The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-14
AmuSemeHIS.


Clyde Fitch is a master Of situation.
and, like his other dramas, Barbara
FrietChie' is situation to the end of
the chapter. There isn't much else to
it. in fact. Clever. of course. but not
scintillating with the brilliant pointed
ness that Fitch mas frequently at
tanned, wherein it pertains to the quill
and ink. The author has not attempt
ed 10 regard history. Save for the flag
incident. there is naught in the drama
to remind US Of the Barbara we knew
in our school days. Like most success
ful plays, the love story begins within
five minutes of the first curtain. 1t is
the old theme of the southern girls
love for the northern officer, and be
tween the war. the love story and the
affair over the flag. which called forth
"StOneWalF' JacksOn's famous words,
Fitch has painted a very pretty stage
picture. 1t often happens that an au-
thor will write in a character that
detraCts from the general excellence Of
his work Fitch did so when
he put in the drunken deserteF. GelweX.
and gave him comedy lines in the midst
of the most intense scenes of the
drama Largely on Gelwex's account
and for other reasons not necessary
to mentiOn-the house Uttered when IT
might have wept Barbara Frietchie"
fills out an evening very aCceptably,
but it cannot hold the prOverbial candle
to Secret Service" Held by the
Enemy" Alabama, - Arizona" or any
of the Gillette, Bronson Howard and
Augustus Thomas war dramas. 1t is
! less pitiable. therefore. to apprehend
that in due time it will be hacked up
! by many stock companies
James NELL and his company gave
! the performance last night before a
/ well filed house and aroused much en-
/ thusiasm. Edythe Chapman plays the
southern belle altogether satisfactorily
and al times rises above that PdrtiCu-
/ larly notable were her Climaxes in the
/ third act. the staircase scene. Julia
! Dean is a continual delight in her Sue
/ Royce. She was given the usual warm
/ welcome by her salt Lake friends.
/ Donald BOwles played the part Of Jack
! Negly, who, driven mad by love and
! Jealousy, finally shoots Barbara dead
1 This young actor is a new discovery,
/ perhaps. but if he does nothing else.
/ his imDersonation of this character en-
/ titles him TO further recognition HIS
/ mad scenes were splendid-the best
acting in the play. by far. Robert
/ Norris did a clever bit as GelweX, and
( the Colonel Negly of John Burton was
/ faithful
Mr.. Neill plays Captain Trumbull as
/ he plays everything else, only a little
worse. perhaps. He is a good deal like
( the Mr.. NeiI Of last year. The stars
/ innate modesty. of which mis- press
/ agent has been shouting recently
/ cropped out two or three times and
! helped along first impressions.
/ Captain Trumbuil (NeilD is carried
upstairs, mortally wounded. OF. as the
/ surgeon stated it, with "one chance in
I a thousand of recovery. Negly and
! Barbara take the stage for the re-
/ mainder of the act. They have some
/ powerful scenes and the two players
gave them admirably. At the close of
! the act there was tumultuOus applause
for both. and especially for Negly (Mr
Bowles) The third curtain call was
/ intended solely for the young actor
but the dying captain took his one
/ chance. and, getting downstairs, blush
/ ingly appropriated the honors. while
Negly was showed of TO a position
I r. u. 2. Seeing that il was useless, the
| audience stopped applauding. The jolt
on the senses was enough to put ar
! end TO the enthusiasm, anyway.
The captain went to bed again and
was discovered dead in the next act
be died Of mOdesty. it is said, aggra-
waited by a gunshOt wound.
The Nell engagement was for the
! one night only.
An English meIOdrama. called "Ovel
/ the Sea" is on at the Grand for tbs
/ remainder of the week. 1t drew good
house last night and pleased the pat
! r0ns OF the house. over the sea" is
/ straight meIOdrama and much more