The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-03
ADJUSTMENTS.

Perhaps because the shadows of other
days and other players seemed 10 fall so
thickly, perhaps because those old play
ers appeal more potently when viewed
through the mist of years, at any rate
the audience that witnessed Charles Il.
Hanford's offering of Antony and Cleo
-patra" at the Salt Lake theatre last
night and had unrolled to its gaze Shake
speare's splendid panorama of love and
war, failed to quite make up its mind
whether or no ii approved of the play
ers who presented the ages old yet ever
new love story of the noble Antony and
his serpent queen.
To begin with. the audience itself was
splendid refutation of the idea that the
American people have hidden bored fare
well to Shakespeare, and, although rather
chary of applause, the interest mani
tested proved that the old lines have
lost none of their grip.
Charles B. Hanford made an impress
sive Antony, though somewhat more
along in life than one pictures the vlrlie
Roman. His delivery. however. atones for
any fault that his avoirdupois might con-
jure up. for ii is well-nigh perfect and
a sample of the old school at its best.
Dignity with a force and a plenitude
of reserve power impress one in his read
ing, also he avoids the faults OF mouth
ing and ranting.
The sinuous. enchanting Cleopatra, the
the charmer of whom he threw
away his glorious career hardly looked
the part. This, with all due justice to
Miss Alice Wilson's really fine interpreta-
ton of a most difficult role and one
hung thick about with the trophies that
tragediennes of worldwide fame for gem
erations have Wrested from the public.
Miss Wilson is in no way ones realization
of the Egypt of Shakespeare's magnifi-
cent drama. She is of a fair, slim north
ern type and suggests not a whit the
VoiuptuOus, lustrous-eyed one who charm
ed both emperor and slave with her Ian
guild grace. But if conscientious and in
telligent Interpretation made for success,
then Miss Wilson certainly deserves all
laurels. and the applause given her at
the end of her great scene with the ASP
was we'll earned.
The Enobarbus of John NJ Kline was
a portrayal of cynical, yet brave, young
manhood that stood out in the luridness
of the central theme. Alexander Mckenzie
as OctaVius Caesar, delighted ones eye
with his handsome physique and was I'M
perious as even a Caesar need be. The
! Chairman of Sara D. Biaia and the LAS
of Ethel Dunn fitted i'm tremendously witt
the stage picture, while the dancing at
| PENDANTS. with their various terpichOTeaT
| feats were bright interludes in the sombr6
movement of the drama Perhaps Shake
speare is the most eXacting of play
wrights in the matter of scenery. his
mania for switching scenes seeming al
most Unsuitable, but the scenic equip
ment of the Hanford production was mOst
| satisfactory and bound TO please as crit
| zeal an audience as that of last night.
Antony and Cleopatra was not herald
| ed as a sumptuous revival. but to the
| student, and to even the average theatre
goer the performance last night was {
! delight to intelligence and a pleasing sigh
! to the eye
This evening the bill Will be The Tam
/ ing of the Shrew,'' with The Ole
| Guard as a curtain raiser.
! The sale for the engagement of Flor
I ence Roberts, who comes to the Sal
! Lake theatre next week in ''Zira'' anC
| Sham" opens today.