The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-17
7FHLIE STAGE

Ada DWyer Russell, one of Salt Lake s
most distinguished daughters. arrived
home during the week. with her hus-
band Mr.. Harold Russell. to spend the
summer. In g pleasant conversation the
other day she related some of her sea
sons experiences. She played with the
Inflated Children of the Ghetto" in
which she created the character hit of
Molka- 4 regard the play as one Of
the most artistic things ever put upon
the stage. says Mrs Russell, and its
failure was due to a combination of
unfortunate circumstances" When the
piece was first produced, outside of
New York, in cities like Boston. Phila-
delphia and Washington, it played TO
enormous business and the press
notices were eXtravagant in their
praise. 1t is supposed that the
personal prejudice against Mr..
Zangwill was what did for the
play in New York. Mr. Fang
viii" says Mrs. Russell, as an idealist
"a dreamer-and he believed that mer-
1t would win in spite of everything
Accordingly he ignored the press
snubbed, and even ridiculed 1t, with
the disastrous result that has already
been told many times" Still. Mrs. Rus
sell says she believes that they would
eventually have won if they had stayed
with it lOnS enough, for after the first
shock business at the Herald Square
theater began to gain steadily. But
instead, the company was Whirled off
to London. which vertically proved out
Of the frying pan into the fire. For
they arrived in London just before
Christmas when nothing but pantOmine
has any vogue. and in addition there
was the awful depression caused by the
war
We in this country do not know
what it means" says Mrs. Russell.
Why, over there it was simply appall-
ing. The streets and shops were de-
serted and every other place was in
mourning. The scenes at the war Of
fee were so heartrending that I had
to fly home when I visited there one
day. So you can imagine what the eff
feet upon the theaters must have been.
The managers of our company thought
II a wise move to go where Mr.. Gang
viii was known and liked, but they
were badly advised as to time"
Mrs. Russell regards ZangwiH as a
wonderfully magnetic man, and one of
the leading literary lights of the world
" Children of the Ghetto is a wonder
full play, she says. TT is a beautiful
story Of home life of the people. and
the situations are intensely dramatic.
In spite of its failure financially moth
ing can alter the fact that it was
great artistic success.
Liebler s, Co, the managers Of the
enterprise, are enthusiastic over Gang
viii, in spite of their experience with
The Ghetto" They have already made
arrangements for the dramatization of
THE Mantle Of Elijah" his new story,
now running in Harper's Viola Allen
viii be starred in the leading role. They
viii not attempt to resurrect Children
of the Ghetto"
Mrs. Russell has again signed with
the Liebler people for next season, and
will create a. role in Lost River the
new melodrama by Joseph Arthur She
is not fond of melodrama. but is prom
ised a part in a more legitimate pro-
ductiOn later on. Mr.. Russell played
Lord Robert IRE in 'The ChriStianT
last season. under the same manage
ment He is considering several offers
for next season, but as yet has made
no definite plans. Mr. and Mrs. Rus
sell expect to remain in Salt Lake
about two months