Truth. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1901-1908, 1905-12-23
By Harry lie Grande.

lowed, JudI though some OF nature s
journeymen had made them, they imi-
tated humanity so abominably."-
Hamlet
When Hamlet spoke the above lines,
he used prophetic words, for surely
the melancholy Dane must have
caught glimpse of this, the year of
our Lord, 1905. From the box-office
standpoint the year has been pletho-
ric. Looked at from other points of
view-at players and plays-the past
twelve months have been somewhat
dfsproportioned.
sNever before in the history of old
Salt Lake has so much money been
poured into the Golfers of the play
houses With the tide of prosperity
rising higher and higher, astute man.
ayers have taken it at the flood and
with 1t fioated on to fortune. The au-
ditorium has been generous, but has
the stage been equal in it's merit? In
a.general sense, surely not, in few
instances, decidedly yes. Nobody,
however, blames the managers-our
local managers, at least-because con-
ditions were such as they have BEEN
Things have come our way, not
through any local conspiracy, but be-
cause the rails were creased else
where, and, at the drop of the flag,
they were off," before the fool-killer
had time to wake up.
Nor can this condition be ascribed
to a scarcity of stars-big actors and
actresses-for the sky hereabouts has
fairly played with matured and bud
ding genius Indeed the theatric sky
has had Milky-way of closely
crowded stars. One engagement after
another has scattered star-dust all
along the line. The greatest disap.
pointment has not been the lack of
new material, either for that also has
been provided as never before. The
main trouble has been the poor quail
ty of the productions, themselves. But,
while mediocrity has stallled the stage
t"strutted and bellowed"-it has,
more than of yore, obtruded itself in
the lines and situations of the drama.
So, if Hamlet had used the word
plays" instead of players as quoted
in the beginning of this article, its
special reference to 1905 could not be
doubted.
1t has often. been said, "the plays
the thing" and there is truth in every
lIe NO
ter what the ability of an actor, or the
personality of an actress, there must
be some vehicle in which to ride, else
there be an awkward creaking of
cheap shoes. Take Florence Roberts
in Paul Armstrong; play, Ann La
mont" There are others, know, but
this will serve. At the time, / criti-
cised this drama sufficiently to indi-
cate my poor opinion of its claim to
anything above the commonplace. In
deed it's construction showed more
than the usual paucity of strong stu
atoms and opportunity for climaxes.
What could Miss Roberts do, left as
she was distressingly between the ex'
pected which did not happen and the
unlooked-for which was ever present?
AS result, Miss Roberts, shorn of
her winged chances, failed to reach
her legitimate heights. She was, be-
cause of this, unjustly criticised by a
press previously disposed in her favor.
The general impression made by Miss
Roberts was undeniably to her disad'
vantage as an actress. But, the rea-
son for it all, as l saw it, was, not
because she was less the artistic, but
because Mr.. Armstrong had failed to
hold his own mirror at the proper
angle. Indeed the plays the thing,
and if Ann Lamont" had been crea-
t,rra with hoclxhOpa and red blood.