The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-27
ADJUSTMENTS.

The curtain did not ring up until 9:25,
but 'DivOrcons" and Grace George were
worth waiting for. If the audience in the
Salt Lake theatre last night had known
at $50 as much as it knows now, it would
have waited cheerfully for an hour longer,
at least, than it did wait. No more cap
italy acted play has been seen in Salt
Lake in many seasons. And. in spite of
the frankness of the dialogue, which
sometimes borders very closely on the for
hidden, ii is all so bright, so sparkling,
ana the characters are vignetted so sharp
~ by Miss George and her splendid COM
pany that only the ultra prudish can feel
offended.
The play is of the French, Frenchy.
Also il is SardOu at his best. He has in
-'DivOrcOns'' mrrOred French life in GER
tain phases so surely and with such truth
that one does not need TO have known that
life to know that the picture is a faithful
one. IN this play. Miss George has found
herself. She is bewtchinS at all times,
in her little bursts of anger. in her tears.
her smiles, her broader merriment. From
the moment she makes her entrance she
Captivates all beholders and before the
final curtain has fallen she has won more
than applause and approval; she has won
real affection.
1t may seem extravagant to say there is
hardly duh line in 'DiVOrcOns," but il
is a plain statement of fact. The drama
is a continuous sparkle. Though the story
ii tells is. in sense, tragic. the tragedy is
lost in the humor and becomes only the
faintest undertone in the general theme.
1t is d daring thing TO make comedy out
Of marital unhappiness, to make Joke
of divorce and the Wrecking of lives.
Perhaps only SardOu could have done it,
and perhaps only Grace George could
properly present il. although some artistes
of great regulations preceded her in the
part of Cyprienne.
1t is difficult to imagine anything more
delicious than the second and third acts
The winning away OF the woman from her
purpose by apparently urging her to carry
it out, making the lover an unconscious
tool to be used by the husband in winning
back the happiness he has lost was done
with a naturalness and charm very rarely
seen on the stage. Miss George was SO
human, WOmanike, that she did not
seem TO be acting at all If she never does
anything else she will have firmly estab-
lished her reputation as one of America s
foremost condolences. She has come to
stay.
The play has two big parts. Cyprienne
and Henri des Pruneiies. her husband. II.
Reeves-Smith as the husband was as fine
in his way as Miss George in hers. This
very closely approXimates the limit of
kindly notice. Ii is as just as il is kindly
too. for Mr.. ReeVes-Smith, in role that
might easily have been made ridiculous
and that was always difficult, made of
Des Prunelles a real man. One wondered
how he ever happened to lose for brief
time the love of the woman. But he never
really lost it, though both husband and
wife thought he had. The tragedy was
often very close to the comedy with him
At times his voice would almost break as
he thought of the separation that was
planned but he had set himself a part to
play and he played it 10 brilliantly sue
cessful finish. Mr. Reeves Smith is an
actor who should be heard from in select
theatrical circles.
There is not, however. an incapable in
the company. The smallest parts are ad-
mirably filled. The maid of Angela Og-
den. (fl3VNnap A no
Madame DeBrionne of Laura Lemmers
were all splendidly done Nor would it be
fair TO omit In this review some mention
of William Ricciardi's Joseph. Everybody |
has seen that French waiter. Without ex-
aggeration. without caricature, but with
most convincing naturalness. Mr. Ricci- |
ardt made comparatively big part out
of a little one, and the audience was sorry
1t could not see more of him. A complete !
roster of the company, however, would be |
required to disclose the names of all the |
talented people who assisted Miss George. |
The opening of the performance was de- /
layed because of the late arrival of the I
train on which the company was travelling /
from Nevada. Phenomenally rapid work !
was done after the arrival of tie company !
in Salt Lake. The train reached the sta
ton at s;35. Fifty minutes later every |
body was made up, the scenery was in I
place and the curtain rose. The wait, as /
has been said, was worth while
''DivOrcOns" will be the offering at the /
Salt Lake theatre again tonight tomor- /
row night and at matinee tomorrow. 1t 1
viii be the surest evidence of genuine |
hard times that has yet been presented in |
Salt Lake If the remainder of the en- !
gagement is not marked by capacity audi /
ences.
The sale of seats for the music festi-
val has been going on at the Clayton /
Music company with a heavy demand for 4
all four performances, with a preference /
for the first night, when the wedding /
Feast will be given by the orchestra, so
ioists and festival chorus.
The Kirke La Shelle production of THE /
Virginian" comes to the Salt Lake the
atre next Monday. The sale of seats /
opens today.