Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-31
snecinl corresnondence.


and big hearted woman Mrs Mckee
Rankin. is desperately III. and In sore
financial straits. There Is no woman
on the stage who has done more to help
others in her own profession in FER
time, and from the days when as Kit
tie Blanchard she was the beauty Of
the old Union Square company, ana
played Henrietta In the original pro"
duction OF "rhe Two Orphans there
IS no actress who has served the puo-
lie more faithfully than she.
Her last big hit It Will be remembered,
was as the talkative boarding house
keeper in clyde Fltch's The Girl and
the Judge" During the past SIX
months Mrs. Rankn's illness has called
for series Of most expensive opera
tons and although both her daugh-
ters have done everything IN their
power to help In financial way. me
actress finds herself now, when her .ll-
ness is more helpless than ever, al
most entirely without funds,
Miss Maude Adams, Miss virginia
Harmed MICS Annie Russell and Miss
Odette Tyler are among she Leading
actresses who have promised to ASSIST
in raising testimonial for Mrs. Ran
kin and, with the collaboration or sew
erai OF the managers IT Is expected
that benefit will be arranged for the
veteran actress very shortly.
In response 10 many requests Rich
ard Mansfield, on Monday night, reviv-
ed the Naturalization OF hawthorne 3
'Scnrlet Letter" which he produced
several years ago AT Days. This stage
piece once had an author-a hack
author, who did his utmost to iaw-
thorne But so many people have TAX
en- hack at him in turn that his iden-
tlty has been lost I'm the chips, ana
his name has disappeared from he
program. The novelist himself has
Jared as HIN fact, though not IN
name.
The original novel, Il need scarcely
here be said. is a work VI distinguished
genius. When II appeared 30 years ago
n was at once recognized as such, ana
succeeding decades have only intensi-
fed the general impression of It's I'M
nginative strength. and OF its austefe
md elevated spirituality. In It's own
sphere It stands first among American
novels and there Is nothing compar-
able TO It In any literature short OF the
few great world masterpieces.
Last night AT the New Amsterdam it
appeared ms thing of shreds and
patches. There was now and again a
fine speech from the book or scene
OF potential drama. But the narrative
upon which they We're strung together
were flimsy and unreal when II was not
quite unlntelligible. And horror up hor-
rors, the whole was diversified by an
under plot OF comic lovers
II II not to be expected That Mr..
Mansfield, or any actor, could infuse
into this sort of thing the pulse OIL
dramatic life Still less could he create
FOR MS the Hawthornesque atmosphere
of geld spirituality and fateful fantasy.
Tor the most part ones heart was
touched, ones coul unillumined. such
few moments of emotional conviction
ns there were depended largely upon
pne's memory Of the book.
But none the less the portrayal OF
Arthur Dimmesdale was throughout
The work of an actor OF great dramatic
endowments and compelling magma
zion. Mr.. Mansfeld's mannerisms, SC
conspicuous IN Don Carlos were toi
fhe most part In allegiance. His pres
ence was striking and masterful with
out nose, his motion full Of UNAFFECTED
plastic grace His voice shone forth In al
Ats richest colors OF crimson and gold
that faded at last In th& death cene,lnt'
the dusk Of splendid twilight, Th'
huge theater was crowded and the au
dlence showed Its appreciation by IONS
continued applause. But the hre o
great and real enthusiasm was lacking
The first act II will be remembered
eliminates IN the scene on the pillor!
rcaffold In which Dimmesdate IN nj
character Of minister, defends his Sc
the nilTitpnl
cal anger Of the crowd. The line VIII
which the scene ends-"Let him that j
without sin among you cast the mrs
stone"--does not occur In the novel an
A. not without suggestion OF theatre
obviousness Last night the suggestion
WAS intensified by a too speedy desceh
of the curtain. But the passage re
vealed Mansfield In moment OF YER
characteristic mower and with repe
tltion should prove vastly effective In
conception Of the concluding scene O
the playin which Dimmesdale supporte
nv Hester publicly confesses his gui
and bares to the crowd the stigma Q
guilt on his bosom, Il at once dramati
and true and for a moment the auui
ence was aware Of the potentialities G
the theme and of the powers OF the &C
Tor to realize them.
The supporting company were Qui'
adequate to the material they WotNe
IN. The malignant and NindictlNe nav
OF Roger Chlllingworth none TOO cor
vincing In the novel was barely sut
Rested IN the scenes of the play y
presented by A. c. Andrews the char
meter was picturesque In physical dc
5ormity and admirable In the maEeu
OF It's lean and intellectual face.
fhe comic lover Henry Wenman II
vealed an unction worthy Of bette
cause. Vivian Bernard and AIM
Halfway gave vigorous portraits
two vlragos, and Irene Prahar WI
sympathetic as a kindly Puritan mait
en-.
The Hester Prynne Of FlorenC
Rockwell was really notable creatlol
picturesque IN presence and command
ing In manner, with 81 very unusui
blending OF passion and imagination
This performance also, intensified u
regret that the play was not MOI
nearly adequate TO It's interpreters
well as to It's original
Around the character OF Linco'
md his life IN the White House du
1ng the darkest days OF the civil wa
BENJAMIN Chaplin has built pla
which was produced for the first tim
at the Liberty Theater on Monda
night ana held the attenllun OF u
audience from the first act to the las
The author took the title part, thi
of Lincoln himself
Mr. Chaplin himself resembles II
great president closely I'm height az
in build. The picture he presente
was that Of tall, ungalnly man wit
legs stretching away somewhere ini
space and a peculiar gait. AS he wei
through the acts Of the play recitir
many Of Iincoln's familiar stories u
audience followed him with evidei
sympathy.
The scenes IN the play are laid
the White House with one exception
I'm the first act Lincoln. the man"
portrayed surrounded by Mrs, Lincol
tad" Lincoln and Kate Morris, Mr.
1lncnln,a nlece. about whom Is Mnve