Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-04
Correspondence.

n Jew YORK, March l,-Extreme
attenuation marks the produce
VI tlon aspect OF the current week
in metropolitan amusements.
Probably, indeed, there will not be an
other extensive series of new stage rep
reservations in any one week between
now and the end OF Lent. Managers
naturally fight shy Of making invest
ments at a time OF year bordering upon
the pentental period when amuse-
ments ~ time OF year bordering upon
those plays which nave gone over the
better part of the season remain upon
the shelf until Easter. The only novel;
ties facing US at the moment are a new
play by julie Herne, daughter OF the
late James A. Herne, presented for
series OF matinees at the Manhattan
theater; an experiment In the rendering
of three short pieces u night by Frank
Keenan,, and specially organized COM
pany at the Berkeley Lyceum, and the
revival Of "Boccacio" by FRITZ Scheft
as mld-week diversion at the Broad
way--a not over stimulating card, 1t
will be perceived Miss Hernes drama
is a family affair produced by her
mother and played in by helw2lf and her
sister, crystal Herne. 1t Is called
"Richter's Wife," and contains but
eight characters, none OF them new 20
the stage. The story is rather thin and
the dialogue Is what might be expected
from an immature girl with desire for
authorship rather than fully devel-
opcd capacity to write. 1t must not be
inferred from this comment that Miss
Herne Is necessarily without a future
Ia. a.l aA ha ,ha 10 la
for she undoubtedly possesses a certain
talent that may bring forth desirable
fruit with experience and application,
1t would indeed have been surprising II
her FIRST effort had accomplished
larger measure Of success, for playwrit-
ing like any other literary pursuit,
calls for the technical knowledge which
can be gained only from repeated en-
deayor. "Rlchter's Wife" therefore,
may be but a stepping stone for Miss
Herne's shapely feet, and as such It Is
not to be roughly showed aside
Mfr. Kcenan's debut as New York
manager at the Berkeley Lyceum seems
at first sight to be in the nature OF
foregone defeat--for the Lyceum Is a
wee bit OF a playhouse in a side street,
remote from the surgng thoroughfares
first and last has been sunk in efforts
to make ii pay This Is where
Mrs, Osborn's playhouse scheme
went down to inevitable coli
lapse, and Il Is where a lot Of
managers have been nlpped by the
frost. Of financial reverse, Still on
the other hand, IT was at the Berkeley
.yceun that Arnold DAILY last season
made candida familiar to this COM
mmity and incidentally laid the foun-
dation OF his rise 20 starhood now FIRM
~ fixed In Bernard Shaw's you New
err Can Tell" at the Garrlck theater,
where his run viii evidently last until
the balm Of late sprngtlme sweetens
the atmosphere, So far, II Mr.. Keenan,
delivers the goods, there Is chance
that he too, may gain what he is seek
ing, even under the unfayorable con-
dltlons of his environment. The int
ul program includes AT the Thresh-
hold" which shows how a professional
burglar finds himself in a situation
where he is enabled 10 protect a woman
and preserve the honor Of man. In
this piece there IL q very strong cli-
max in which Mr., Keenan,, as the burg
lar gives us an exhibition Of rare
power. The second playlet IL called
'Stroillng Players" and Is an adapta-
lion OF the story OF "Paglacci" the
well known operate work The final
item on the bill is the grotesque COM
edy adapted from Edgar Allen Poe's
"Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" and
called, In It's present guize, THE Sys-
ZEN of Dr. Tarr" Mr.. Keenan, has
surrounded himself with thoroughly
capable players, including Grace FIJI
<lns and others OF established repute'
Frltzl Scheff's revival OF ''Boccaclo,"
postponed from Monday evening, re-
tuires no extended comment further
than the communication which must be
h,stowed upon the actress and singer
FOR her charming individual work as
the dnshlng young cavalier OF the OPP
era. The personatlon Is most credita-
hle from every viewpoint, and In fact
better thnn any OF it's predecessors, In
This country Mt least, The whole pro-
ductlon has been made upon most
lavish scale, obviously very crafty
lpq 10 the admirers OF this type or en-
lortainnnct. Of whom there are vast
number, az shown by the remarkable
success Of the "Fatlnitza' revival at
this theater
when william A. Brady arranged
10 bring Wright Dorlmer back to New
York for q protracted run II was his
intention to fairly Guido himself IN
The Advertising FIELD. lie had arranged
not alone FOR n vast display Of printed
matter on the bill boards, hut laid
out campaign Of full page
advertisements In all the prominent
newspapers But when II came to
putting his plan into execution Mr..
BRADY found himself face 10 face with
the nat prohibition OF the Theatrical
Managers association, which Is made
up Of all the managers OF FIRST class
theaters In New York, excepting David
Belasco, who goes II alone" When
this combination was formed some
months ago. Il was decided TO do away
with window lIthographs and billboard