The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-01-24
DRAMATIC AND LYRIC
Mr.. Willard Closes His Engage
ment.
ROLAND REED THIS WEEK
Carleton Coming-Sousa's Band-Anec-
dOtes of Willard-Latest
Notes

The banner house of the week came out
last evening TO see the final performance of
1.-THE Middleman,'' and the matinee audi
ence was the largest which an afternoon
representation has drawn for long time
past. The season has been a very pros
porous one financially, and the standard,
artistically, has been Of the highest There
is nothing more to say OF 1.-The
Middleman" except that the audience last
evening was at times so stormy in its ex-
pressions of approval as to discomfort the
actors. Willard showed little WEAKNESS
from the effects of his matinee, but he still
thrilled his audience with his power. Miss
Burroughs was as sweet as ever, and Mr..
Massen as manly. Mr.. Carleton had an
attack of the ''boozies'' or something else
equally deadly, and came very near wreck
ing one Of the acts. MIR. Cane was excel
lent and showed the true artist as much as
In his PI of. Jopp.
The big audience last evening indicates
that THE Middlemann is the more popular
of the two plays, though Judah" crlti-
cally considered, is by far the superior
work. 1t is rather too much on the classic
order, however, to suit all tastes, and the
the average popular audience.
Wizards appearance in "Judah' recalls
g unique occasion in dramatic history that
occurred during the summer of 1890. AT
that time Mr.. Willard was lessee and
manager of the Shaftesbury theatre in
London, and was in the height of his sue
cess in Judah about which play there
Judah Llewellyn, the hero, young Welsh
minister, was made to take a false oath
under peculiar and, as some maintained
justiiabie circumstances, and so much was
written ana said on the subject that it oc
CURED TO MIR. Willard to invite ministers
of every denomination to witness private
afternoon performance of Mr.. Jones
much discussed play. The afternoon ar
rived, and with 1T 700 clergymen at the
Shaftesbury theatre, including many
bishops and other leading dignitaries
They presented an homogeneous ap
pearance in their CATERS and broad
brimmed hats and sable attire, a.
they alighted from their carriages
or cabs, or perchauce arrived on foot anC
streamed into the vesubule, quite eager
and alert. There were some who had never
set foot inside of a theatre, but how haC
taken advantage of the occasion as proof
against scandal. On the other hand there
were many veteran playgoers among tht
thrOng, who were glad OF the opportunity
of witnessing the play once more. Behind
the scenes keen interest was felt by Mr.
Willard and his associates as TO how such
an audience, which filed the circles, stalls
and boxes, would receive, not only the grea
situation Of the play, but also the various
points which under ordinary circumstance.
provoked laughter or applause.
AS matter OF fact, never was Judah
played to better audience in London
Every point told. Hearty and frequent
was the applause, and when the trying
moment came-the end of the second act
where the young minister tells three
deliberate falsehoods to shield the fail
fame of the woman he loves, there was
moment OF hushed and GREATNESS silence
followed by a spontaneous burst of ap
plause that spoke for itself. The last act
dealing with Judah's repentance and con
fession, brought new calls and congratula
tons MIR. Willard was summoned alone
before the curtain. Contrary to the exist
ing order of things, the layman addressed
the clergy, and after an expression of III!
pleasure at the manner in which the play
had been received, he made q graceful al
fusion to the relative positions of churcl
and stage. 1t is an interesting fact, as
showing the alteration Of the intolerant at
titude once adopted by all clerics toward
ceived from those invited by MIR. Willard
only eight were condemnatory of the thea
tire as an institution.
One of the most interesting perfor
mances of ''The Middlemann during It's
successful run at the Shaftesbury theatre
in London, then under the management O
Mr. Willard, the English actor who is nov
appearing at the Salt Lake theatre wa
"a Dol far iUh h,,r, -
persons connected with the ceramic ar
came up from all parts of England to wit
ness Mr.. Wizards portrayal of one Of thei
own class in pursuit of a lost secret
Every detail of the play was followed witt
intense interest and the realistic scene o
the firing house" enthusiastically ap
plauded Thus did MIR. Willard obtain
graui wing reward for many week
Of patient labor. So correc
is he in his work that he spent summe
vacation (that might perhaps have beer
more pleasantly passed at the seaside re
sorts or in the hills) among the potter.
at Stoke-upon- Trent, and it was not unit
afterwards that he vent2red to place 1.-The
Middiemann before the London public
He practically lived for several weeks il
the midst Of the people to whom Cyru
Blenkarn belongs, visiting them in thel
homes as well as the factories, and becom
ing immensely popular among them al
though none of the little Staffordshire tow
suspected his Identity or the object of hi
visit.
Shortly after the performance above re
ferred to the secretary of the Potter's Be
nevolent association was surprised and dc
lighted at receiving a check for $3.50 fror
Cyrus Blenkarn.
NEVER COMES BEFORE THE CURTAIN.
mo" said MIR. Willard, IL answer to
question on the subject al never come be
fore the curtain during the progress of tn
MAY When WAS q sfnck actnr | Irrir heI