Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-31


chiefly In plays by the beloved DAN
nunzlo, has lost no item OF her great
art or OF her personal charm The on
~ new thing that can be said about
her Is that her famous Whistlerlan
lock Of white hair. which 50 conspicu-
ously crowned her forehead on the oe-
cason Of her last appearances In Eng
land and the United States has, alas.
returned to its original shade Of rich,
glinting brown.
Although brought out az q London
theater known to the profession as the
"Hoodoo house" Dolly Warden came
through the tests of English judgment
so well that successful run seems as
sured. II has been complained that
Stanlslaus STANCE has not been sufll
ciently original In HIS plot. following
too closely the lines of Wycherly's COM
edy, The Country Wife" but In spite
OF this objection the experts find II diff
hcult to get away from the swing OF
captain Beleville's Il love her for her
ankles and her feet and the pretty
scenes which earned for the opera at
home the sobriQuet Dresden China
have made their impression here AS
Dolly Mabelle Gilman proves an ac~
| cepioble substitute for Lulu CHASER,
and excepting for the Amercansms
| which English audiences always pounce
upon, she has been given a great deal
| OF merlted credit and all signs indicate
her success In the piece.
Americans who follow the theatrical
| news OF London may feel curious to
| see how long tho Stage Censor here is
| going to last. Speculation on the sub
| Ject Is timely now that Mr.. Redf0rd
has succeeded I'm making himself
| Duse to give DAnnunzios "Cltta Mar
| Ia" In London, and as Il Is being de-
manded on all sides, how much time
| must go by before the valueless post
| which he holds win be abolished alto
| gether. Some time, apparently, partly
| because, though playgoers generally
| are VeNed over the recent iiasco, Just
as they were when Mr. BEDFORD for
| bade Maeterlncks "Monna Wanna"
no one talks Of actually doing anything
about II. And then, 1t IL rather diff
cult to get at" the censor Who OF
| course, is to a certain extent a court
| otlicial-holding Office under the lord
| chamberlain. Moreover, MIR. BEDFORD s
Interference In the natural order of
| things is so infrequent shat anything
| like a movement against him would
| scarcely get meat enough 10 feed on.
| That is the eXasperatlng part of IT.
| Suggestive adaptations from the
| French as well rs musical comedies by
no means devoid Of Offepse, go on being
| licensed until one almost forgets that
| there IL a censor, but then comes for
egn player of fame with piece which
| has been acted all over Europe-and
| the censor forblds its presentation
| here! OF course, Mr.. BEDFORD general
ly has grounds for his objections and
| without question he is animated only
| by desire to protect the great public.
| But IL Is contended with apparent JUS
| tice that the section of the London pub
| lie which patronizes Duse, Granier, and
Bernhard Is comparatively small and
intelligent enough not TO need the CEN
sors fatherly scicitude.
As he grows older and less content
with his position as the foremost OF
| English playwrights, Pinero seems to
take more and more delight in the
technique of his craft scorning any
thing easy Of attainment, and keeping
his eye chiefly on the experienced play
goer who has long since tired Of con-
ventional effects and wants expert
Workmanship rather than raw material.
So 1t Is that the plot of Lefty" the
play on which he has been absorbed
ever since Iris" was written two years
ago, and which has just been produced
here under the Frohman management,
Is meager and unpromising when set
forth in newspaper type--as unconyinc-
ing as some melody from Brahms with
out the harmony with which the COM
poser has completed and glorihed 1t.
| Lefty Is a $6-a-week typst in Lon
don bucket shop of shady reputation A
good girl, Lefty, with taste and tenn
| ,f,Q
the affections of Neyill Latchmere, gem
tleman
Their little affair makes the play.
The obvious thing would be unmitigat-
ed villainy from this gentleman, and
ultimately triumphant virtue f0r the
typist with a robust hero to take her
in his arms for the final tableau. But
the obvious thing does not attract Mr..
Pinero. Mr.. Nevil l.atchmere is as
sound and honorable and amirable a
gentleman as the blood of generations
OF rich bad Latchmeres Will permit.
The only virtuous member of the fam
| lily so far as anyone could remember
was Nevlll's sister, who had held her
felf true to a brute of husband and
had only llirted with the other man.
! Doubtless when the heir OF the Latch
meres first met Lefty by some chance
encounter he had followed her with
the idea that she was not above vul-
gar shOpgirl intrigue, but discerning
her innate refinement and superiority
in mind and heart, had fallen in love
with her instead, and thus won her
honest love In return, She had half
starved herself and run reckessly in
debt that she might have the gowns
! in which to take harmless little strolls
and suppers with him without causing
him to be ashamed Of her. But alas,
Latchmere was -widower and
Lefty didn't know.
This is the foundation dexterously de-
veoped by Mr.. Pinero In his FIRST act,
which takes place in Latchmere's bach
elor apartments where an innocent af-
ternoon birthday party Is on for Lefty
and two other girls of her station Of
life, In the second act, ngenlously
| staged on the roof Of n cheap lodging
house Lefty received from Letchmere.
not the offer OF marriage she has dared
to expect, but voluntary confession
that he is already married. and faith
erly advice TO her to wed the propri-
etor of the buoketshop, a bounder who
has been Fostering her Never" says
| poor Lefty, Wei" says Latchmere,
you know where my rooms
arc I'll cherish YOU" Never"
says poor Lefty again, and in
q great revuslon Of feeling. driven to
desperation by debt, Illness and brok-
EN- heart she accepts the bucketshop
man, The third act takes place IN the
evening Of the same day, IN a private
supper room OF q fashionable restau-
| rant. Letchmeres beloved sister Is say
| Ing goodbye forever to the "other
man" and has begged her ndugent
brother to stay by and keep her from
| faltering. AS the trio leaves. enter
Lefty and her humble friends guests
all OF her betrothed. The bucketshop
| person begs Latchmere to stay and
| drink a toast TO the bride 10 be, and
the young man consents for love OF
Lefty, leaving his sister and the "other