The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-02

American public since the organization
of the Booth Barrett combination about
ten years ago.
But Managers Wagenhals and Kemp
fer. having faith in consultations, de-
ciued TO try it in the theatrical bust-
ness. They have certainly made a
strong test case for they have put into
one organization practically all Of the
PRESENT distinguished legitimate stars
of the American stage. The encourage
ment with which their undertaking has
been received is sufficient assurance the
season will be one of the most brilliant
in the history of the American theatre
The company surrounding the stars is
one of particular strength. 1t includes
Mr.. Harry Langdon, MIR. Barry john
stone, Mr.. Collin Kemper, Mr.. Norman
Hackett, Mr.. W. A. Lincoln, Mrs. VAN
denhoff, Miss Loretta Wells, Miss
Aphie James, Mrs. Emily Grey Bethel
and Frank Peters. The managers have
spared neither expense nor pains in de-
signing and perfecting elaborate pro-
auctions for the plays announced. The
scenery and costumes are not only cor
rect, historically, but they are the most
picturesque that could be devised in
keeping with the subjects of the plays
given.
1.-THE School for Scandal" which will
be given three evenings and a Satur-
day matinee. will be one of the most
sumptuous revfvals of Sheridan's i'm
mortal comedy that has ever been
given. While the handsome scenic dis
play and the costumes are features of
the production, the chief interest nat
urally centers in the three distinguish
ed artists who will be seen here for
the first time as associate stars. Louis
James will be seen as Charles Surface,
for which role he is admirably suited
by nature and talents. Joseph Surface
will be done by Frederick Warde, al
ways an excellent actor. In Lady Tea
zle it is said that Kathryn Kidder has
a role better adapted to the comedy
temperament exhibited in her Madame
Sans-Gene than any other role avail
able.
There is a coincidence in some phases
of the similarity of the roles in which
Miss Kidder has made her greatest
success. Every one remembers her
remarkable creation of the Partisan
blanchisseuse who rose to the point of
twitting the Emperor Napoleon. There
is something of Madame Sans-Gene
in the character of Lady Teazle IN
"The School for Scandal in which
Miss Kidder has more than equaled her
preceding great triumph. Lady Teazle
is the wife of a rich society man of
the last century. She is a girl in years,
her home was in the country, she had
never known luxury beyond one silk
gown, yet when she became Lady Tea
zle she accustomed herself to circum-
stances, in other words, she rose to the
situation, in a thoroughly adequate
manner. In telling of it Sir Peter says,
yet she now plays her part in all the
extravagant fopperies of fashion and
the town, with as ready a grace as if
she never had seen a bush or a grass
plot out of Grosvenor Square!" She
carries things with a high hand. She
demands attention from her antique
spouse and from the young beauX as
well, she squanders his fortune, she
contradicts all his humors, they tiff a
little going to church and quarrel be-
fore the bells have done ringing. but
Sir Peter bears it because he loves her,
and he loves her because she is the
most volatile, irresponsible, domineer-
ing, winsome mink in the world. 1t
is small wonder that the creator of
Madame Sans-Gene fits into Lady Tea
zle as if the role were made for her.
There is in both the quality of nature,
the knowledge of human vanity, judg-
ment of the limit of their victims pa
thence, and the instinct of humor which
demands the most delicate art of a
coincidence. knowledge of Miss Kid
ders triumph in the French role en-
courages one to believe the elaborate