The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-07

The temptation to throw caution tC
the winds and engage in a riot of SUI
perlatives. is almost irresistible in the
writing of a review of Brewster
Millions" 1t may be said without
passing beyond the realm of cold facts
that the audience that packed the Salt
Lake theatre last night enjoyed prac-
tically every moment of il. And there
was hardly a man or woman there who
didn't feel an inclination TO come
again. If ''BreWster's Millions" had
had an engagement of a week, in
stead of three performances only, it is
certain that capacity audiences would
have been the rule throughout.
Last nights great outpOuring was a
tribute to June Mathis, the Salt Lake
girl who plays the part of Peggy Grey.
The people came to welcome the little
girl who went away to join the player
folk only a few years ago, the little
girl who, by the sheer force of her UNI
doubted talent, has been winning her
way to a place near the top of her pro-
fessiOn. Friends had made her dressing
room a flower garden. There WASH
space in that room for all the offer
ings. They overlooked upon the stage,
where they were seen in the first act
in great clusters of American Beauty
roses, punches of carnations, all the
flowers that are in season or out.
The first appearance of Miss Mathis
was comparatively unnoticed. AL
though there had been talk of Peggy,
although the people on the stage had
announced that she was expected.
there was still an uneXpectedness
about her entrance. The applause fol-
lowed, but it was not as pronounced
as that which followed the close of the
act and some of the later scenes. For,
the little girl had grown into a big
girl, girl with a charming stage
presence, with a magnetism that pro-
jected itself beyond the footlights and
a delightfully."- sweet voice.
Miss Mathis might have been ex-
cused if she had been nervous, even if
she had missed a line or bit of
business here and there. because she
was playing before people she knew
and loved, who loved her, and any
artist will tell you that that is the
hardest kind of audience to play to.
But Miss Mathis showed no signs of
nervousness. She was not, indeed, June
Mathis at all She was Peggy Grey.
the beloved of Monty Brewster, and of
everybody else with whom she came
in contact.
And, while the part is the most i'm
pOrtant among those taken by the wo-
men of the company. il was not as i'm
portant as Miss Mathis is clearly
capable of sustaining. In less talented
hands, Peggy would not be nearly so
attractive. In all the personal require
ments, in expression and mannerisms,
in fine, in all that goes to make up the
ingenue we long for and so rarely see,
Miss Mathis measures up to the most
exacting standard 1t was a great
pleasure to have seen her performance.
and her friends hope she will not make
the intervals between her visits so long
hereafter.
"Brewster's Millions" is mans
play. in the sense that the male char
acters loom largest, especially the
character of Monty Brewster. almost
fiawlessly done by Robert ODER, Mr..
Ober before last night was unknown
to Salt Lake playgoers. Next year. or
any other year, if he comes to Salt
Lake, regardless of what he plays, he
will be sure of a most cordial welcome.
The future of this young man would
seem to be assured. He was the Mon
ty of the book to the last hair on the
top of his apparently erratic head.
His humor is delicious, and i'm his
soberer moments he acts with discern
ment, with a recognition of the possi-
bilities that is rare even in many men
who have been starring for years.
Who that saw him last night can for
get the finish of that great third act :?
The captain of the yacht is protesting
against the hosting of the distress
signal on the ground that it will cost
Brewster $500.000 of the million he is
trying so hard TO spend. You say it
viii cost 100000 TO hoist this sgnal?'
saws Brewster. Then, with vigorous
AS. ne hauls the flag to the top of
foremost and. Nov. Jones, come
to me-" he concludes as the curtain
falls.
Every act in "Brewsters Millions