The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-12
ADJUSTMENTS

A review of Miss Olga MEMBERSHIPS pre-
sentation OF ''Sapho' must almost nee
essarily be an appreciation of magnlfi-
| cent performance by an actress OF mar
| velous talent. From pulpits have rung
| denunciations of "SaphO;" columns upon
columns of space have been filled wiz N
criticisms of this play. IL has been de-
nounced as perhaps no other play has
been denounced. And yet in the hands
/ OF Miss Nethersole and the magnificent
company with which she is surrounded.
there is an appeal. both intellectual and
moral. in 'SaphO" that cannot be denied
IT. in the great audience that filled the
Salt Lake theatre last night there were
any that came under the impression that
they We're TO be regaled with something
prurient. something beyond the line that
separates decency from its opposite. they
had hearts that beat with human SYM
pathy they could not have been sisap-
pointed, either. i'm the diSagreeable sense.
! Those who have seen other "Saphos''
saw new one last night: they saw a
real. true. human woman who lived and
who suffered as so many of her sisters
have suffered
Behold woman who never had an on
pOrtunity to learn the difference between
right and wrong. Into this woman 3
heart fall the seeds of a pure. honest
love. The soil is fertile and the love
grows until IL touches every drop of blond
in her body. every fibre of her being. II
spreads 20 the innermOst recesses OF her
soul. And she Is true to the man she
loves. as true as any woman ever was
TO any man. But the ghosts of the dead
past come between them at last as the
ghosts in the life of a woman always
come back Then the separation that
from the beginning was inevitable
Miss NethersOle and her company make
OF SaphO' a sermon. n sermon that Is
preached i'm manner observed so rarely
that its presentation may rightly be con-
sidered an epoch i'm the life of the aver
age playgoer. The lights and the shad-
ows of life are there. drawn with a skill
so true. 80 mastery as TO entitle il to be
called dramatic virtuosity. for no other
word properly describes this production
Miss Nethersoe does not for single
moment lose the sympathy of her audi
ence: there Is not a single instant in
which the spell she weaves around her
hearers at the outset does not hold
Her voice. even i'm the strongest por-
trayals OF elemental passions ever seen
on Salt Lake stage. never loses its
sweetness As pure, as melodious as a
chime OF perfect bells &c reaches out and
out until the audience. marveling fairly
holds its breath 10 drink IN the HARMONY
of it. Miss Nethersoles stage manner-
isms, her deft shadings, her method Of
conveying. by look. a gesture. a step
whole world Of meaning do not seem
the appeals Of an actress at all. Rather
do they seem the living OF n life.
Those who heard her denunciation of
Caoudal aud Docholetto, beginning: 'sYou
have destroyed the only opportunity for
happiness | have ever had" will never
forget the black tragedy of the scene.
Nor will the third and fourth acts be for
gotten. In them. as indeed. in both the
other acts. Miss NethersOle rose Ia
heights ia the portraiture Of human emo
ton that lifted the people out OF their
seats and set their hearts athrob with
sympathy 50 genuine that Ii was almost
pain
It is impossible after single observ-
alton OF the performance. to do Justice
TO Miss Nethersole and her art Two
ewes viewing DicttlrpS that dieontvn 20 n,
idly and harmonOnsly. one into another.
cannot retain fixed impression OF all.
II. though. il were not 10 be possible to
see Miss Nethersole's "SaphO' again the
picture that would be longest retained
would not be that of the beautiful fete
at the hOuse Of DochOletto; Il would not
be the discovery OF the Identification OF
Sapho with Fanny Legrande or the scene
that followed il. Nor would il be that
fascinatingiy chic little dinner. with all
its fun for players and audience. and yet
with the note OF tragedy running through
il all. IT would be the picture of the
desolate. lonely. lonely woman who bur-
led her face IN her arms there az the
fell.
Miss Net6ersoIe is a great and beau
tiful actress. so great that she has not
hesitated to bring with her TO the west
company of which the personnel leaves
nothing 20 be desired. The Jean Gaussin
Of Frank Mills was done splendidly The
character is not strong one but the
life Of the play. almost. depends upon its
said TO get out Of II ail there Is In IT,
His work was effective throughout, but
this is specially true Of the scene IN the
second act when he discovers that Fanny
Legrande and Sapho are the same per-
sor. and OF the seene in the ti,ird act
when he returns TO his Odd home
More than a word of praise Is due 70
William Clark for his ceSaire Gaussin