Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-01

grave. As his words are uttered, the
frantic mother tears the door open and
reveals an empty threshold.
The grim little tragedy just describ-
ed was written by Jacobs with Louis
N. Parker, and Mrs. Humphrey Ward
also had the assistance Of this faclle
collaboration in writing her play,
Agatha" which was given az a spec
cidl matinee at Trees theater this
week. Unfortunately IL cannot be
prophecied that Agatha" will be done
In the United states where Mrs. Ward
has so many admirers, for although
more stageworthy than her dramatiza-
ton Of Eleanor" the authoress's new
piece makes but feeble impression,
Surprisingly enough It proves old-fash-
Toned to a degree, the plot revolving
round a typically nty-hearted stage
father and his attempt to force his
daughter into a marriage OF convent
ence A touch OF novelty is given to
this time-worn situation by the fact
that the girl secretly loves the man at
whose head she Is thrown but taken
as a whole the piece has few qualities
beyond the literary ones to be expect
ed in anything written by Mrs. Hum
phry Ward. 1t will be given at other
special performances but is not likely
to be put on for a run.
Not since the production OF 1.-THE
Sunken Bell" has Gerharr Hauptmann
had anything like as big a success as
that attained by his new play, "Elga."
This piece was produced at the Leasing
theater Berlin before a distinguished
audience, a few nights ago, and at the
end Hauptmann had to appear before
the curtain over dozen times. "Elga'
Is unlike any OF Hauptmanns previous
works. The story. told briefly is this:
A German knight Is on his way
TO the king Of poland's court. lie
stops overnight I'm a monastery, where
he Is attended by one OF the humblest
OF the monks From the window or
the rather weird guest-chamber I'm the
tower Of the monastery he sees the
ruins OF n dismantled castle belonging
10 the Polish Count Starshenski, who
founded and endowed the monastery
with all his wealth. Fatigued by his
Journey, the knight falls asleep IN his
chair and dreams, His dream 10 given
In the ensuing six scenes OF the play
which follow one another without any
intermlssion, He sees the Count star
shenskl aa he once lived i'm the world,
lAAH anu HhlHg ~ INV IlN0s'NNAbll VI HlN
beautiful wife, Eliza, and their child.
But the dream shows how the wife de-
ceived her husband and how the no.
bleman murdered first the lover and
then the woman and finally renowned
the world. In the last scene OF the
play we again have the guest chamber
In the monastery with the German
knight awaking. lie calls his servant
and they resume their Journey after
having been served by the humble
brother who is Of course, Count STAR
shenski
All Paris IS talking OF the striking
opera which Alfred Buueau has made
out OF Emilio Zola's Infant King, This
young French composer really has per-
formed remarkable feat, for his work
just misses being great despite the
fact that the author worked with the
most unpromisng material, so lar as
musical ends are concerned For HOla's
book a. not only written I'm prose.
but Il absolutely characterize of its
author--n sordid little tale OF a Pa
rislan bakery Yet NJ. Buneau's score
Is full Of vitality and of fresh fine
colors. The orchcstration, too, Is
generally described az a wonder OF
real richness. The work was pro-
duced az the Opera Comique this week
and win be a regular item OF the repcr-
toire there in the future
CURTIS BROWN.