The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-05

worse than an understandable hand
ling of Dart-singing.
'.Act first shows the exterior of
Whinny Knowe farm, the home of
Margaret Howe, who is the confidante
and CONSIDER of so many young people
in Drumtochty. Herein the love stories
of Flora Campbell and Kate Carnegie
begin and all the characters are in
PRODUCED as they pass along the road
leading through the glen. Act second
which takes place in the interior of
Lanchlan Campbells cottage, con-
cludes with the discovery of F'lora's
love for Lord Hay, her despairing
fight to London, and her fathers
heart-broken denunciation as he blOtS
her name out of the family Bible. The
third act consists of two scenes. In
scene first, the outside of Westminster
Abbey, we bring Flora to London. and
in the second scene, among the beeches
beside the Tochty in flood, Flora re-
turns sick almost to death. Then 1t is
that old DR.. Mcclure says: I brought
the lassie into the world. and with the
help O. God I'll keep her in it.
The concluding act, under the raft
ers of Lanchlan CampbelPs cottage,
removes all obstacles and ends the
drama happily enough. There is mere
ly bold synopsis. Of course. In every
scene there are passages of comedy
not the so-called dry Scotch humor,
either. Jammie Soutar is our princi-
pal broad comedy character. and we
have builded high hopes on him The
rustic love affairs of Annie Mitchell
and Tammas, too, supply some fun;
/ and Kate Carnegie we believe to be a
humorous body. The contrast between
Kate and her shy, awkward minister
sweetheart gave us a good opportunity.
What part Mr.. j. II. Stoddart will
/ play he has not yet decided In fact
he is wavering between those of DR..
Mcclure and Lanchlan Campbell.
Campbell is the nobler creation, but in
| DR.. Mcclure the author gave us a
most lovable and kindly personality.
Indeed, 1 have come to look upon the
! good doctor as the real hero of Be
side the Bonnie Briar Bush. L hope
| that Mr.. Stoddart viii be the DR.. Ma
! clure. Mr.. Stoddart is himself a
! Scotchman.
CAS- to the reproduction of the Scotch
accent on the stage, that is not much
of a cruz You see, only three of the
principal characters CDR. Mcclure,
Jammie Soutar and Margaret Howe)
! speak the Lowland dialect. Lanchlan
Campbell and his daughter Flora are
Highlanders and spec .1een's Eng
1 lish, with only the soft highland pro-
nunciation. Kate Cara, .,ie has trav-
eled far and is thoroughly Ang. Used.
| So, too, are General Carnegie and Lord
Hay. The Scotch accent has been
butchered so much on the American
stage, and there are so many people
who love it not overmuch, that this is
an undoubted advantage.
THE idea of the play occurred to me
about two years ago l suggested to
several managers and literary men,
| blIt was STRONGLY advised not TO ar
tempt the dramatization. Neverthe-
| less, [ resolved to make the trial, and
after considerable time actually got
the play written out. A friend advised
me to secure Mr.. Tom Halls collabora-
ton, which [ did. Mr.. Hall thoroughly
overhauled my crude work, and to-
gether we licked it into shape.
! Il cannot fix the exact date of the
| initial performance of Beside the Bon
ME Briar Bush. It will very likely be
first played outside of New York.
Should it prove a success here the
managers will send it to England.
In conclusion 1 should like to say
that while our drama is chiefly re-
markable and largely reliant upon it's
| strong characterization and faithful
reproduction of Ian Maclarens stories,
yet those who like a definite and in
teresting plot will have nothing to
complain of in Beside the Bonnie Briar
| Bush
London, Dec. 4.-The most important
theatrical event of the coming week
will be the first presentation on Mon
day at the Duke of York's theatre of
the comedy, The Happy Life by
Louis n. Parker The play will intro
duce to the London stage a newcomer,
Carlotta Nelson, a young American of