The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-02

''iiiss 1he2 trical so by fits and
Starts. One week the theatre is closed
11on Monday morning until SATURDAY
night, and then, as like as not. there
1oiioF's- a period that, wears Everybody
OUT, the public included. An audience
was demanded UP to Thursday for
nfteen consecutive nights, ana nothing
could prove the love of Salt Lake peo-
pie for the drama better than the way
IN which it was attended. The closing
performance furnished the largest at
tendance Of the series. Do people re-
sil.se what = movement in men, women
ana things tfereunto belonging is en-
Eatlec IN fifteen performances at the
Nheatre with chaisge of bill every
Iliile A company each for Ezra Ken
dali. Snlly, Katie Emmett, Wallace, the
kenGalS and Keene; scenery repre-
SEEMING various parts of the world.
New England Washington, Ireland.
England Venice, France, properties.
bric-a-brac, 1<rios, <draperies. house
Mold goods; costumes of.various nations:
Autographs, common. printing and bill
posters; treasurers and financial state
metts every day and night; hotel ac-
Communications, railroad fares and
sleeping cars; the yagaries and whilns
OF q hundred men and worTen to con-
slider, losses one night and gains the
next; and last, but not least.xtaae hangs
of the critics, who have sat1lout forty
i've hours Of earnest examination, wise
as owls, and penned thousafls OF lines
which the public may read, or may not
read, as they see fit, before such a SER
les of performances may be said to be
fairly done with. a lot Of money goes
into the box Office and a lot goes out
of it. There are to pay, rents and sal
on IT,
one percentage due to the stars and an.
other 10 the theatre, besides a number
OF etceteras beyond computation The
manager has much to do to preserve
harmony and good feeling between the
various homogeneous elements, and by
ahe time lit is over. he, and everybody
else, is ready to take breathing spell.
Running theatre is not a perpetual
picnic, and few there are who realize
how the money paid to see a perfor-
srance is distributed, nor how many
mouths it feed.
There occasionally comes a snoment
when ali goes merry as a marriage
bell. Il is on the night when STAND
ing Room Only is posted over the box
office. Then all people connected with
the theatre wear a complacent smile
of self-satisfaction. The bell-boy feels
that he has chased the actors at the
beginning of each act to some purpose,
the curtain man feels that at last the
public appreciates the manner in which
he has managed his curtain calls, the
man who works the snare-drum in the
orchestra considers that life is worth
living, the bill-poster takes another
look at his bill-boards and the critic
reViveS his belief in the power Of the
press. While this is going on, the
company's agent beams ON everybody,
the manager is thinking how well he
has managed his dates, and the star
smokes an extra cigarette in his dress
ingroom. He likes our climate and he
likes our people, he thinks it is
charming old theatre and plans what
big things he will do the next time he
comes to Salt Lake. Above all, he
looks upon the Salt Lake public as
the most discriminating and appre-
ciative of any people he has ever met.
We have had three of Shake
during the past week, "Othello," ''The
Merchant of Venicei' and Richard
ILL., No matter whether they were
well played or not, what awe and rev.
erence are inspired at every sentence
in those who have learned to partially
understand the great master, the au-
thor! How far they are above the
masterpieces of Bulwe- and Delavigne
played on the previous nights. A book
has been written with the title, IF
Christ should come to Chicago" We
wonder what would be done if Shakes
peare were TO return to earth. No
prince or pOtentate that ever lived has
received such homage as would be ac-
corded to him. No human character |
In all the worlds history, not Moses |
nor Caesar nor Napoleon would re-
ceiVe such universal respect All coun- (
tries that have a language would vie 4
with each other in doing him reVer- |
ence; but to the English-speal6ing peo- !
pie whose tongue he has glorified. for |
ever, he would be almost deified. 1t is (
appalling to think of. The intensity
Of admiration would torture him. Let !
US not be misunderstood. He is not /
coming back. This is not AN advance /
notice Of mis- forthcoming appearance /
at the theatre. He has not arranged (
dates with Manager Burton. We were !
just thinking what a WondrouS thing /
1t would be if he did come back.
Much Of the pleasure that people feel |
at Keene's representation of Richard !
the Third was narred in the manner in |
which he elected TO be killed. In the |
text, Richard is not slain upon the |
stage at all. He fights his way off and |
Richmond shortly re-appears to receive |
concentrations. But all modern actors !
have very properly made Richard die /
in view OF the audience after a fierce |
battle with Richmond. 1t was reserved |
for heene, however, not only to fight !,
with two to his face, but to have a !
common soldier come behind his back |
and have at him with a battle-aX. Be |
tween the three of them he is finally /
carved up. The upper circles are al /
WAYS quick to resent bad innovations in /
their faYorite PLAYS and they howled |
and hisseQ every time this fellow came 4
behind to prod Richard. 1t left a bad |
Impression of the play. AS the critic |
sadly wended mis- way homeward, ne [
thought of an incident that once oc-
Cured at an art exhibition. A con-
ceited artist had secured admission of |
a very bad picture and now that it had
become more than precious in mis- eyes,
he nut a placard beneath it, please do
mot use umbrellas" and a small boy
came along and wrote beneath, Take
g AK
On Monday and Tuesday next, there
will be given two dramatic perform
ances at the theatre by a number OF
young society people for the benefit OF
the Pioneer Library. The piece CHOSEN
Is Ro1Icicault's celebrated drama, Led
As+-ay' IT is a piece we'll adapted
For an entertainment of this kind, and !
a although it has some difficulties, there
IS no reason why these people should
not give a good performance. We I'M
tIersfand they have been carefully re-
a3earsed. and as many of them show
adaptability TO the stage,
we shall expect them TO acquit them
selves with credit. We are not given
TO oiscouraging young people IN ef-
forts Of this sort. We well remember
the doubts expressed Just prior to the