The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-25

books. To support that exclamation.
have to count each nursery primer as
"a volume and each childrens tale as a
novel. The result of putting fourteen
juvenile stories into Babes fin TOyland"
is well nigh as confusing as the same
number of modern novels would be Z
mixed for the stage. The boy and girl
from Babes in the Wood" are plainly
dtsunguishable characters. however,
yet i learn from an analytical CONVEX
sation with two of my friends. aged s
and 10. that the playwright has mall
treated the classic dreadfuiiy. and that
the consensus of infantile opinion Will
condemn him. The younger Of these
critics searched out the name of Glen
Macdonough in the bills as that of the
irreverent icOuOclast, and was not much
softened toward him when 7 said that
he was son Of that talented actress.
the late Laura Don, a sOn-in-laW OF
Dean Joseph jefferson, and himself a
perfectly reputable gentleman. Against
my defense Of him il was urged that he
ought to be ashamed Of himself for
sending the two babes off in Ieaky
boat with the mUrderOus bTigauds, IN
stead Of the woods, and it is only after
Trey have escaped from a wreck that
a brief recourse TO the original plot
loses them in a forest; but after stick
ing to the standard story a while, away
they go again in an unheard of direc-
tion--this time to Toyland, which Mr.
MacdOnOugh says in his rhymes is
'Joyland, dear little girl, and boy land. q"
This newest of the extravaganzas
contains scenic novelties by Julian
Mitchell fit TO compare with things that
he put into THE Wizard of o." Two
spectacles of nature in angry moods
are q terrific storm at sea and a de-
structive volcanic outbreak. in each Of
which electric lights and moving pho
tographs are thrown upon dark paint
ings and pantOmimic figures Wefrdlv. A
more original and very ingenious use Of
the same pictorial means is where a
gigantic spider Weaves a web over the
entrance of a cave in which the chill
dren have taken refuge. The insect is
a luminous monster, which descends
from the tree tops and emits the
mashes Of the web in glittering lines
TIL IL is complete. The shOwiest of the
many stagefuls Of people is that which
represents a parade of mechanical
toys. Troops of wooden soldiers. and
rank after rank Of French and Dutch
dolls, enter across a high bridge of al
phabetical building blocks at the back
of the stage, come down a long incline
and perform evOlutiOns on the ground
level, all with stiff-kneed legs. immov-
able rigid bodies and expressionless
faces Perhaps it is Victor Herbert $
march music that keeps them right.
Anyway, the spirited tune sets the feet
of the audience tapping in unison.
There are no laUghable comedians
in this play and hardly anything to be
funny with, but as a beautiful show.
artistic in its fantasies Of costume. il
is wondrOusly fine. If you were to call
the roll Of the names known to Mother
Goose. no less than twenty-five would
say Here" Although some Of them
get no more than the chance to identify
themselves to the audience. by means
of brief photographer remarks. an
save two are impersOnated beautifully
by gracefully apt young women. max
ing gorgeous sights to see. Now. they
al affect juvenile tones and manners.
and very nicely, too. But what I dread
is that Babes in Toyland" will grad
uate a whole class Of babyish' SOU
brettes of the kind which the stage has
of late years been losing to it's distinct
gain.