Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-14
~ LONDON 7HEA7ERS.

ten by j. c. Snaith before Broke Of
Covenden'' made the name Of this au
thor widely known. Marie Tempest
had the title role and was supported by
such admirable actors as Allen Agnes,
worth, Grahame Browne and J. H
Barnes, and no money or pains was
spared ON mounting, and details.
But the play proved to be the same
Jacobite melodrama we have all seer
time and again--loyal earl: fascnat-
ing, wllful, high spirited daughter; ar
istocratic captain in love with her and
tattered Jacobite rebel rescued by her
from the captains troops. She dressed
her rebel up in wonan's clothes, but
the gallant captain, after much enter
tanning business, discovered the dis
guiso. 1t was only TO be expected that
the captivating Lady Barbara-called
Lady Bal'barity for her cruelty to her
adorers-woud fall In love with the
rebel and offer to marry the captain If
he would release his prisoner. and II
was only TO he expected that the pris-
oner would give himself UP and go to
he hanged rather than accept such a
sacrifice.
The last act. however, was a bit of 4
surprise, for the most hardened thea
ter-goer would hardly have expected
such q theatric last-moment rescue as
was provided. Lady Barbara hired
thugs to capture her lover ON the way
to the scaffold. We didn't even see this
scrimmage but only heard about 1t
from the window through which the
condemned man was eventually hauled
by the head thug--to be confronted by
the captain. Then there was a fight
on tine stage and the prisoner recap
tured. only to be pardoned minute
before the curtain came down. The
audience laughed good-naturedy.
Some time ago an American living in
London and interested i'm stage affairs
contributed to the discussion raging in
the Daily Telegraph over that obsolete
institution, the British censor of plays.
His suggestion WAS that the censorship,
against which the leading British
dranatists are 50 vigorously protesting
could he turned from n hompcring an-.
achronism. into harmless If not ac-
tually useful office, If only a court of
appeal could be provided so that the
censor would no longer be able by a
careless and irreyocable word TO smash
any playwright fondest hopes ANA
finest work. Power of appeal would
make the censor think twice before
banning u play like Granville Bankers
Waste" for instance. and would en-
able the Incorporated Stage society and
similar organizations TO challenge the
censor now and then and give him a
lesson when he had failed TO distin-
gldsh between nastness and decent
honesty.
The suggestion was disregarded at
the time, for the dramatists We're keen
20 have nothing less than the censors
head or a charger; but II Is interesting
TO note that this weeks delegation 10
Herbert Gladstone, the home secretary
brought up this very point again
through q speech by Sir w. $, Gilben
Of Gilbert & Sullivan fame. j. NJ. Bar
iie and A. W. Plnero, however, urged
the complete abolition of the censor,
ship despite the fact that many OF
the theatrical managers favor It.
The funny Thing about the situation
is that In reality the censor Is a pro.
tector OF viciousness ON the stage, fol
when once he has passed the harm
less-looklng written word, the actor II
90 disposed can pat into that word by
gesture and intonation, meanings that
would not be tolerated II the play haa
not received official sanction, And this
Is happening all the time IN London
I'm theaters that every man about town
could name CbhllS BROWN,