Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-02-24
PLAYHOUSES OF THE METROPOLIS
BY Acton Davies.

actor could possibly make the priests
role score against 1t, and when In addi-
tion, Mr. Standing acts with a surer.
truer and more commanding touch than
he has ever shown before. the result Is
not surprising. Mr.. Skinner. In trying
to curb his romantic method to fit the
bearing Of the priest, became In many
scenes STACEY and artificial. II was a
case OF the old-fashioned method OF
acting warning unsuccessfully against
the new There were scenes though, In
which Mr., Skinner read his long
speeches with great power and elo-
quence, but to even his warmest adj
mirers It was evident that he was not
the type Of actor to have played this
particular role. An even greater error
had been made in casting Miss Fay Da-
Wis for the role of that particularly ar
dent duchess. One might just as well
have asked an iceberg to have fit OF
Mysteries or the scarlet fever An ex-
cellent Coincidence and a most admir-
able actress when In certain lines, her
New England temperament and rearing
had made 1t quite impossible for her to
simulate the duchess state of mind and
body In even the most superficial way
The role Is full OF a not altogether
suppressed emotion which poor Miss
Davis could not even feebly express.
There Is no question that this perform
ance hurt the play seriously.
The role OF the old bishop, on the 9TH
err hand was most beautifully played
by Mr., Eben Plympton.
To turn from "The Duel" to such a
bright and breezy little play as David
| Grays dramatzatlon OF his novel Gal
| lops' at the Garrick may have been a
very big drop from a literary point OF
via kttt 1t1E ~.
! particularly as on the night that was
| at "Gallops" the audience was treated
| to an impromptu, but most exciting bit
OF stage business, In the last act Mr..
| Charles Richman as the hero comes on
| riding horse which plays n most i'm
| portant part In the plot. The horse
made its entrance successfully enough,
and Mr.. Rlchman, q rather heavy
weight jockey, by the bye, was astride
OF him, when suddenly there was an
awful crash and the horse vanished
through the stage. In some miraculous
way Mr.. Richman succeeded in cutting
himself out OF this disappearing spe-
| clalty but he held on 10 his presence
of mind right enough, and with Miss
Grace Kimball, Miss Filkin and the
other actors on the stage started to ex-
temporize lines and stop business until
his poor quadruped had recovered him
self sufficiently to come on again and
take up his cue.
What had really happened was this,
The stage trap on which the horse
happened to be standing at the moment
mad suddenly given way, and the horse
dropped a distance OF some FIVE or six
feet landing with all four feet on a
table In the green room, where two OF
the orchestra players were engaged In
"A OF M NJ nil 7, 80.
until we read the accounts OF the ac-
cident In the following mornings pa
pers that we OF the audience could
account for the sudden volley OF lncom-
prehenslble German oaths which arose
from the hole In the stage Immediately
after the horse disappearance. The only
persons who were really injured were
the four queens which one OF the play-
ers had Just turned, on whose counten-
ances one OF the horses hoofs landed
with disastrous effect. And by the way.
speaking or pinochle reminds me, that
there Is scarcely q theater In town
where this fascinating game IA not in-
obliged In behind the scenes al almost
every performance, Poker and bridge
are barred by nearly all the stage man.
ayers, who evidently realize that hui
man nature Is only human nature and
even the most conscientious OF actors
could scarcely be strong enough 10 re-
slst drawing to full house or royal
straight, IN order to take up such a
trivial matter as his cue. Phoebe, pos
sessing more soothing charms, Is gener-
ally permitted and saves many an actor
ana actress from succumbing TO ennui
during the long waits between the
scenes. '''O
Miss Marie Dressler OF the "Twiddle
TWaddle' was the lady pinochle cham.
mon behind the scenes. but IN mi.
year play she Is kept so constantly mn
the stage that she has no time TO m
dulge In such a frivollty as card play.
ing but the most inveterate pinochl,
mend OF them all is David Warfieid
whenever old Hen Barring isn't on thp
stage In the play Of the Music Mas.
Ter you can be perfectly certain ina,
Mr.. Wariield and his valet Tony arc m
the throes OF an exciting plnochle con.
test IN the star dressing room. Tony e.
such an expert that at last accounts Mr
Warneld was owing him no less than
SlSQ,OVO In stage money But TO return
TO "Gallops" for the momentl II is !
cheery little play dealing with the Ions
island hunting set. and Is excaedinoIv
wen acted by a cast which Includes
Charles Rtchman. Frances Starr who
makes an unusually piduante ana mn,
affected heroine Miss Grace Kin1baii
Miss Grace F'ilklns and w. Kinnho II
The biggest individual hit in the cast
was scored by W. NJ. Hawtrey as the
honest groom Wv
But speaking OF hits reminds mo tina,
all the individual successes Of the sea .
son pale into insignificance before IN 4,