Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-24

this city drama about the designation
OF which there cannot be the slightest
difference OF opinion. The piece Is THE
Pride Of Jennico," and II is a dram
atlzatlon. by Abby Sage Richardson and
Grace Livingston Furniss, OF the novel
Of the same name. The exploiters did
not have the temerity TO call THE
Pride Of Jennico" a romantic drama,
and so on the programme II ls referred
10 as ''melodramatic play" In real
ity II is melodrama OF the widest, most
noisy and most improbable type. The
old Bowery theater, by all accounts,
never harbored in its palmlest days any
more melodramatic melodrama than
''The Pride OF Jennlco." There Is
scarcely a moment In the play when
there Is not a stabbing or a duel or a
shooting or az least a plotting TO bring
about one Of these events. And not
only Is THE Pride OF Jennico" the raw
est sort Of melodrama. but II also con-
tains every one Of the old familiar
characters which have done gallant
duty in this type OF play from time inn
memorial. They walk on and of the
stage In precisely the same way as they
have done for the last century, and
there Is probably not a situation In the
piece which q person Of reasonable Ia
miliarity with the theater could not
foresee for some time before It occur
red.
From the foregoing the casual reader
might gather the impression that THE
Pride OF Jennlco" Is doomed 10 an early
demise, and the star, Mr.. Hackett. TO
serious setback in his stellar project.
Nothing. however. could be further
from the truth. The Pride Of Jennico"
Is great big hit II Is, In fact, certain
10 run out the season at the Criterion,
providing the management Of that
house Is able TO permit II 10 remain
there. As for Mr.. Hackett. 80 far from
having received a setback, he is now
ten rounds farther up the ladder Of
fame--or shall We say prosperity-than
prior 20 the production OF this remark
able conglomeratlon In which he is now
appearing.
In little speech the other night Mr.
Hackett observed 10 his applauding
friends In the audience that their dem
onstratlons Of approval were an en-
enlargement 20 him TO strive toward
the higher and better things IN his art,
Like all actors he doubtless Is sincere
iy OF the opinion that he IL fitted by
temperament and ability 10 30 much
higher. but TO a dlsinterested observer
II would seem TO be the part OF wisdom
for MIR. Haekett 10 remain just where
he Ia. In costume he IL all right espe-
olaly in play In which he Il given the
opportunity 20 do a little fencing and
incidentally 20 XIII dozen or two Of his
antagonists. But put Mr.. Hackett into
a delicate classic and give him q role
in which II is necessary for him TO DIFF
ferentiate with nicely the various emo
lions, and II is more than probable that
he win be practically lost. His Mer-
quito In the Maude Adams production
OF "Romto and Juliet" afforded an u
iustration o. this weakness. Mercutio
IL generally conceded TO be the least
subtle role In Romeo and Juliet In
his opening scenes, however II Is nec-
essary for him 10 paint his own char
acter, as Il were. by his words and
manner. Mr.. Hackett did that In The
production referred 20, but re painted
II all In one color Later on, In the
scene with the nurse. he was much bet
ter. and still later, when he is killed BY
Tybalt. he was really excellent IL
fact, he furnished In that scene the
best acting In the play. lie was ena'