The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-20
ADJUSTMENTS

Few actors in two generations have been
worthy to wear the gorgeous red robe OF
Richelieu. There was Edwin Booth, prob
ably the greatest of them ali Forrest
Barrett Mccullough and others followed
together with others who do not merit
mention Henry Irving drew audiences.
but never reached the ideal. Richard
was adapted by temperament ana intel
leCt, but for some reason he never gained
real fame IN this role. Challenging COM
parison with all of these now comes Ed
ward II. Sothern. To Salt Lake has fallen
the honor of Witnessing not the first per
Torrance of this wonderful role by this
production was put on in San Francisco
less than month ago Thus the perform
ance at the Salt Lake theatre last even
ing was almost the first on any stage for
this company and this star.
He is bold, this man Sothern, to under
take such a role. Hamlet is generally
supposed to be the ultima thule of TRACE
dams. Yet this character OF Richelieu
calls for greater versatility and as much
power as ShakespSare's greatest creation
Bulwer I-ytton must not be classed with
Shakespeare, but this play of Lytton
comes as close to the spirit and power
and the splendid delineation OF character
of Shakespeare as does any drama since
the time of the great master.
Here is a great play and a wonderful
greatest of actors. He who ESSAYS the
part must challenge comparisons with the
highest of standards
One may rightfully ask; w no Is TINS
man Sothern who thus throws down the
gauntlet to the Zeniuses of the stage for
seventy years back, and to the Vida
world?
The answer is that he is the son of an
eminent actor, and himself a hard-wOrS-
ing. conscientious follower of the stage,
q man who first gained fame in ight
comedy and romantic jrama- aided by
face and physique, and who was known
as a matinee idol. He is man VINO mas
studied and worked. and worked ana
studied. ever ambitious to rise TO the ut
termost pinnacle of his chosen profession.
Within the last few years We have seen
him emerge from light comedy and TO
mantle heroiSm and essay 10 portray tne
masterpiece characters of the stage. he
has tried Romeo and Hamlet and other
roles Now he stands in the glare of pub
lie scrutiny as the impersonator of the
brilliant and cunning prime minister OF
France.
To sum ND. Sothern in this role gives
a performance which is magnificent from
the viewpoint of the average attendant
at the theatre, but in which close analy-
sis will betray faults. Inc main crlu-
cism which may be made of this pOT-
travail is that he has not yet entirely di-
vested himself of the breastplate and
| helmet and sword of romantic drama be
/ fore DOMINIC the cardinal robe OF tine
| fox" There is at times too much OF
strength and not enough of subtlety.
Richelieu is neither the eVer-in-the-
/ breach handsome fSuuOipi fNdSSthuSi- iAvi
| is he Francois NillOn- poet and hero. he
| is an old man, with weak body and a
powerful brain. One can imagine him
| with scarcely more than gurglfng cackle
as his body fails him Yet Mr. Sothern
dragS him from deathbed to declaim
as would youth of p years when speak
fling for the youthful heroine who is des-
| tined to become his bride.
| Now this may seem captious TO some,
| but it must be remembered that only the
| highest standards should be used in COM
/ pairing any rendition of this particular
part The fact is that Mr.. Sothern gives
/ a powerful and popular performance, but
/ he loses many of the subtleties of this
subtiest of characters, and gives the OLD
man too much robustness
| Richelieu offers an extreme range of
! emotions, and some tremendous acting
opportunities He is vengeful and merci-
| less Then he shows love and devotion
/ to the female of his species and his fam
| iiy-the daughter of his brother and his
| own special charge He is keen and OBJ
serving in his reading of character, gen
erous in forgiving a foe when forgive
/ ness suits best his purpose. cunning in
! detecting and circumventing the machina-
| tions of his enemies, daring in emergen-
cies, answering in courage and impiac-
able toward the enemies Of his country,
exhibiting the Hottest of patriotism. This
is a role which is not only exacting il
its requirements. but unlimited in its pos
sibilitfes MIR. SOthern gives a perform
ance which shows a large amount of in
telligent study and much labor. He Is
tender as ever in his affections, and melo-
dramatic in his detestations. In fact
throughout ne rises splendidly to the pos
sibilities of the part except where he in
vests this aged and bodiless brain witt
the voice and vigOr Of youth. This is es
pecially true in the final scene, where he
drags himself from the grasp of dealt
and lau1ches into vigorous denunciatioT
out of keeping with the last stages Of
bodily decay
But after granting all these faults, i
may be stated that Mr. Sotherr Ia.
proved his claim to being one Of the
| great Richelieus of generations, anC
that he has burned his name into stag
history in this role
! The production as a whole is splendid
The setting is excellent and the compan,
is well balanced.
| In Miss Gladys Hanson, a young woman
who takes the part of Julie de MoTtemar
has been found an actress of great posi-
bilities. Out of the great grist of wOmei
ground out onto the stage each season tn
one who has real personality and mag
| netism is a rarity. Miss Hanson has bot
. | of these, although she is handicapped b.
! p rather clumsy figure, an ungraciou
| stage presence and certain crudities il
| her conception of the part. She plays tn
. role as high tragedy throughout. AM