Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-01
TIE ROUND OF Z -IE, HEATERS

MRS. FIsKE AT THE GRAND One
Is prone TO use adjectives in reviewing
the presentation Of .SaIvation Nell, at
the Grand last night, and 1t Is not too
much to say that those who witnessed
the performance found It bard to shake
off its spell this morning. Some Will go
to see 1t again just to dissect the
scores of little bits OF business" with
which the drama Of the slums abounds
The majority, however. are content to
have seen it--they. would not have.
missed 1t for anything, but horses could
not drag them to zee 1t again. To the
aindiNidiiaI who has been Summing in
large cities every type presented was
Instantly identified With those whose
4 lot Is east in pleasant places, however,
IL was a case of can such things he9p
1t must be said that honors are 4di-
vided between the stage manager and
the cast. The amount of detail with
which the piece abounds and which Is
lin a measure lost on the cramped stage
/ of the Grand is q source of a running
I fire of comment on the part Of the
thenter-goe There are As characters
on the program and each Is a type
true to life. The tough bar-room scene
5of the first act, with its typical saloon
keeper. louagers of both sexes cadginE
drinks. the free lunch inoucher, the
children Of the Sums rushing the can,
the bouncer, puG-uglies. Womeno of the
street and all the rest of the flotsam
and jetsam of society are depicted with
vipidness that is compelling. Amid
lit all Sanders, the scrub girl, drifts in-
to the wine room, pathetic figure as
she mcps Off the tables and wipes the
{ floor. Mrs. Fiske has been called Am
IN
tic picture any other actress playing
Salvation Nell With such vivid faith
fulness. The hating delivery OF the
lines. the little stage tricks and bust
ness all appeal to the emotions; her
methods are those of restraint of the
modern school of acting. When she
witnesses what she believes to be muir
der, sees the dive raided by the police
and her tough lover handcuffed and
taken away, and, during the scene
which follows, when the enraged sa-
aloonkeeper turns her into the street,
she utters barely a word, but one can
read the emotions that are yelling up
for expression as though she We're
standing in the spot light and voluab!y
pouring out her soul across the foot
lights.
The second act is a contrast in its
simplicity, but none the less vivid. The
third act showing the tenement dis
trict, with street urChinS, the saloon
on the corner, the. pawnshop. the slat-
terrlly woman leaning out Of the win
dows and the bedding on the fire es-
capes, is the climax 1t opens with a
battle between "an honest married wo-s
man, and "a thing of the streets" for
worthless rum-soaked husband, and
closes with a prayer. AS in the first act
the detail and character sketches are
introduced with a master hand. Moth
ing is overdone, tits Just the slum
lifted bodily and placed on the stage.
While one is following the dialogue out
of the tail of his eye he can see q man
come on at the back carrying bundle.
hesitate look around and then dive In
to the pawnshop to reappear again with
his hands in his pockets making for an
exit, only to halt, look back. retrace
his steps and disappear through the |
swinging doors Of the saloon with its
reckoning blaze of lights. Through
out the presentation these little incl |
dents are occurring all the time.
Salvation Nell" Is no one part piece.
Every member of the cast is an arr
children. Holbrook Blinn, as Jim |
Platt shares the honors with Mrs.
Fske. his scene with her when he re-
turrfs ffom Sing Sing being a finished
piecesof acting and throughout his por-
trayal of the revolving character Is clear
cut as cameo. Mary Madison az
Lieut.. Sullivan Is another who should |
be mentioned, while Hope Latham's !
Myrtle is a redlight sketch that makes |
oneSs blush for womankind. Henry |
Wenman, the Salvation Army major
but they are all deserving of mention
Salvation Nell" Is not a play for