The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-23
Under the Lid at Coney
Peepiing
BY FRANKLIN FYLEs.

New York. June 21.-The Theatre
Gloria has a more ornate portal than
any other playhouse in all America. A
colossal statue of Thespis leans on the
arch of the entrance. and smiles down
on those who separate themselves from
the passing multitude TO go in. How
ever, the figure is not craven marble
but moulded plaster; for the Theatre
Gloria is on the Coney island edge OF
New York City, where the building law
does not require that things shall be
what they seem; and the frontage OF
this temple of dramatic art is merely
the outer end of narrow passage
leading back, between Chinaman's
chop suey restaurant and a Japanese
prize ball-rolling game, to a makeshift
auditorium no more than big enough tC
seat 200 persons before a dinky little
stage. The theatre bears the name OF
its principal actress, Gloria, and all
ever heard Of her before witnessing
one of her performances last Sunday
was what the barker told me under the
shadow of that gigantic Tespis. He
said that Gloria was a stage wonder. a
theatrical marvel, a dramatic genius
a greater actress than any other on
earth. Her next exposition would be d
finer Camille than Bernhardt or Mod
teska had ever embodied, and fixing his
eyes on me, he implored that. for my
own sake-not for .Gloria's. for what
was dime more -or~less to her to
buy $40 worth of dramatic delight for
10 cents. When l came out, a half
hour later, he was beseeching people
10 grasp the opportunity to see such
a representation of Leah the FOrsakeu
as stage history, from Rachel TO Clara
Morris, bore no record of for transcen-
dent genius And a seat costs you the
absurdly trivial sum of 10 cents he
argued; only the nickel that you'd
spend for one glass of beer. and the
dime you'd pay for a single highball.'
why cents more for Leah thar
for Gambler" 1 asked.
This is our busy day he answered
Indeed. last Sunday was all Coney
islands busiest day since it had be-
come a place Of diversion. The rail-
way and steamboat people calculate
that more than a quarter of a million
people went to the three-mile stretch
of seashOre during the afternoon and
evening. As the Theatre Gloria haC
been crowded by a twenty-dollar audi
ence for Camille, why not try to rise
10 thirty for Leah?
Gloria was a young woman who ha6
narrowly missed being handsome. She
had good facility as an emotional &C
tress; her voice was strong and f1exi-
BILE, and her method was correct; she
had gained effeCtuality by experience
that was clear; and her accent made il
equally sure that she was from Eng
land; so l suppose that a shrewo
American Snowman, in quest of nov
city for COney island, had found, in
the leading actress Of some tourinf
provincial company, a suitable woman
for his Theatre Gloria Daniel Froh.
man, as you may know. I'm that way
obtained a lovely personality for his
Lyceum stock company, and changed
her name from Martha Friend TO Mary
Mannering.
During this Sunday afternoon and
evening, Gloria acted twice in five
plays and once in three. That counted
UP thirteen in the twelve hours 'tWiXt
y o'clock and u again. Her schedule
called for one play per hour. but dra-
matte art is deplorably commercialize6
nowadays. The plays we're condensed
TO half an hour each, which left half ar
hour TO get one audience out. another
in, and permit Gloria and her company
TO change costume for the next piece
and on this rush day an extra per
Torrance was crowded in. The play.
We're ruthless condensations. Camille
had time only TO listen TO Armand.
fathers appeal, break Armand's hear
along with her own. and die coughing
I'm his arms. Leah could but hastily
endure her apOstate lovers perfidy, anC
curse him.
Lady Isabel eloped in a hurry. so as
TO return as Madame Vine and die pit
eously. Juliet was wooed in her bal
cony, and agonized in the potion scene
As Claude Melnotte i'm THE Lady OF
Lyons" she delivered the Lake Como
rhapsody. as Ophelia in Hamlet" she
went mad, and as Parthenia in lingo
mar she tanned the barbarian. And
her days work brought in about $500
Fake? Oh, wei, I don't know. She
was welcome to s. cents of my money
x X
You are not to believe, because | an
prone TO describe curious things more
readily than consequential ones, thai
Coney island is a place of snide and
catchpenny altogether. Why, the en-
nual fireworks spectacle this summer
illustrates Sheridan's ride, and for {
pyrotechnic display gives the fight ei
the Monitor and the Merrimac with
boats that float in wet water, and gun:
that shoot skyrockets in rainbow col
ors. One, Of the opera houses has g
band which Sousa leads. One of tn,
theatres has a dramatic company CIV
ing a change Of standard plays week.
ly, and another presents the very best
in vaudeville. Really big scenic show.
are plentiful. This weeks divulgence,
Of that kind include The Wreck IF h,
Corsair," which. with it's calm fisher.
hamlet followed by a tremendously
realistic sea storm. wreck and rescue
would make the setting for populal
melodrana. a mena gerfe OF trained
lions, tigers and other beastly terrOrs
has woman tanner newly scratched b.
rebellious brute and a sacred whit,
elephant" Al least as honest IS TIL
one over which Barnum once made
great ado. AiTshiDs sail and balloons
soar as minor incidents. Luna parl
and Dreamland has each a free circus
good enough TO go on tour indepen
But. somehow. / find myself turnni
instinctively from straight big thing
to crooked little ones for humor's sake
Side by side, for instance, are "Th
Hold-up" and "SalOme." the one show
ing an exploit Of American train rob
bers, from many a current melOdrama
and the. other the Egyptian maiden'