The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-19
ADJUSTMENTS

/ SOruld treatment OF raw french iuedlS, ~
the tune of about three productions
season, and has attempted an American
play he has slipped straightway into So
cietys drawing rooms and while he has
taken out some mighty clever stories, he
is responsible, on the other hand. for
probably more cheap, elap-trap CONVEX
satiOnal rubbish than any other present
day playwright. His shows have been
roasted from coast to coast for their ob-
Jectionable scenes. the authors SpOngy
way Of reaching ciimaXes and his weak
construction. and yet every time Nj.
Fitch comes to town in new dress he
is feted and wined and dined, figura-
lively speaking, by the playgOng public,
and someway his plays are accepted and
flourish financially.
This season Mr.. Fitch gave us two new
plays. both OF New York. They opened
the same night in New York at Broadway
theatres across the street from eacn
other. One of these and the only one
about which Salt Lake cares at present.
is THE Straight Road" in which Miss
Blanche Walsh is appearing at the Salt
Lake theatre for the remainder of the
week, the engdg cement opening last night
to a big audience.
If what has been written above has
pTeiudiced the reader in advance against
The Straight Road let this statement
atone for the mprcssiOn-dramatically It
| is one of the strongest plays Mr.. Fitch
has ever written; it is absOrbingiy in
teresting, and he has reached the heart
Of a big story with swift, sure strokes,
escaping the problem play" pitfall safety
in handling a tale of New Yorks east
side.
He handles coarse clay in ''The Straight
Road" and to his credit il must be sail
that theIe is less trash in the lines than
in anything he has done in years. Hous-
ton Street Mol is q. cursing, ragged, I'M
kem pt and thoroughly tough girl of New
Norks tenderlOin at the opening of the
play. Miss Thompson is spending her
money and time in MOll's district Of the
street in slum work. She is full II
enthusiasm and is engaged 20 Douglass
AlneS, handsome, penniless and worth
less. There is fight in the street and
you get the first glimpse of Mol as she
Stumhles into the Thompson refuge home
in the lead of dozen drunken men and
women and a policeman After very
poorly acted scene. with the exception OF
a haiT-pulling match between Mol and
hIazy Liz. the policeman hustles the gang
off to JAIL leaving Mol. to Miss ThOmp-
SON Through the dirt the mental filth.
the curses and the pleadings to lie me
go. damn it. Mr.. Fitch works his way
to the wOmanS soul, or the germ of one.
as he calls it, in NfOll with child. He
uses the mother love to pull the girl from
the gutter. Then Mr.. Fitch falls down
and falls down hard. The youngest of
amateur pldywrights could find a better
excuse IOf the SpieEui0 scene OF the ItlEG
2ct than the second act of THE Straight
Road Mol is five months out of the
4 street and IS guest at Miss ThOmD
sons country home. Aines cannot resist
the girls face end figure, and to know
the full extent OF his trickery, Mol leads
him on till Miss Thompson catches him
embra cling the girl. Like a flash he turns
the tables on Mol. and pushing her away,
flags her numerically. Miss Thompson
b. lieves him and turns the street girl out.
The trick is weak and silly, and a poor
be ginning for what follows. Mol entices
AineS to her room in New York so that
bis fiancee can catch him red-handed In
stead. the girls STEADY they are en-
gagged, by the way-finds Mol in Aines'
arms. Miss Thompson arrives during the
fight. and in the end, with Aines sinking
from the room. Moll faces a crdzed lover
and the woman who won't believe her
story. She sees the one man she has
ever loved slipping from her as he hea Ds
bitter curses upon her. the woman scOTns
her, and before the whirlwind of their
accusations she gives up. The door
closes behind them-with an oath MOll
tears TIE shade from the window ard
with a Me for the old gang, good soak
and a fight in the street. she seiZes a
whisky bottle. Throwing it to her lips.
he eyes fall on Madonna upon which
the light is streaming from her window.
Then follows a splendid scene, and with
the bTCken-hearted girl sobbing on her
knees before the painting. Mr.. Fitch vir
tUally closes his play. The last act is IT.
consequential ana only serves to straight
en- out the tangles.
The Houston Street MOII If Miss Walsh
is that talented actress at her best.
though her opportunity for effective WORK
is confined to the third act almost eX-
clusiVeiy. 1t Is a splendid characterize
tion and Miss Walsh received an ovation
last night. Her fight against the irony
OF her lot and her suffering is full Of
realism ard the actress grips the heart
strings If her audience with a clutch
hat tbFnh0iOC nd
flushed faces when the curtain shuts her
from view.
The supporting company is excellent.
Ida McMillen is good as Miss Thomp-
son and gives the role considerable indi-
vidualty. Beulah Thompson Is pretty ana
sweet as Miss Lanner. Clever and ar
tistic to her finger tips is pretty Helen
Lowell. of Mrs. Wigs of the Cabbage
Patch fame. as seen with Miss Walsh
in the role of Mrs. Finnerty. Jessie Ralph
does a good Lazy Liz. William TraveTs
las very unsavory part in Douglass
Aines, but handles it acceptably. Charles
Dalton is MOlrs steady to the life
The Straight Road" is beautifully
mounted and is unquestionably one Of
the best attractions of the year here
At the Crpheum next week there is
promise of an exceptionally strong bill,
which will include the following turns:
Matthews and Ashley in "A Smashup in
Chinatown" Matte Keene and company,
Ella Wheeler WILCOX; Raymond Finlay
and Lottie Burke, in "Stageand Sat
ire" DUrdnd Trio. Italian nigh class
vocalists; Mile. ToOna. beautifully Illus
trated lectures; ShaIp Brothers in south
eTn songs and dances. ard the kinOdrOme.
The Leighton players at the Grand are
working day and night reheaTsing But
ternut Jones' the rev play by Mr..
Leighton, which receives its first pTesen-
tetion on any stage at the Grand Sunday
evening and all next week. ''Zorah'' is
drawing big audiences this week.
he show at the Lyric vaudeville house
continues TO draw crowds. Beginning at
Saturdays matinee the Sullivan q Con-
Sidine road show viii be seen for a weeks
engagement. Nellie Andrews Grand OD-
era Trio put on an interesting act and
Evans and Lloyd will be seen in a clever
comedy playlet.
PROVO NEWS NOTES.