The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-04-26
.TOTHING n IL - 5 - 5.


New York critics regard the crit
les in what they are pleased 10 call
me provinces" A very self-satsdei
Individual a very long time ago rose 20
INQUIRE as to whether or not any good
'ouid come out of Nazareth. In much
me same spirit the New Workers. view
-he country outside of their own mar
row little world.
An extract from the New York Tel
esfa3h Of recent date will suffice TO H.
iustrate. To says.
-he verdlcts of Out-Of-tOWn pubics
and critics. however. are not to be
much depended upon until they get a
w rom the metropolis. They always
Healtale TO express any radical opinion
or their own. They hesitate and Stun
For instance. some years ago Miss
Maude Adams made her debut as a
star In Washington as Lady Babbie in
The Little Minister They liked If
yes. in a way. AT all events. they said
HoLnlng derogatory about it, and the
engagement resulted in receipts Of
anout $1,000 on the week. Miss Adams
came 20 New York and played out the
season 90 packed houses When she
went back 20 Washington the next
yeer-in the same play, with the same
cast everything precisely the same as
az the hrst performance-Miss Adams
PLAYED her week TO $4,000. The New
A ork brand certainly did that"
Aaude Adams was a success in the
west long. long before she went 20 New
or. Her talent was recognized. COM
Mented on and admired by critics whose
ability and standing cannot be ques-
uoned even though they do not write
Tor New York papers. More recent ex-
ampies, and when we say more recent
we mean very recent, because we don't
want 90 convey the impression that
Mauae Adams is growing old, are "The
sultan OF Sulu =" "rhe Wizard Of or"
and '"rhe Prince OF Pilsen," an of
which are now drawing crowded houses
IN New York, and which were distinct
hits In "the provinces" before they
went % the metropolis.
And here I'm salt Lake we have had a
number OF New York successes that
We're not worth stage room. The fact
that New York critics comment favor
anIy on a play by no means makes IL
"a good play; nor does a New York
knock irretrievably ruin a production
So far as the rest of the country is
concerned. IL Is but fair to admit that
success Ia New York has a tremendous
outside influence, but 10 is not absolute
ly vital
Most Of us are Aissourians enough
% insist On being showed" We de-
cline TO take the word of New York
critics or anybody else. very much pre-
terring 90 see for ourselves and Judge
for ourselves as to the merits of any
play.
Mckee Rankin. who has had about as
many ups and downs. chiefly downs. i'm
ms dramatic career, which covers a
period OF more than fifty years OF ac-
tive work as an Thespian. talked
interestingly OF stage hoodoos when
he was here with the Nance
O'Neil company some weeks AGO.
The subject came up In connection with
the Tom show" which Is to be put on
by the Press club Of salt Lake the first
saturday night in June Mr. Rankin
was laughing heartily over a bit of
Durlesque business" he was told
would be introduced, when suddenly his
face grew grave.
DO you know" he said, that there
as no Jonah so far-reaching as that
contained in the merriment a pIav
causes at a rehearsal have rarely
seen IT fail. Wen do remember a
piece we we're % put on in Philadelphia
long time ago. The lines were as
bright and clever and funny as they
could be. At rehearsals we simply
laughed ourselves sore over them. WHY.
the play simply couldn't fail we
knew It,
THE first night came around. The
lines were spoken and they were just
as funny % us as ever but not a sound
came from out in front. The people
were as stiu as though they were look
ing at a funeral. This was repeated
the next night and the next, and. after
q few performances. the play was with
drawn This goes 10 show that the
mauag gers and actors are the poorest
judges as 20 the possibilities OF a
play.
"a French friend OF mine had an ex-
perience that Illustrates this. A play
was brought TO him by one Of the best
dramatists In France. Every line I'm 10
was q gem and my friend jumped at IL.
The author insisted on picking out the
people Tor the various parts and on
selecting the accessories himself. These
privileges were permitted. so great was
the managers anxiety 70 put on the
play.
Then my friend decided that he
would test the production In advance
Of its popular presentation. Accord
ingly he invited a number of the best
htterateurs Of Paris the foremost dra-
matte critics and other lights TO what
might be termed a private view. They
were. to a man, delighted. That settled
it with the manager. With an the con-
hdence I'm the world he awaited the
regular FIRST night But the play zen
flat The people simply would not
have &c."
Another California star. Minnie little
Bruno. Isl coming CD the salt Lake the
atre this week. What "a string Of Call
f0rnia stars we have had this season.
We are almost compelled 90 the belief
that every other man and woman in
the land of sunshine and flowers is
q born Thespian or Thespianess as
the ease may Doe. What with Nance
O'Nel. Florence Roberts. Dave War
field. sam Morris. and now Mrs. Bruno.
California has dealt generously with
ioc1 theatre-goers.
The Grand wifi be dark again an this
week. The improvements at this pOpu-
lar playhouse-pOpular in fact as wei
as in prlces-are moving along rapidly
and viii be finished on schedule time
AS before stated iu this department
the gallery is 10 be enlarged By 400
seats. and other betterments are being
Installed Beginning on Monday even
ing of next week the Grand viii enjoy
continuous session of six weeks with
Charles 70. Herman and che Warde
company in stock productions. Patrons
of Che Grand are promised some real
theatrical treats.
TO is strange how the world goes
around wallace Munro manager OF
Mrs Bruno. Andrew Robson I'm erich
ard CarveL' and other large attrac-
TONS was once an actor, and, as he