The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-18
Dear Hal:

Dear Hal:
There was more than one Salt Laker
who registered a vow the last time
Julia Marlowe was here, that if ever
she condescended to favor US with her
beauteous presence again, he would
toll with might and man to make her
forget that most mournfully chilly re-
ception. For some reason, have for
gotten what, the patronage accorded
her was beggarly. Four years go by
and she comes again, widened in rep
utation, broadened in her art, matured
in aier taste, beautiful as a Correggio
panel-and what happens? That beg
carly business Of four years ago was
simply rolling affiuence to the business
she does now. What's the matter with
our town! It isn't sufficient to say that
we did ourselves out" last week over
Sans Gene" or that we can't stand
two dollar-and-a-h alf-shows in success
sion, or that the Bryan and Mckinley
row is absorbing all our attention.
Doubtless all those causes contributed,
but there's something beyond that, and
! have about made up my mind that
the public taste is growing away from
the legitimate, and that even the sub
lime verse of Shakespeare no longer
possesses the charm for theatre oers
it once did. II Edwin Booth or Law
renee Barrett could come back to
EARTH if Mary Anderson could be in
dpced to abandon her nursery, or if
Henry Irving were to visit Salt Lake,
/ think perhaps the legitimate might
bring forth the old-time outpouTings;
but l can think of absolutely no one
else potent enough to overcome the
chilling Indifference that seems to have
grown up for the standard play. Look
at Keene, Warde. James, Wainwright,
and any one else who is trying to cling
to the old iGeaS-all of them have a sad
tale 10 tell of their endeavors to keep
the plays of the immortal bard in
their repertoire. 1t takes transcendent
talents indeed to make the public ac-
cept a man or woman in the legitimate
nowadays, and perhaps the public
thinks Julia. Mariowe TaDer (what a
superf1utty that last name seemsi) is
not yet sufficiently tranScendental in
her attachments TO yield her the hon.
age they would accord to an Anderson
or an Irving. But to my humble, every
day. water cress taste, she is all suffi-
cient; she fills the bill; her face is
rest to the eye. her voice is a, solace to
the ear, while her snile-but language
- llldutNtdSC. IL were q II1GIi. 1
verify believe I should suppiicate for
standing job as spear bearer or leader
Of the shouts and murmurs, just TO
get a chance to stand In the wings
when she is on the stake.
/ can't say much that is cheerful CT
the house farther down the streer.
That very. very old and shelf-worn
play, May Blossom" has held the
right of way all the week, but 1 judge
it has made little or no money. The
Grand has yet to experience the SEN
sation of Standing room only" this
season. The company has not hit the
fancy of the town, there's no denying
that, and the sentiment of May Bios
SOM some way sounds moWlish,
strained and artificial. while the hu-
NOR in it is of the cheap and dreamy
sort. It's like bringing Enoch Arden
back to life again. Then, too, Miss Bel
garde is not the slip of q girl one pic
lures as Belasco's heroine, and her
long drawn out expression of Woe be-
comes monotonous. Even Edwards.
after one has had him signing and
weeping through four long acts. in
spires the wish that ne might step on
live wire. or experience some other
kind of galvanic shock that would give
him some degree of liveliness. It's the
authors fault. ] know. not mis-, but
it's equally exasperating. The little
scene with the children and the bird
was almost the only thing in the whole
night that made me forget l was N
show house, and that il was all play
and make-believe.
MARGE.