The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-15
Music and Drama

White Whittlesey presented "The Sec.
ono ~ Command, last seen here with
John Drew as the star. for the first time
during his Salt Lake engagement last
night IN Drew's role of Major Chris
topher Bingham. Mr.. Whittiesev con-
firmed the good impression created by his
Garner eltorts. comparison between
the western star and the older actor
would hardly be fair to Mr.. Whittlesey.
lie has not the support that Drew had
LOT one thing. and he has not had the
Years of experience on the stage-the ex-
perience that puts the deft mastery
touches into character deiinea ton.
ana yet, II YOU never saw Drew play
INC part you viii pronounce Mr.. White
sey very good indeed lie is so far su-
perior 10 the ordinary actor who attempts
10 star IN plays th9t have been given up
Dy better known men that much pleasure
may be derived from seeing him. Mr.
Whittlesey is sensible enough to play the
part as he understands it. not as Drew
understood II. Indeed. he never saw Drew
play II, and consequently there is no at
tempt at imitation
The Whittlesey Bingham and the Drew
Bingham are entirely different in every
thing except the lines. But the White
sey bingham is most human likeable
sort OF fellow. One cannot fail to SYM
pathize with him, because. in spite of his
hard knocks. he is = man with a big
brave heart, man who Is a man through
al ana II spite OF all. Mr.. Whttlesey
gave splendid example of repressed
emotion IN the third act where he learns
that he IS not TO go with his regiment to
the front, and later where he bids the
REGIMENT goodbye.
The Second in Command" is described
IS a comedy on the programme. We
should hardly call it that Rather is IT
drama The play contains a measure OF
comedy but the dominant note is the
serious note. There is no comedy in see
ing mans heart battered as if it were a
discarded t-ash boiler.
Tonight the same play will be presented
again by Mr.. Whittlesey and his com
pany. Tomorrow night Soldiers of For
tune will be PVT on.
a shivering audience at the Grand yes
terday afternoon saw Miss Blanche Bates
IN double bill. My Aunts Advice and
Madame Butterfly" With a small mat
inee house and the temperature decidedly
cold, the temptation of the company nat
urally would be to slight the performances
rms temptation was nobiy resisted. and
those who attended saw show which
not only entertained. but which tended
70 make the auditors carry away serious
tnoughts-thls in spite Of the fact that
Inc first one-act play is lively farce.
MISS Bates name appears on the pro-
gramme as Joint author with GEORGE Ar
liss of My AunCs Advice" She conse-
quentlv deserves credit as playwright
as well as In the capacity Of actress. The
sklt shows how a good fellow" who is
an intimate friend of the husband is
decidedly in the way during a honeymoon
The bride tries to get rid of the intruder
tion with him. The attempt succeeds
after some amusing situations, well sus-
tanned by Miss Bates. This PLAY gave
Salt Lskers their only opportunity during
this engagement TO see Miss Bates on the
stage IN the character of an American
woman.
Ia Madam Butterfly as I'm The Oar
ling of the Gods She is a japanese girl.
This little tale. familiar to readers of
fiction before il was dramatized deals
with little geisha girl who became the
temporary wife of an American naval Of
ncer. He leaves with his ship. promising
10 return. and she waits, waits and waits
with their little baby for his return At
last he comes, but accompanied BY his
American wife The little japanese girl
who has so faithfully awaited the return
OF her Ulysses. resisting gltttering offers
nom others. realizes that she was only a
plaything. She ends her life leaving the
child to the care CT the father Miss
Bates portrayal. aided by competent
support. brought out wildly the pathos
in the loyalty. the noble sacrifices and
long mistaken trust of the simple girl
contrasted strongly with the brutality of
the man whose cruelty grew out of
thoughtleSsness rather than intrinsic
viciOusness. A LITTLE exaegeration would
have meant bur,escTe. but Miss Bates
avoided deftly the danger line and held
her auditors throughout in grip Of SYM
pathy.
The enga cement. closed last evening With
another performance of The Darling of
the Gods