The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-30

= matinee and night :
+ +
For years it has been the dream Of
managers to present upon the stage
actual life types-counterparts of the
men and women Of everyday life. At
last this has been accomplished in
"Salvation Nell. - the gigantic drama
York, which Mrs. Fiske will present at
the Grand theatcr on Monday, Tues
day, Wednesday and Thursday evenings,
with Wednesday matinee. That every
detail should ring true was the insistent
dogma of the production and particu'
]arly in The representations OF the peo-
pie Of the slums, over fifty of whom are
ginning of rehearsals, and while the
play was in distinctly embryo state,
Harrison Grey Fiske obtained the ser
vices of one Of the most noted photog-
raphers in New York, and together they
tramped the east side day after day OBJ
tanning character studies of the rep
resentative types. In all, nearly two
these were used as a basis for the Sc
lection of actors for the play, and as
guides for costuming and makeup. A
number of excellent portraits Of elderly
people were secured. and in the famous
barroom and tenement street scenes of
the play one would willingly take oath
that the people of the photographs were
actually passing before them. This is
also particularly true Of the child stu
dies which Mr. Fiske and the pho.
togra pher obtained, and the tattered,
happy -go-lucky children of the slums
are seen upon the stage In their true
quaintness and picturesqueness. 1t was
very difficult to secure these photo
graphs. The poor, and often ignorant
people Of the slums, scarcely knew what
camera was, and those who did re-
sented being snapped. Thus all man
ner of strategy had to be resorted to,
and experts have declared that this
series Of pictures upon which "Salava
tion Nelln was modelled, so TO speak.
is the most remarkable exposition of
slum types IN existence.
With his series of pictures obtained,
Mr.. Fiske was ready to proceed with
the selection of the actors themselves.
Every applicant for a part was put
through rigid examination of compari-
SOD. If his counterpart could be found
among the photographs and his other
qualifications were satisfactory. he
was allowed to take the photograph
which he resembled, instructed to study
it and similar real types in the east
part at rehearsal. Something of the
labor which this method involved may
be seen from the fact that nearly one
thousand actors were interviewed for
parts in "Salvation Nell,'' and over
two hundred were given try-outs at
TeheaTsals, the fifty actors who were
finally retained permanently represent
ing the cream of the character-actor
of the American stage.
The diversity of the tyDes is mar.
velous, and alone more than compen-
safes for the laborious task that was
the lot of the producer. There is the
one-legged musician of the barroom, the
haggard old woman Of the streets, the
frolicsome, impish children of the fire
woman. the thrifty German housewife,
the excitable Italian woman whose hus
band is faithess, the orEan-grinder,
the fruitstand man, the hockepockey
verdcr, and, in fact, representatives Of
all the strange, interesting types that
one would meet If he were guided
through the most huddled and thickly
who knew that territory from years of
close observation. Aside from all its
interests Of acting and story, "Salva-
ton Nell is like tpersonally con-
Quoted" tour Of the slums.
ADMIRERS oil ralph stuart VIII nave
an opportunity during the coming week
of seeing him in one of his greatest
successes, the role of John Storm in
"The Christian" This great play will
be givcn a full and elaborate produc-
rion. equal 10 any given here at any
;mc by the stars who have been seen
in ii, Mary Hall. also, will have
great part in the play. She will enact
The role of Glory Quayle, the wayward
heroine Of tho starry, for whose sake
strong men engage IN p contest of wits.
This charactor was created by Viola
Alien, and is one OF the strongest
feminine roles III any play. Hall Game s
powerful novel of the samo name ere.
afcd y sensation when il appeared, and
a has bc9n read by nearly everybody.
j; loscs nothing Of its strength in the
,iramafiZation. which follows closely the
ines of the novel. The story revolves
Storm "a young clergyman, and Glory
nins rs Il student nurse in q great hos.
jijaI, is plunged into vortex of folly
md finally becomes An actress She is
surrounded by numerous temptations
and suffcrn innumerable har1ships,
Storm becomes an ascctic until he learns
flic usclcssncss Of the life. then gives
lis life to work among the poor. He
revcr loses his interest in Glory, who
was MS playmate on the Isle of Man,
when both were children, despite her
v'rywardncss, His rival in her affec.
tiona stabs ~ him vitally w.icn he pur.
cLaaes Tho church where lie labors and
turns = into thcater. III which Glory
80 10 a Jic2T After Storm bv his ,yo;l-