The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-14
Real Theatre NetUs
az FRANKLIN FYLEs

New York, Nov. 13.-The inspiring
splendor of the New theatre, and the
rare beauty of the dedicatory produc-
ton, Antony and Cleopatra" have al
ready been widely celebrated. Yet
these large facts must not be lost sight
of in glancing at the smaller defects
observable at the invitation dress re-
hearsal and again at the brilliant OPEN
ing night. Brilliant the occasion was
so fabulously so that the spectators
Outshone the spectacle. The handsome
attire of the people disgOrged from the
double lines of carriages and motor cars
that drove into the covered entrances
suggested opera night" The differ
ence was that as they took their places
in the boxes and strOlled off intermis-
siOns in the corridors, they moved in a
setting far handsomer than any to be
found in this country, or, indeed, in any
country. And the audience brought
opera customs with them-arriving and
departing with small respect to the per-
Torrance on the stage; the men visiting
from box to box in the inteTmissions
and sitting OUT whole acts in the
smoking room, and the women chatting
more bridge than Shakespeare white
seated radiant in their boxes or wait
ing, wrapped in fur-lined evening
cloaks, in the crush about the carriage
call.
Is it fiippant of me to dwell on trivial
details in the face of a rich and schol-
arly Shakespearian productions; of an
exceptional company, led by Julia Mar
lowe and Z. H. SOthern; of the digni-
fled Inauguration of a great enterprise?
Well. if it seems so, lay the fault at
the door Of the New theatre itself. The
two opening" nights revealed one Sc
riOus failure-yet one that may wreck
the entire undertaking. The auditorium,
simply, is so vast that only a small
percentage of the sea of spectators
could either see or hear the drama ade-
quately. AS for the former, there is no
fault of interfering posts, nor could
better lines have been devised for A
clear view of the stage from the fur
thest point in the house. The theatre
would make a splendid opera house or
hippodrome. But if a spectacular
Shakespearian tragedy was lost in ii,
what viii be the fate of a modern do
nestle drama? 1t would be hardly
more extravaganza to say that because
CANDIDA" is literature Harvard should
produce it in the Stadium.
Defect In New Theatre.
H. Granville Barker, who has done so
much for the modern drama in London
was the first choice of the millionaire
directorate TO manage the New the
atre He came to this country. studied
the blue prints and sailed away. The
gorgeous premiere vindicated him. To
all but comparatively few of the audi
tors in the front rows the actors might
as well have been a troupe of pygmies.
All value of facial expression was lost
and only students OF the stage can APP
preciate how infinite part IL plays in
consequential acting. Furthermore, oS
the whole admirable company only two
players secured any real effect from
pose and gt sture. And that Miss Mar
lowe and Jessie Busley did SO was SIM
ply because, realizing the auditorium
they played to. they employed the
sweeping. heroic methods of a Schu-
mann-Heink as Ortrud or a Ternina as
Brunhilde. AS for Mr.. Sothern-at best
too short of stature and too small of
methOd-there were times one felt he
might be quite forgotten and mislaid
and trampled under foot, like CULVER
by the giant
Efforts are being made to improve the
unfortunate acoustics of the theatre,
but, at best, it Will always be difficult
TO find actors who enunciate clearly
enough to be understood by the more
remote majority. Rowland Blackstone
beloved, but to no avail and to people
familiar with Sothern's admirable Ham
let, the inadequacy of his elocution.
when so severely tested, was startling.
The four women spoke more clearly
than most of the men. Afssong them
A. E. Arson and Jacob Wendell. jr,
were notable, showing the value Of
clear, correct speech. That Mr. Anson's
performance stood admirably forth
from the many is not necessarily sur
prising; but Mr.. Wendell is now ap-
pearing for the first time on the pro-
fessional stage. He was an amateur
actor in that fashionable New York
company from which Mrs. Brown Pot
ter, Elsie de Wolfe and the late Clara
Bloodgood were graduated.
inertia Of New Production.
1 have spoken Of the faults exposed
on the first night OF Antony and Cleo
patra" rather than reiterated the merits
of the production. Ths scenery was