The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-25

New York, March cc3,-Richard Mans
field is Americas Henry Irving in
more wayo than that aboriginal re-
mark indicates. Mansfield's strong in
dividuality, like Irving's is never hid
den in his stage assumptions, yet his
versatility enables him to make great
differences among the nine character
lzatlons Of a fortnight's visit. The new
one here IS the soldierly Don Carlos, in
vivid contrast with, say, the fOppish
Beau Brummell and the grotesque Mr..
Hyde Mansfield is like Irving in MAX
Ing choice Of literary plays and pro-
dueing them with dramatic art Also.
like Irving in the belize that there were
people who wanted better theatrical
amusement than most Of that which
they were getting, ana that he was the
man 10 give il TO them. And, again,
he is like Irving in paying a larger
salary TO press agent than to any
member Of his acting company IFV-
ing never changed that aid, nor as yet
has Mansfield during years of real and
pretended idiosyncracies.
The story Of Mansfield's first dis
tinctiOn as Baron CheVrial, after the
part had been declined at rehearsal by
John H StOddart, is not too old to get
an addition by Maude Harrison, upon
seeing him anew in "A Partisan Ro-
nance"
1T was the supper scene, at the first
performance by the Palmer stock COM
pany," said Miss Harrison, and 1 as
the dancing girl sat beside the aged
prOfiigate. Mansfield hadn't rehearsed
much, and so. when / saw that he was
captivating the audience, 1 whispered
eneouFag ingly, for his big death scene
was Just ahead, You're hitting 'em,
Mr.. Mansfield
q" That's what I'm here for he re-
piled
Then / felt that Mansfield would
never need any patting on the back
he's be able to pat himself"
Mansfield's resOlute and confident IN
1ertalxing, to place himself in dramatic
authority is shown at its full achieve
ment in his production of Don Car
los" What reader Of SchilleT's s0ggily
literary play has expected to see II
performed in English? What actor
other than Mansfield, now that Irving
80 dead, could put it on the stage hand
somely without serious loss of money
and popularity? The achievement, as
made In Chicago months ago, was SO
widely reported that an account of it
as repeated in New York is not needed.
It is, after all, mere addition to
the Mansfield repeFtoFy, and will be
used but four times during his en-
the Mansfield public, with all it's salts
faction of curiosity, equally with some
of the plays old in his list. Not for
Don Carlos" but for The Scarlet
Letter" was the advance sale of seats
largest, with DIR. Jekyl and Mr.
Hyde" second and Beau Brummel'
third. One of Mansfield's rewards for
taking up monumental plays, it is
odd to note, comes in dollars at the
rate of five hundred and upwards per
week that he does not pay to authors.
Not one of his nine pieces calls for any
royalty Like the beloved Joseph JEFF
ferson, who never paid a cent Of roy
atty in his life, the admirable Rich
ard Mansfield cannot be regarded as a
patron of dramatic authorship.
IVY Ashton Root avoided making
herself known TO New York first and
solely as the author of THE Greater
Love" the only seriously intended
drama of the week, b. having it men
toned in the preliminary announce
ments that she is a niece of EIihu
Root, secretary of state. And there
was no -concealment of the fact that
ShafteF Howard, author of the weeks
musical farce His Majesty" is a
gentleman Of wealth and leisure who
has expended some Of both in the ven