Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-26

But TO return 10 the audience, for that
on Saturday night was the attraction
and not Miss Roberts and her players
The great throng was out 10 see. OF
hear somethIng--lt hardly knew what.
| With all that had been written and said
OF 'sapho surely II contained sone-
thing risky, something rare and racy,
| something forbidden, something that
would cause sensation--ese why
should Olga Nethersole have been ar
rested, and her play stopped? so the
| audience sat and watched, cycling the
stage as O cat eyes mouse, thought
| fully, hungrily, expectantly. eagerly.
The poor players, well knowing what
was expected OF them, and equally well
knowing that they had nothing
% offer that would satisfy
the craving Of that omnlvorous mass
In front, were nervous, oyerweighted,
and failed TO do themselves justice. SO
the evening wore away and the audi
ence went on waiting and watching
Curtain after curtain fell and nothing
happened
Towards II o'clock there ls stir
along the front rows, from which the
orchestra has been banished.
First Bald Headed Gent (grlmly)-
How much did you give for your seat?
Second bald Headed Gent tmournful-
ly)-~Two and half Say, Is the next
the last act?
First Il, II. @. (gloomly) Yes.
Second Il. II. @ (susplcously)-I sup
pose Wen get II then?
First i. II, g. (sharply)-Get WHAT
Second d. II. G, (crossly)-Why you
know The scene, the climax, the what
ever II IS
First B. II. G. (dublously)-I suppose
so.
The last act comes and goes. The
audience sits In silence a moment and
each man eyes his nelghbor
Both Bald Headed Gents Wondering
ly)--Well, I'll be-
What difference lay between "sapho"
as rendered by Miss Nethersole and
"Sapho" as presented by Miss Roberts.
can be imagined when II Is known thai
the former set even base New York In
an uproar, that the police interviewed
and closed the house. and that the fair
actress herself had a narrow escape
from jail. In Ireland lately, the papers
attacked her with such ferocity that
she planted suit against them. where-
upon they all reprinted their notices,
with the names of their attorneys sub
Joined. The lady then cleared out. Miss
Roberts "Sapho' is In no danger OF
causing any such furore. whole
scene Is left out-that OF the spiral
staircase leading 90 sapho's room, up
which her lover carries her-many
speeches are eliminated aud more than
all, Miss Roberts makes no attempt TO
copy the Nethersole dress COR undress)--
her leers, her inuendoes and the shock
ing suggestiyeness OF her individual
Greatly TO her credit Is It,
that all such things are left out. and
being left out, Il must be confessed, the
only reason on earth why "Sapho"
should be talked about. vanishes. IL
simply becomes q very ordinary, fiat,
talky and uninteresting mass OF dla-
logue. There Is nothing In It that de-
serves the attention OF Miss Roberts or
her clever players, and they all seemed
TO be aware of II. A hundred actresses
we could name could do "Sapho' as
well as Miss Roberts did; not half a
dozen we can think OF could approach
her In "Zaza." Mr. Henderson simply
foundered In the coloriess part OF the
hapless Jean, and his regular casting
on and taking up again with Sapho,
almost raised litter, this was no fault
Of his, but OF the dramatlst. The others
did what they could with their parts,
but no one succeeded IN arouslng any
interest except the child. which did
its tantrums well. "Sapho" played II.
self out Saturday night, and we do not
find Il booked for second perform
ancc.
Tonight, for the first time here. 1.-THE
unwelcome Mrs, Hatch"