The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-25
ADJUSTMENTS

The wonderful art Of William II. Crane.
Miss Ellis Jeffreys and the admirable
company with which they have surround
ed themselves for their revival Of She
Stoops to Conquer" could not be better
emphasized than by the statement that
they make people who have been i'm the
tomb these hundred years. seem real peo-
pie More than a hundred and fifty wears
ago She Stops to Conquer was given
It's first production in a London play
house. 1t was then as much a drama of
the day as is any of clyde Fitch's sOcie-
~ plays TO the present generation Our
srandfathers several times removed
laughed al IT, and yet. thanks to Mr..
Crane. Miss Jeffreys and their company.
II comes down 10 US as fresh. as true. as
clean and as interesting as il was on the
night when Goldsmith i'm z fever OF ner-
vous apprehension, awaited the public
verdict
The American playgoer owes Mr.. Crane
and Miss Jeffreys, yes. and Mr.. Giddens
for his Tony Lumpkin. debt Of graft
tude for this revival. They have made
it possible for those who have been sur
ieated with tawdry limitations TO enjoy q
glimpse of the pure gold. Here is fun
that is clever and wholesome and real:
here is comedy without horseplay. with
ont trickery. without straining for effacr
without bold bids for laughter Here, too.
IS play IN which each artist has his
part or hers, to himself or herself There
is no ''fattening' of situations for a star.
no laOOriOuSly worked UP entrances. moth
ing but natural. rational DEVELOPMENT Of
plot that IS fun Of humorous situations.
Old friends of Mr.. Crane-and he has
very many of them in Salt Lake-wished
no doubt, that he had brought with him
vehicle that would give him wider op-
portunity for the manifestation of his
art He really has very little Ia do
and he does that little SO well that his
. lack of opportunity is the more notice
able. the more eXasperating. In the early
afternoon Of his long and honorable stage
career he has found a part that fits him
as well as if Goldsmith had had him In
mind when he wrote il. Mr.. Crane makes
old Squire Hardcastle a very real man
His humor, most Of it of the unconscious
variety. is delicious: his frequent explo-
sions Of rage at the effrontery of the
young men who have been tricked into
believing his house is an inn are most
laughable.
Miss Jeffreys had never been seen in
Salt Lake before last night. She is an
English actress of established reputation
in her own country. and she is enhancing
that reputation on this side of the water
Her Kate Hardcastle is finished piece
OF work. In all of her scenes Miss JEFF
freys is delicious. Her voice is clear and
sweet. and her enunciatiOn is perfect. In
the scene in the third act when she leads
young NARROW to believe she is the bar
maid she left nothing to be desired And
she won more hearts than young Mar
lows by her witchery.
The best part Of the play, though IS
the part Of Tony Lumpkin. More years
ago than lots of grown men and women
can remember George Giddens played this
part for the first time in England. His
success was instantaneous. Time has i'm
proved Mr.. Giddens' art. He has added
deft delicate touches to the part until
he fairly shares the honors with Mr.
Crane and Miss Jeffreys. And with any
other players his would be the command
ing figure, his the best remembered char
acter.
But. truth TO tell. there is not a Jar
ring note anywhere in the revival. Every
part is in the best possible hands and the
whole is as perfect in its way as a string
of flawiess gems. Walter Hale as young
NARROW, Herbert Sheath as Hastings. Mrs
pitt as Mrs Hardcastle. Margaret Dale
as Miss Neville. were all excellent. Nor
would it be quite fair TO pass without
praise the work of Fred Thorne as Dig
CORY
An audience zhat filled every seat in
the theatre and that was composed large
ly of people who are prominent in So
ciety. waited until 9:15 for the play to be-
gin. The delay was caused by the late
arrival of the train on which the com
many came TO Salt Lake, and by some
misunderstanding regarding the transfer
of the scenery. The people waited with