' (Which Will also be |
played here) was hrst read 10 Une younger
Sothern he had little faith in it. He thought |
the part was too much like those his father |
had made prominent and he feared crit |
cism from that standpoint. Manager |
Erohman insisted, however, and Mr.. |
Sothern yielded, with many doubts as to the
result. As as rehearsed into the part, how
over. gradually his own individuality be-
lme more marked, ana on the nrst nighU
he presented a characterization so distinc-
lively original that comparisons with his |
father s pOrtrayals were out OF the question.
He had presented fop, it is true, but such
a one as his father never could have played.
Manager Frohman is proud of Mr..
Scf5,rrn's success, and proud OF such an ad-
difion to the value of the Lycedm theatre
trade mark"
Reilly g. Woods variety company gave
treat show before great audience at the
Grand last evening. The house was nearly
oil fru below, and above the audience was
ia,,,,ad in like sardines. The whole show
us Good of otis kind, the particular feat
,,.e,1,oiro, the clever artist Pat Reilly him
n w rid d e1, immense applause; there
80 +be nsuaI song and dance, contortlon
,onsiness and after piece and Miss Jessie
SiIhart The clever cornetist, rendered a
no Rut what everyone was really ;
lifting Tor came in the aerial act I
of tho Vaidis sisters. They did hrst some
new and very clever trapeze acts on bars {
high over the heads OF tne i aGul-
epce, one of the pieces OF reNoLt t;S
machinery near the ceiling DelhS par dI SiS il.
IalIv novel and complicated. IL Worheu uS
s1ectricitv. and was in itself curiosity
ylhie preliminary work over, the elaer SIS
IaI, retired TO her mother. an elderly laay
Tho was in waiting in the wings, and the
.onnges. and slighter of the two girls was
,y,lrigtbv rope through pulley, clean up l
n the ventilator in the lofty celllng Oh uie
,niIding. where she stood on par iol d :
gorent. her head touching the wal ABOVE