The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-31
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"Ah. Sheridan, and who is your fat
friend?"
Beau Brummell asked the question as
he waived his walking stick gracefully
toward the Prince Of Wales. The audi
ence wondered at the beau's audacity.
1t more than wondered. 1t caught it.
self in the very act of gasping its as
constituent Then the beau walked of
the stage. and how silly it all seemed.
For il was only a play.
After all, Richard Mansfield will new
er surpass his Interpretation Of the
stunning. cOnceited, blase lion of Eng
lands court. There he has attained the
zenith of dramatic art. He carried an
audience through the splendid comedy
of the character last night, then
plunged it into the heaviest gloom by
his Incompatible presentation of the
pathetic results of Beau BrUmmeVs
disfavor with royalty. For three acts he
lightened the burden of the man with
debts: he made him feel that it wasn't
at all necessary to discharge Obliga-
tiOns, and at the same time taught him
how TO avoid the custom. Then the
moral: Release pride before the fail,
or. at least, after it.
Looking at Clyde Fitch's Beau
! how that popular playwright managed
/ to turn out so much inferior, even
commonplace. stuff thereafter. It is
not a thrilling play. It doesn't have to
/ be. The character carries il along. and
/ if it lags al times, it is only because
! Beau BTummell is not on the stage. Of
/ course, it requires an actor. But even
/ in less worthy hands than those Of
| Richard Mansfield the play would like
/ champagne, continue to sparkle.
! Add Mansfeld's skill, grace, voice and
] personality, and the result is perfec-
/ ton. 1t is not unlikely that the criti-
/ cism heaped upon this actor for his
/ conceit and egotism has been partially
/ undeserved, but it certainly is not diff
/ ficult to imagine Beau BrUmmell the
most natural Of his representations. He
/ lives a good deal after the beau's fash
ion. His walk in private life is not so
/ very much unlike that Of the distin-
/ guished gentleman. And if the beau
! had been travelling around much, as
| Mansfield does, I imagine he would
have had a special train and three ser
wants TO attend to mis- wants, whether
! in the train or his hotel boudoir. To
say nothing Of other Mansfield lux
/ uries. necessities and fads.
The support is satisfactory. So little
attention is paid to them that it
/ wouldn't matter much what kind of
/ players Mansfield carried. It may be
said. however, that the star was unfor-
1 tunate in losing Isabelle Irving the
other day in Denver. Her successor.
I when something out of the ordinary
uttering Of lines and asides is required,
does not rise TO the occasion.
The engagement win close tonight
with the presentation Of THE First
Violin" a play derived from Jessie
FOtheFgilIs beautiful romance Of that
name. Mr.. Mansfield plays Eugen
Courvoisier. the violinist, and has won
some Of his highest encomiums in the
part.
The attendance last night was large
but with hot weather and high prices
TO work against. not nearly what it
might have been.
The theatrical season at the salt Pal
ace opened last night with the war
drama, e TWixt Love and Duty" be-
fore q crowded house. The Adams