The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-16

- Cb r y ER lnulNefent the week
has been around the playhouses,
it had its virtue. It helped force
some burning truths upon the
minds of play-goers and. 1t is to be
hoped, certain players, as we'll. It was
quite apparent at the start that there
is a limit to this madness over the
war drama. unless its production is
tip-tOp, and, further, that the public
has abount reached that limit. Mr.
KyIe's reception in Nathan Hale was
positively frigid, and 1Ir. NeiIl's Bar
bara Frietchie" would have fallen
quite as fat had it not been the first
presentation Of famous play in this
city. and a single night enga gement.
As it was. TIE disappointment was
keen. 1t seems the day has arrived
when it requires more than the way
ing of banner on the stage to throw
an ,dlenCe into ecstatiC fits. A cold.
clammy populace is actually beginning
to ask for actors and acting.
TIE week furnished a splendid op-
pOrtunlty for contrast between the old
school and the new At one house.
clyde Fitch, the mOdernist, held sway.
AtitE tttN ID az TIE NTl-dlitEs the DIG, ola
style Of melodrama was in transit. In
visiting the two houses on separate
nights. one could not avoid marking
the evolution that has taken place in
the phenomena of stage herOics.
The Denver Express" abandoned its
schedule long enough to rub in the dis
tincti0n. This play has. among other
things an Indian massacre. After
half the tribe and half the community
have been slaughtered, the renegade
appears and in loud, shrin voice.
Kisses; We've got the old lady, now
FOR the child.' But. behold The "old
lady is onto them. Dismissing from
her mind the mortal wound Just re-
ceived, she struggles to her feet.
seizes her uusty muSket, and cries,
with true mCtderly instinct: Not while
Tidy Ann has two shots leftI'' Bingl
BiLgl And two more fends bite the
dust
ITO leap the fence and slay the few
remaining Indians was but the work
of moment. after which our hero
calmly sat down upon a neighboring
tree and lighted a cigarette"
Now, it was natural for the SPEC
ta-ors TO applaud this climax. They
have been trained 10 it. Years ago,
when the elder Mayo was DlavfDg
applause than in the scene where he
holds a letter and says, I am only a
poor woodman ana cannot read" cor
words To that effecD. The fact that
Davy'S education had been neglected
was not calculated TO excite anybody.
yet the house. used to cheer this situa-
ton TO the echo, the same as they did
the prop" wolves when showed inside
the door and Davy's Iignt arm when
he thrust il through the bar lock.
The new school has done away with
most of this tuberculosis of the drama.
In 'fsathan Hale" for example, we
ind colonel pleading for a volunteer.
IN the name of Washington, in the
name of the continental army. with
tears in his ewes, ne appeals TO a group
o. officers TO- 2 volunteer, and. after a
Ions silence, Hale comes forward.
There IS no bombastic display Of hero
ism, but quietly the young officer an
nOgnces: 7 VIII undertake it." This.
and the farewell between Hale and
Alice, just before his execution. are
two Of the strongest scenes Fitch has
written. Barbara FUietchie's marks
mSnsbip is another. and sadder. story.
II is too much like Tidy Ann and her
shotgun. Maryland bellies. despite the
trouhlous times. didn't learn how to
shoot trigger fingers off soldiers hands
AZ forty PAGES.
Rose COghlan has had rather a hard
season al through. and her salt Lake
engagement was no exception to the
rule. Possibly the school in which Miss
C0ghlsu was brought up is passing
from view, There was a time when the
public liked to see her. or at least
stood for ranting and screaming, but
today, when one goes to the theatre,
II is pleasant to carry away some as
suranee that you haven't been listen
ing TO q Tanforan bookmaker all after
noon