The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-17
At the Grand.

Last evening also marked the OPEN
ing night at the Grand opera house Of
the season of 1885, with a good at
tendance assembled to witness the new
company in the old-time English
drama of "Rosedale" This Is one of
the good fulI-weight comedies Of thir-
ty or forty years ago, in five acts and
several more scenes-in fact, the kind
of piece that is not now often seen on
an up-to-date stage. It belongs to the
romantic school, and though somewhat
ponderous in action. contains considers
able bright humor of a genuine characA
ter. It is a piece with a history. Les }
ter Wallack made fame and fortune in +
the leading part. Couldock first played
it here, and the Home Dramatic club
had four or five performances of it
with considerable success. On one 24th
of July they raked in about 81 700 at a
matinee and evening performance: but
that was in flush times, some fifteen
years ago, and when pieces Of this
character were more popular.
Last evening there was only a fair
attendance for an opening night Of the
season, but that was attributable to
the exceptionally strong counter at
traction at the theatre. It was obvi-
Gus that people considered that Rose
dale" would be played all the week
and they intend to take it in on other
nights.
While the entertainment had the
double interest Of introducing a COM
pany Of new players, as we'll as the re-
vival of d sterling drama, we do not
feel that the performance was entirely
successful. Some of the people have
not played together before and prob
ably they found the occasion some
what experimental between themselves.
To most of them the lines were new
and while there was evidence Of strict
rehearsal and an unfagging desire to
do their very best, a lack of ease was
more than evident This is character
istic of first nights, so that the per-
Torrance should not be taken as a
measure Of their full powers. BY the
middle of the week they will prob
ably do much better.
"Rosedale" is no childs play. For
the part of Elliott Gray there is re-
quired a soldierly dash and spirit that
Mr.. IngersoIl did not fulfill. In the
light comedy scenes. notably those
with Rosa Leigh and Tabitha Stork, he
was all right. but in his first entrance
he was so late as to injure the effect
Of the scene between Miles McKenna
and the child, and in other places re-
quiring action in the nick Of time, it
was not always done at the required
nick Although Mr.. Edwards well
played the part of the rascally NcKen-
ma, he also shared in this shortcoming.
/ especially in the scene where he binds
I and threatens TO burn the eyes of the
hero. In the climax of the piece, how
! ever-the gypsy scene-aH hands
worked together with good ef-
| feet to produce a thrilling tab
! leau that brought a merited cur
! tain call. We are not dis
posed to be hypercriticel about
anything that happened last night but
! again we impress upon this company
/ that their audiences are close and ex-
acting spectators WHIP demand reason
and realism in the dTtma, though they
allow abundant license in farce-com-
/ edy.
! A fair Judgment Of the abilities of
| Miss Mcintyre is not to be formed by
( seeing her in such a part as that Of
Rosa Leigh, which is really a refined
soubrette role having no special draft
I on the powers of a. leading lady. How
ever Miss Mcintyre is piquant in her
conception of it, and did enough to give
! promise of winning the sincere admi-
ration of the audiences at the Grand
| AS Bemberry Kobb, Mr.. Edison gave
as artistic rendition as any one in the
/ piece. He suggests Joseph Jefferson
! as Bob Acres bat was in no sense a
l copyist. In a part whose humor is Of
antique style, we can scarcely conceive
of it's being done much better We can
not make a complete review of each Of
I the members in the cast, but shall have
ample opportunities in the future.
( 1t seemed a. pleasant thing to see this
popular place of amusement again lit
up and to again hear the familiar
/ sound of applause. The new decora-
tions make a great improvement. while.
J IN he