Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-20
ACTON DAVIES ON
NEW YORK THEATERS.

back on him. Suddenly he breaks
drown crying, Judge, if they prove !
did do 1t, for Gods sake sentence me
for life so that l win never have to
look into my wife's eyes" The death
Of the child still haunts him. The
crime and its penalty by comparison
with his wlfe's wrath becomes insignif-
cant. Detail this man." exclaims the
Judge TO an attendant, and he Is led
off The next instant the half-witted
brother IN recalled. The Judge speaks
gently to him now He tells him that
he Is free, that he may go home. But
my brother says the boy apprehen-
slyely, cant he come, too" NO, he
viii have to stand his trial" The boy
bursts into tears and declares that IL
was not his brother that committed the
crime. The judge pats him kindly on
the shoulder, tells him to go home once
more. and the play ends as the lad
shufiles sobblng out of the room. One
OF the most remarkable features OF this
extraordinary series Of performances
by Mr. DeVrles, that not only In facial
expression, gesture speech and intona-
ton, are all these characters distinct,
but some of them are tail men, and
some short Not only as a novelty, but
as genuine artistic sensation this lit
tie play and his actors great work
scored an immense success.
James j. Corbetts appearance as IL
star at Days In a dramatlzation of
George Bernard Shaw's "Cashel By
ron's Profession" was decided flash
In the pan for the popular fistlc cham
pion Of other days and as a matter of
artistic justice II must be recorded that
the blame for the failure does not lie
at Mr. Corbett's door. AS matter of
fact. he personally made a rather
agreeable impression. He certainly IL
a hard worker and evinces no end OF
enthusiasm for his new art. The play
does not show him TO nearly as good
advantage az either Gentleman Jim
or Pals" and a very large majority
Of the first night audiences were griev-
ously disappointed that he did not have
anything 10 do with his fists If the
play had had some action and a little
more backbone it would probably have
tloated Mr., Corbett successfully
through this season at all events. 1t
still may do so on the road, as his sea-
son at DAYS ends tonight, but It has
not been definitely settled yet, whether
or not the play should go on tour. AS
a matter of fact in these days when
failure succeeds failure you can't blame
the managers for thinking twice before
rlsking any more money on a play
which has already failed to draw
Broadway's approval. one of the eve
ming papers remarked the other night
that IL the succession Of failures goes
on at this rate there VIII be no fall
ures for next year and this Is by no
means an exaggerated statement OF the
theatrical season at the present mo-
ment.
The managers are literally at their
wits end for an attraction. Not only
for New York, but to keep the theaters
open In various parts OF the country
Scarcely day goes by now which does
not bring the announcement of the clos
Ing Of some play which started out IN
flying colors less than two months ago
"rhe Prodigal Son" is one of the lat
est to reach the storage warehouse.
This play was first acted by very high
priced cast and failed Then after It's
scenery had been almost entirely de-
stroyed by fire at the Grand opera
house, the Liebler company. nothing
daunted, ordered a new production and
sent out a cheaper company to play it
in those theaters where melodrama Is
always supposed TO thrive. But even in
these playhouses, the 'Prodigal Son"
failed to get even a slice of the fattei
calf. THE Redemption OF David Cor
son." Lottie Blair PaTkers dramatiza-
ton OF the Rev. Mr., Goss' story, has
proved quite as bad a hodge podge in
the way of play as those two other
dramas by clergymen, "As Ye Sow
and THE Clansman." The story is so
wildly improbable and It's climax Is so
weak that It couldn't be even accepted
seriously In the Third Avenue theater
Alfred Sutro Is the latest OF the Eng
fish dramatlsts to reach America. He
has come over to superlntend the re-
hearsals of The Fascinating Mr. Van
degrift," which is TO open with Miss
Ellis Jeffreys and Frank Worthing at
Days theater next Monday. Mr., SUI
tro has arrived just In time to see the
last performances of THE Walls OF
Jericho" In which James X. Hackett
and Miss Mary Mannering have been
acting at the Savoy since early In Oc-
tober Mr.. Hackett Is compelled to
withdraw the play for the present as
according 10 his contract with the
author Of "The House of Silence" he IL
obliged 10 present that play In New
York before the first OF February. In
the new play Mr. Hackett win act a
character part. 1t is a sort OF ealIband