The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-19
HERNE'S MASTERPIECE
Tremendous Success of ashore
Acres" Last Evening.
INITIAL PRODUCTION OF THE
FAMOUS PLAY HERE.
Audience Fairly Captivated With
the Play and Players-Herne's
Marvellous Work-The Mascot.

SnOre acres is unlike any lllIS ever
before seen in the Salt Lake theatre;
either because of Fitzsimmons' pres
ence at the other house, the advanced
prices, or the fact that the name
Shore Acres" indicates so little of the
rare dramatic treat it really is-there
was not the great crush that had been
looked for. This is somewhat surpris-
ing, for Salt Lake theatre-goers are
kept fairly well posted on New York
successes, and all know that Shore
Acres" is and has been one OF the
overtowering successes of the decade.
In its uniqueness, it's fresh originality,
its striking clear s/dy from the
beaten paths of dramatic writing, 1t
stands absolutely alone among all re-
cent achievements in play manufac-
ture. The only thing we can think OF
comparing to it is ''Puddinhead Will
son" with Frank Mayo as the central
figure, and the lamented Mayo scarce
ly dominated his play and kept its
interest chained on himself more
xthan Herne does in Shore Acres
Many years have passed since Herne
was seen here last, and those years
have all been spent in working 10 per-
feet his ideal and toiling to Sc
cure recognition for that ideal. 1t is
pleasant thing that success of the most
GENEROUS anu ullQOuDlCQ SUI AAeA0
crowned his efforts, and that he is to-
day recognized as the foremost apostle
in the school of realism. The realism OF
Herne, however, is so closely blended
with the sweet, the tender and the
idealalic that the term realism as 1t
has come to be considered, is mis-
homer when applied to his work. For
three hours last night he had his au-
dience GREATNESS with attention, roar
ing with laughter, or trimming over
with tears. No one could see that sue
cession of life pictures in homely New
England family, and fail to be affected
by it. What a wave of memories surged
up into the mind at the hundred incl
dents so simply, naturally, and yet ar
tistically set forth. That real turkey
dinner was a masterpiece of stage
management; the farm fence with the
tops of the posts chewed off by the
stock, the horse trough filled with
water, the hollyhocks under the VIM
dow. the parlor chairs brought to the
table by the guests, the children IN
the sulks at having to wait till the
second table; the ceiling hung with
drying vegetables, the deaf guest I'M
consciously talking on while the bless
ing was being asked-these and a hum
dred other familiar incidents were por-
trayed and caused feeling of astonish-
ment at their multiplicity of the admir-
able way they were worked together.
Herne's tender, simple and kindly old
farmer is a most beautiful conception;
the man who at 11:20 can hold an au-
dience breathless for five full minutes
without saying a word, must be a mas
ter. Scarcely second to Herne's de-
lineation was the admirably forceful
one of his brother played by Mr.
Fischer, and hardly second to him was
Mr.. Galloway's Joel Gates. The wife
of Grace Gayler Clark was positive
gem in the way of natural character
acting: the audience hardly walked up
to the excellence till the closing act.
and then it could hardly get enough
of her characteristic repetitions. That
bevy of children are wonders from the
boy whose mother took his novel away
from him and got engrossed IN IT her-
self, down 10 the two tots, Millie and
Mandy. the laxative and the silent
child, so admirably represented, (they
could not be said to be acting) by little
Edith Taliafeiro and Gladys CrOlins.
The others in the company are excel
lent, and the scenery, all OF which Mr.
Herne brings, is admirable. There was
a little delay last night, owing TO the
extreme heavineSS of the sets, and Tor
this reason the curtain will rise tonight
and tomorrow night at s sharp, at the
matinee 2:15 will be the hour. Mr..
Weihe's orchestra was heartily ap-
plauded for a rendering of a Trovatore
selection, and a Xylophone solo by Mr..
Beezley.
1.-THE Mascot advance sale opens at
the theatre this morning, and as the
proposes TO give Salt
Lake as complete an amateur opera
as we ever had-which is
promising no little-and as the prices
are TO be cut to 25 cents for reserved
matinee seats and 80 cents and 80 cents
for reserved night seats, there ought
TO be no question about the patronage
Mr.. Burton says this is the first time
in his experience that so large COM
pany could be seen for so small price. |
AS at the Grand, the stalls, loges and
a few special seats will be sold at 10
cents, but the entire dress circle is open
at so cents. 1t takes just 142 costumes
to produce 1.-The Mascot" and all the
suits are now in the hands Of the mem
bers of the company. Miss Savage has |
five changes, Miss Levy three. Mr.. |
Spencer three Mr.. Goddard five, Mr.. |
Shearman three Mr. WeStervelt three |
and all the others including the chorus
from three to four each.
g q 81
1.-The Mascot will be seen in ogden |
on Friday the 26th and in Logan on |!
the 9th. The Union Pacific |
will run excursions on both occasions;
the Logan round trip will only cost
81. so and tickets will be good returning |
any time within four days. The COM |
pany leaves for Logan on a special at |
/ o'clock Saturday morning.
-S D---