The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-26
ADJUSTMENTS.

christmas DAY ana HlSnL are always
looked forward to hungrily by theatre
cal managers, for in spite of the heavy
inroads made on the purses of the pub
lie by the season of gift-making, the
public is always in a mood to be en-
tertained at Christmas time, and will
ling to pay we'll for the entertainment
Three repasts were offered the amuse-
ment-seeker yesterday afternoon and
evening, in Louis James at the thea
tire, the play of Helene" at the Grand,
and the play of Forgiven" at the Ly-
ceum. AS usual. when regular prices
prevail for matinee performances, the
theatre suffered, and only a light au-
dience saw the superb rendition of
''Virgtnius" Mr.. James might have
opened to standing room only had he
thought proper to make the reduction
in his prices for the day performance.
At the Grand the house was
full below and empty above.
At the Lyceum, where Is cents
all over the house, and presents
to the children, proved the magnet,
the place was full both above and be-
low. In the evening each place of
amusement was crowded. The S. r. 0.
sign was hung out at both the theatre
and the Grand before the curtain rose.
The theatre had one of the old 1890
brushes, and the air was redolent with
dividends. The Grand could hardly
have held a dozen more, and fifty men
would have tested the capacity of the
Lyceum. At Chr.stensen's popular hall
Terpsichore reigned supreme after
noon and evening, and altogether the
city presented the spectacle of a. COM
munity given over to pleasure.
JAMES AS VIRGINIUS.- "Virginius.''
beautiful story as it is, is a story so
often told in Salt Lake that there was
hardly the fntest felt in the production
which some other play might have
aroused. Yet it is doubtful whether Mr..
James has anything in his repertory
more beautiful, thrilling and affecting
than this grand old play. We know of
no actor before the public today who is
so we'll fitted to do the part of the
grand Roman father as Mr.. James.
The only other who can be named at
all with him is Frederick Warde, and
while from the long years he mas been
playing the role, that actor bestows
more attention to diStail in his delinea-
ton than Mr.. James does, yet he falls
SO far below Mr.. James in physique
and voice, two indispensables for this
role, that the latter leaves a more last
ing impression on the mind; after the
great scene of the play where Virginius
kills his child rather shan to see her
fall into the clutches of Appius Claud-
JUS Mr.. James had two recalls, a rare
tribute from a matinee audience. Miss
Kruger is in many respects the best
Virginia we have had for many years,
and the same thing must be said of Mr..
Lindsleys Icilius. Mr.. Harris as APP
plus was also effective and the others
were acceptable without being brilliant.
The Caius Of Mr.. North was read with
altogether a too modern British ac-
cent to carry one back to ancient
Rome.
JAMES AS MACBETH.-Mr. James
was in one of his best moods last night
when he faced his superb audience in
the role of the bloody Thane Of Cawder.
Especial interest is felt in the define
alton of Macbeth" just now owing
to the prominence Henry Irving's new
interprata ton has brought it into; Mr..
Irving takes the bold and original
stand that Macbeth was not domInat-
ed by his wife, that the idea of Dun
cans murder was not hers, but
his, and that ll'e instead of
shs was the planning and NOV
ing spirit; he claims that the
old traditions of Lady Macbeth's
supremacy are due to the strength Of
Mrs. Siddons, whose great art dWarfed
every Macbeth with whom she played,
and made his character secondary.
American critics have taken sharp is
sue with Mr.. Irving on this point, and
certainly every one who sees the act
ing version OF the play as presented by
Mr.. James must agree with them. 1t
is the woman who gives the first hint
of the murder to Macbeth's mind
when she asks him with intense sug-
gestion when he proposes Duncan shall
leave the castle, and thenceforward it
is difficult to see how Mr.. Irving can
portray the role so as to convey the
idea that he was not guided and con-
trolled by the suspicious intellect of his
wife A very fine representation Mr..
James and Miss Kruger gave. This
young lady, who played Virginia in the
afternoon and Lady Macbeth the
same evening, has remarkable talent
and her reading stamps her as the best
lady we have had here for a long
time past James portrayed the strong,
vindictive, fearful, and superstitious
mood of the tyrant with skill, force
and intelligence. The support was good
| throughout, the Macduff of Mr..
Lindsey, the Banquo of Mr.. Harris
and the Malcolm of Mr.. Cooke being
specially good. Mrs. James took the
small parts of Fleance and the gentle
woman. Tonight the new play of Mar
mion" will be seen for the first time
in this city. The author, Mr.. Percy
Sage, is travelling with Mr.. James.
DAVID GARRICK-This is the bill
chosen for next week at the Lyceum,
N which Harry Corson Clarke will
make his temperance in Salt Lake.
The title role will be played by Mr..
Hayes. 1t is understood that the Sc
lection of the play is not at all agree
able to Mr.. Clarke, who wanted to
open in something that gave him a
character opportunity, but as Mr..
Hayes is stage manager, and as such
selects the plays. Mr.. Clarke had to
submit.
THE MANAGERIAL CRITIC AGAIN
The gentleman who presides over the
dramatic columns Of the Tribune, and
who lately essayed the role of mana
ger Of the Press Club benefit with
such disastrous results, yesterday pre-
scented his second installment of sour
rility against the Herald's dramatic
writer. That gentleman original Of
Tense was daring to express an honest
and frank opinion on the Press Club