The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-04
DRAMATIC AND LYRIC
Wind Up of the Lycem's Big
Season.
GOLDEN IN "OLD JED PROUTY."
The Lyeeum's Next Playhouse DilIon's Next
Engagement - NapOleon's Tragedy
Notes Here and There.

The second enlargement Of the Lyceum com
pany in this city came TO close yesterday with
large matinee of Sweet Lavender" and a
fairly attended performance of 1.-THE Marquise. "
The downstairs attendance was large, but the
galleries were all out to see the torch-1ght pro-
oession. But the enjoyment was of the keenest,
and in some respects the entertainment was of
higher order than that afforded on either OF the
two nights previous. "The Marquise, - which is
the 'sFerreol" produced at the Union Square in
the palmy days of Charles r. Thorne, slightly
altered to suit more modern tastes, is written in
the best style OF the author of the 'Danicheffs y
,tOiplornacy," Fedora and La Tosca,' and
no author is more esteemed in Salt
Lake than he. 1t opens out rather
tallxily but with each act grows
in intensity until at the end of the third act the
audience breaks out stormily; last night the APP
plAuse at this point was due to the admirable
acting of Miller, who should have had curtain
call but for the stubbornness OF the stage man
ager. Miller has never done anything better
than last night, not even with Clara Morris,
Held by the Enemy or THE Wife. Lemoyne,
too, was revelation. His portrayal of the guilty
gamekeeper was masterpiece, and his define
alton OF this great part, OF the widely dlnerent
one of Dick Phenyl, and of the still different
one Of Major Putnam, more than ever stamp
him as the conSummate artist he is Mr.. KEEL
oey, who is almost himself again, and MIR.
Wheatcroft were most admirable, and their
scene with Miller in the last act was superb
an excellent comedy Characterization as the
stubborn iuryman. Miss CayVan was most eff
fective as the wife, and in her strong scene sur
priSed even those who thought they had seen all
her power exhibited. Miss Dillon, Miss Hen.
derson and Mrs. Walcot were excellent as us
ual The photographer was raw, and would
have been better with cuffs and blaeked shoes.
, The receipts for the engagement go over
$500. The company leave, at this morning
for Denver.
On Friday evening next Mr.. J. B. Polk will
present his new and successful play, "a Silent
Partner at the Grand for the benefit Of the
Salt Lake EllyC' club. Mr.. Folks new play has
met with q grand success on the coast, and the
MANY novel features are extremely fascinating.
During the progress Of the play one OF the latest
improved Edison monographs Is introduced,
and the work that the instrument Is mace 10
perform bears an important part in the plot OF
the drama. Mr.. Polk is a grand favor te in Salt
Lake, and his new play, with its eccentric fea-
lures, will undoubtedly draw as well as the pre-
sent torrid weather will permit.
When the Byceum company were here first
Il year ago. their hearts were all palpitating over
the parts they were to have in the new play,
Sweet Lavender, which was to open the season
when they reached home. They are undergoing
the same sort OF palpitatiOnS now over THE
charity Ball" which Belasco and De Mile have
written for the next season, commencing in
November. No one knows anything about the
piece as yet though Kelley says he is TO have
the part OF clergyman, and he doesn't enthuse
over it to any great degree. There was no part
except thatof young man slightly tinged with
villainy for Miller. so he was excused and loaned
70 another theatre for the production of 'Shenan-
doah." Miss Cayvan, il goes without saying has
The first lady's part. WheatcrOft expects good
character but what LemOyne will receive is as
vet unknown. Dickson and Dillon will be out
u the battle.
Louise Dillon is as demure and gentle of the
boards as in any of her demurest and gentlest
characters. She is a lover Of Salt Lake-tOTn
water and people-and said to HERALD man
the other night that she would ike to come here
and spend three weeks next summer. Any one
who lounges around the theatre box office could
have seen with each arrival of the eastern mall,
whether il came in TWO or three times day, q
nicely tinted and scented envelope addressed
Louise Dillon in a big, bold commercial hand.
This may explain the reason of Miss Dillon's
retirement from the Lyceum company. A
HERALD man who has the pleasure of a long
standing acquaintance with her, asked her the
other night in what company she would be found
next season. In none, 1 think" she re-
piled, that Is, in no dramatic company
''You leave the Lyceum for good:
yes
And the stage, too?''
oh well" she said shyly, i am thinking OF
doing what actresses sometimes do-retiring for
He is said to be New York business man.
but no one in the company knows his name
It is not generally known that Napoleon l.
tried his hand at playwrighting. 1t appears
Hpm authentic documents still extant, that the
Emperor kept this fact entirely secret until a
few DAYS before his death, when he confessed
his first and only dramatic offense TO his old
friend, General Bertrand. He told the general
that ten years before he became Emperor he
had written a tragedy during his leisure from
military duties.
After mounting the throne he commissioned
lean Luce de Lancival, the author of various
tragedies and professor at the College delaware,
10 revise his play for public production. Inc
dramatic committee of the theatre trancals,
however not knowing that the Emperor had
anything 70 do with it, rejected the tragedy with
out ceremony. Napoleon owned TO General
Bertrand that he was very much eXaSperated at
the time, and ordered the professor to return the
niece with the following mandate IN the Imperial
handwriting: 1.-THE players of the theatre Fran
eais are to perform the rejected tragedy in
fortnight" 90. .,
tragedy which was called Hector" was duly
produced at the Theatre Franchise With the
name of Luce de Lancival attached as the
author. The Emperor frankly admitted 70 the
general that il was very tedious affair, and was
only saved from utter shipwreck by the superb
acting Of his friend, Talua.
II cured him forever of the notion that he was
possessed OF the requisite talent to reap dramatic
rs well as military laurels. As partial atone,
ment for the humiliation that the hasco OF
Hector" caused its purported author, Napoleon
presented Professor Lancival with the order OF
The Legion of Honor Monsieur de Jouy, who
had written fiattering critique Of the tragedy
OF the gazette dc France, was rewarded IN the
same manner.
Richard Golden, 1t is said, played ''Old Jed
Prouty" in a little sketch ten years before Den
man Thompson's Joshua Whitcomb" became
famous and he is said TO play the part now just
as he did then. It is stated that he has never
seen Hr. Thompson act hut has always avoided
that pleasure, lest he might drift away from the
idea Of his own character of 'Old Prouty.
OnnnH nP Cnocn1