The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-15
Music and Drama

All Of the eloquent sermons are not de-
liVered from pulpits; all of the great
prea chers do not wear broadcloth and
white ties Miss Blanche Walsh gave US
a sermon last night Nothing more sur
passngly eloquent has ever been heard
in Salt Lake. The dominant note OF
Resurrection Is gloom, but there Is an
eXaltatiOn about it that cannot fail to
strike to the depths of the hearers heart
We see vice and sorrow and deSra Ga ton
stripped of the last vestige OF attractive
ness, mercileSsly laid bare before our
eyes but somehow we know there Is
good in it: we know that beneath the vile
eXteriors beat hearts that are good ana
There are women in the world as bad
was MaSlOVa. We know II, and IN
our Pharasaism we thank God we don't
see them very often. And when we do
see them we forget that at some time,
not far distant. perhaps. they were as IN
nOcent as innocence. as pure as purity we
forget that their temptation was greater
than frail humanity could Withstand
The desire to drift into sermOniZing after
seeing Resurrection is all but ire
sistible.
Miss Walsh. always fsvorite in Salt
Lake seems 10 have found at last a play
that is entirely worthy of her The high
est tribute that can be paid TO her art IS
the simple statement that she made US
forget she was acting. tt was life we
looked at. not the life. praise the Lord.
that many of us are familiar with. but
the life that some Of Us are too familiar
with. We saw her first the fresh coun-
try girl. The curtain rose again and We
saw her in prison. sunk to unbelievable
depths. surrounded by creatures so vile
that one hesitates TO describe them by
the sweet name of woman. She smoked
her cigarette. she drank her brandy, she
displayed her spirit of commercialism.
One could not see il without shuddering:
one cannot remember II without horror.
So the curtain went down. IL rose again
on another Masloya. the Masloya who is
trying to climb out Of the depths the
MasOva who says in tones that vibrate
Wit ut n he dc all lr1ff
are true as we know when the sun shines:
Men won I let woman OF our class
change And last the Wayside camp on
[ the siberian road, a scene 50 faithful
that the audience shivers with the cold
of il. MaSiOVa is redeemed and we know,
as the final curtain falls. that the resur-
yOnd praise in her every scene. There
are really only two good parts in the
other is the part of Dimitri. Alexander
Won MitZel-that sounds RusSian-was the
Dimitri' If Mr.. Won MitZel is not heard
from in high places in the dramatic world
II will be because real art Is not appre-
ciated. There must be strong tempta-
tons for him to OVerdo the part a times,
but he never succumbs TO them He acts
as we can well imagine a man OF con-
science would act under such circum-
stances but as very few men do act.
The play is staged after WagenhaIs &
I Kemper's usual careful fashion. The set
tings are true and satisfactory in every
detail and the costumes are all that could
pc desired. Inc company Is an unusually
( strong one. even the minor bits being in
capable hands. The enga cement of Miss
Walsh runs through Wednesday night
with a matinee on Wednesday,
They call it 'The Brand of Cain at
the Grand. but r. $. Willard would call
il The Middleman." And THE Middle
man" It is. The difference is that If
The Middleman'' We're played under its
real and true name. somebody might be
called on for royalties. although the man
ager explains il all with the statement
that he calls the play The Brand of
cain because the show lithograph peo-
pie have The Brand of CAIN paper in
stock. Thus it is apparent that a rea-
sonable explanation for everything can
be found.
The company is really an excellent one.
Willard Newell plays the part of the
potter. He doesn't do it as well as E S.
willard, because he is too much inclined
10 strain his voice. II ne would only sub
due that tendency. and he may some
time, Mr.. Newell will undoubtedly reach
high rank. Last might he was warmly
received in many instances and his work
was really more than clever
The other members of the company all
or whom were seen here not long, since in
-0ne Night in June are capable people
The Brand of Cain. better known as
The Middleman,' will be seen at the
Grand twice today. matinee and evening
The engagement closes tonight.