The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-14
WHY ONE PLAY FAILED AND ANOTHER SUCCEEDS
BY FRANKLIN FYLEs.

logue and dialogue, with plot so sim
PIE as 10 demand no skill in construc-
ton. A former actor is now q clergy
man. The actress in whose company ne
was a minor member Is now Lady
bcunuful in society. They recognize
each other Old times are recalled.
with the humOT of Oue-night towns
and the sentiment which then existed
between them. They remember her as
Juliet ard him in all the male roles Of
the tragedy except Romeo. They laugh
ingiy recite a little from the parting
scene in the fiction that leads 10 their
making "a new alliance" in matrimony.
This comedietta was q contribution 20
matinee entertainment of Ihe Actors
Church Alliance. It was acted with
that quiet grace which looks 50 vere
easy as 10 make amateurs believe they
can do quite as well.
A demonstration Of the folly Of those
amateurs who subject themselves 10
professional tests was afforded at this
same matinee. Everything in the bin
with one execution was the work of ex-
peTts. Romeo nd juliet I'D to Date"
was the sorry attempt of two nOvices
-eStimable women in society and in
the cause Of the church-and-stag
mOyement-tO write and perform
a buFlesque Of the Shakespeare tFag-
edy- The younger one was so futile IN
her freshness as Juliet, so pOintiess
and clumsy, that it seemed as though
nothing more inexcusabie could be put
before an audience in which people
from stageland abOunded. But she was
subtlaty and grace persOnifed when
placed alongside the WaddliDg matron
VINO tried TO be lightly sportive as Ro-
meo. The programme had been mace
longer than the time between ] o'clock
and 8 would hold. and the assemblage,
slow to assent to the omission Of en- act
Of The Virginia" was quick to be
vexed when it saw what stuff had been
retained instead. 'Eomeo and Juliet
Up to Date" was the final piece. The
people began TO disperse as soon as the
utter inc0mpetency of the two anna
teurs was manifest, and when the mis-
guided women sang topical songs, with
accompanying dances, the exits became
clOgged IN sway 70 startle the attaches
with the thought of q panic. Scarce
100 Ct the 1000 who had been in the
thestre were there when the curtain
went down
The Actors Church Alliance was orig
mated and has been industriOusly pro-
NOTED by the Rev. Walter L. Bentley,
once a player. It has Bishop Henry C
Potter and Actor Joseph Jefferson for
president and vice president. The Rev.
Thomas G. SlfceT and Actress Rosa
Rand are the official heads Of the local
chapter The sincere and at least
harmless object Of the OTganiZat ton is
10 remove the religious. moral and So
cial barriers between the churches and
the theatres. Mr.. Blossoms play, with
its suggestion of Mr.. Bentley in the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS hero. was po-
litely pertinent to the occasion. So
was 1.-THE Sacrament of Judas" IN
which the religio-ethical problem rev
eTentially presented of an ap0state
priest Of the Roman Catholic church
hearing the confession Of a prOfiigate
and granting absolution. These two
men are in love with the same girl. The
sin of one, repented only in the face
Of death, is that of wrong doing. So
the other, who is biameless morally,
though guilty of the religious offense
Of renOuncing holy orders, is wrenched
and torn by conflicting emotions. The