The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-21

One Sunday, year ago, while she
Adams was driven through "the yard -
and past the principal buildings OF Har
ward college, says the Washington Her
aid. The purpose of the different build
ings-some of brick, some OF rich gran
itc-was told her. The humblest of
them all-humblcst in looks, but most
ambitious in purpose-was the one that
gave pause 10 the afternoon drive. 1t
WAS the Germanic museum, that, stand
ing on Broadway in little square all
by itself, opposite Memorial Hall, rep
resents the great movement that has
been going on for years at Harvard,
and. with the encouragement Of the
present German emperor, toward the
spread of German culture IN America.
The story Of the little building and its
wonderfully costly possessions-dirc
gifts from Kaiser Wilhelm-was told
Miss Adams. and enlisted her interest
TO a greater extent than any other side
Of the university life. Then the ride
was resumed, and apparently nothing
more was thought of the Gcrmanic mu,
scum.
But the seed had been planted. 4
great dosire had taken hold of Miss
Adams 10 do something for tho mu-
scum, badly in need Of a new and larger
building, and almost the first scheme
for the following season that she dis
cussed with Charles F'rohmaD on return.
ing to New York was some project for
helping out Haryard's big little insh-
tuition for the spread of German schol-
arShip and German art in America Mr..
| frohman showed an even greater eager
ness In fWthering tho idea than Miss
Adams, soon the wish OF the actress
and her manager TO cooperate with
the founders of the museum got TO Cam
bridge, and there speedily followed a
formal invitation from the German de-
partment for Miss Adams to come TO
the college and act in English one Of
the German classics.
1t is nearly twelve years since Miss
| Adams first became a student Of every
thing to do with the life and dramatic
possibilities of Joan of Arc. Artists
who ought TO know, men like John W.
Alexander and Alfons Mucha, declare
Miss Adams the most thoroughly read
artist on the life and times Of Joan Of
Arc they have ever met. The charac-
ter personally has always made Il SIN
gularly sympathetic appeal TO Miss
Adams. The mysticism. the fraility,
the spiritual goodues osf Joan as a
woman and as great public charac-
ter arc traits that would naturally take
hold Of Maudc Adams, herself mysti-
cally and spiritually nclned-perhaps
more poignantly than OF any other liv-
ing artist.
Charles Frohman and Miss Adams
accordingly accepted the invitation of
the German department, which was fol
lowed by the corporation voting the use
Of the Stadium, and at once named an
English version of Schiller s "Joan
of Arc' as the play for the occasion.
The design at once took on the appear
ance of great opportunity for an I'M
usual dramatic performance and sump-
tuous pageant, a real financial assist
ance to the building fund of the Ger
manic museum, but, still more import
ant, a release and practical applca.
ton OF the twelve years thought Of
study of Joan of Arc by Miss Maudc
| Adams.
That is how the "Joan Of Are" per
formance came about, Maude Adams S
| personal idea of the play as it Will be
acted in the Stadium on the night Of
| Tuesday. June %, is that the occasion
should impress its spectators and audi
tors-for 1T Will be an event to be seen
as well as to be heard-with much of the
reverence that people of whatever
creed, or no creed, feel at the Passion
Play of Oberammergau A thrifty sim
plicjty and humility will be the domi-
nant characteristics stamped by Miss
Adams upon all the single, dual and
triple charactcred scenes that Joan has
in the play.
Miss Adams will approach tho. act,
that, she hopes, will be the prevailing
quality Of the entire performance al
the Stadium. There viii be complete
elimination of theatrical devices and
more attempts to appear theatrically
striking. Those moments in the play
that make 1T allowa blc-like the corona