The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-01
THIS WEEK AT
THE THEATRES


. Salt Lake-'vuesday and remain :.
| = der Of week, Paid in Full" =
: Orpheum-AU week, beginning :.
= tonight, vaudeville. :.
- Grand-All week, beginning to- =
= night. At the Old Cross Roads" :.
3" = = = = = : = = I: $ = = = = :. :"
that they don't talk loud enough to be
heard across the footlights."
Nobody knows what effect Shake
speare's advice to the players had on the
acting of Hamlet" under his direction
1t is certain, though, that Lady Ran
dOlph Churchills admonition to speak
out distinctly had not been needed up to
this point. Mrs. Patrick Campbell par
ucularly disObeyed the injunction which
she had heard at the rehearsals, and
few Of the last halves of her sentences
were understandable. But the audience
broke into the matinee's earnest ap-
plause at the remark about inaudible
actors; then laughed and then applauded
again; and stopped the performance a
full minute. These quiet women were
OF a critical turn Of mind, it was proved;
and thereafter Mrs Campbell spoke
louder.
You won't ever see "His Borrowed
Plumes.' 1t is a clever composition, but
weak dramatically. A literary woman
Of much ability has a husband with lit
tie. A siren steals a copy of a novel
that the wife is writing and conveys its
good points TO the husband as critical
advice Of her own for a drama that he
Is writing; so he unknowingly becomes
plagiarist, and believes himself the
author of play of merits original with
the wife. She keeps silent when told,
and burns the manuscript of her book:
but he learning the truth while the play
Is making tremendous success, goes
before the audience to al nounce his wife
as its aUthOress. An ingenious twist of
an old idea.
Different quite in aspect was another
matinee audience at a play under the
auspices of a stage elevating society.
The male minority had high fOreheads
overhung by long hair, or else looked as
though they ought to; while the female
majority ranged from women whose
gowns had cOme-sO my companion as
sured me-fTOm Paris modistes to those
whose 'taCky" raiment-I quote the
same authOrity-had been made by Lon
don seamstresses. 1t was one of those
progressive, refOrmatory, know-au and
knOw-nothing bodies that make more
ado here than in America. The aver
age Of age was high, yet young girls
were surprisingly nuperous, considering
the nature Of the new play. Mrs. Wal
ton Lee had written What to Do?" TO
present a question without providing an
answer.
= \
A London music hall audience is
more curious sight to American eyes
than either of the two have described
Music half doesn't mean here. as in
New York, low place of vicious gaiety
and viJiatOry gTOg, but a bigger the
atre of vaudeville than is devoted to a
variety show in Gotham. I went to the
Empire as being the Test as to vogue.
No American city except Chicago, Bos-
ton, Philadelphia and New York has a
theatre TO hold so many people: nor in
those cities one that ever contains peo-
pie ranging so widely-taIxing the seat
prices for a ratio-as three dollars to
twelve cents. Evening dress is re-
quired in the parquet-Or stalls-here as
at the dramatic houses. The girl who
meets you at the head Of On aisle won't
seat you if you are a man in a daytime
fTOck or sack, although the American
hybrid tuxedo viii pass in lieu of a
Clawhammer. If a woman comes HATED.
she must leave her millinery in the
lobby. These rules don't have to be
enforced. No one thinks of breaking
them.
So the lower floor of the Empire. and
a tier of boxes. next above, looked like
a grand opera audience, and its heavy
men and rOtund marrons, even more
than its young folks, bore the vague yet
unmistakable mark of both "aristo-
cratic" and middle class" society. The
behavior was all polite in a stiff English
way. At the same time and place, but
in a spacious corridor back Of a bal
cony, barmaids were serving drinks TO
the town FOUNDERS, and wantOn girls
were seeking remunerative companion
ship. And UP in the top gallery was
cheaper though less wicked crowd. No
such cOntrasted and separated sorts of
people are ever in an American the
atre.
= y
The stage show was a little like and
a great deal unlike our own vaudeville.
Similarly, it began early with inexpen-