Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-05-15
Especial Correspondence
5ONDON, May 5.-Although pro-
auctions have followed in rapid

auctions have followed in rapid
succession during the past week,
there is but little to record III
the way of success The most pro-
nounced failure has been made at the
Lyric theater, where Maxine Elliott and
Lewis Waller appeared in Constance
Fletcher's new play, 1.-THE Conquest.
The ultimate fate of the piece is in
curious contrast with its history, Wal
Ter has had it in his possession for
quite d considerable period, and only
delayed its production because of the.
difficulty of finding the right actress
to play the leading part. Eighteen
months ago he came to an agreement
with Maxine Elliott on the point, but
owing to her existing engagements the
earliest date she could name was the
Easter or this year. Everybody con-
cerned appeared to have the greatest
belief in the piece and even when the
curtain fell upon The dress rehearsal,
their confidence was in no wise shaken,
a rude awakening awaited author.
manager and company on the night or
the first performance. Early In the
evening the audience began to grow
FESTIVE, and when the end came its
verdict was given in no uncertain
terms. Personally, I do not consider
that the play ever possessed the ele-
lnents of success. but ] am bound to
Ifadd that its chances We're In no way
Improved by the acting. The Con-
quest" was, consequently. withdrawn
after a. run of six nights, and The
Three Musketeers'' again resumed it's
place in the bill last Saturday.
RIoToUs DEvILRY.
Waller, OF course, is too old a hand.
| at the game not to accept defeat with,
at least, an outward show of equanim-
| ity, but fear Maxine Elliott feels the
position rather acutely.
can you imagine she said to me
yesterday. what it is to find yourself
face to face with a. Saturday night
Ifootball audience In a mood of riotous
| deyilry? ut was like an old Roman
gladiatorial contest and thumbs down
| meant death to U.S.. Never in the
course Of all my life have I been the
victim of such nervousness: tho effect
upon ME was almost paralyzing. don't
attempt to conceal the fact that an,
deeply gTieved and hurt; the complete
! failure of a play upon which one has
built the highest hopes isn't the kind
! Of thing one can face without fiinching.
Shall carry out my original intention
of opening with 1t at my. own theater
in New York next January? I really
can't say. For the moment am SO
| upset that I am scarcely able to think
much less to come to a definite deci-
| siorHon so important a point. Despite
| ovaTvthing, + still believe In the play,
however, and In It's many good quail
| Ties. / have had some dfsappoint-
| ments in my career. but rarely OF So
| painful a kind as this.
FEATHER IN I1NGLAND's 5cAP.
The engagement of Louis Calvert to
/ act as .'producer' of classical plays
at the New Theater in New I ork Is
| regarded as rather feather in Eng
Hands theatrical cap. Calvert springs
from an excellent histrionic stock. the
1 name of his father, Charles Calvert
/ being associated with some OF the
most remarkable Shakespearean pro-
auctions ever made IN this country
! Oddly enough, young Louis did no.
enjoy the benefit of his fathers tu-
/ ition. Being looked upon as the scape-
grace of the family. he was sent Y
sea, until eventually his inherent 10y,
for the theater asserted itself anc
he selected the stage as his PROBES,
i sion AS metteuren-scene he has Deer
i OF marked assistance to Tree, Wynd.
Il ham and Fred Terry; he has also hat
| more than one shot at management
on his own account. AS an actor
too. he has won for himself consi-
derable fame, his impersonation OF I'M !.
old waiter in HYou Never Can tell. !
being, for instance, quite mastery. But
4 somehow luck seems always to havi
i failed him at the critical moment
Happily his opportunity has come a.
last and l shall be very much ms
taken il he does not prove to be az
actly the right man in the right place
at the New Theatcr.
COL. SMITH IS TOO THIN.
am afraid George Alexander's new
comedy Colonel Smith" of which a
E. w. Mason. the popular novelist
is the author will not carry him very
far The story is terribly thin fol
a theater OF the proportions of the
st. James Nor is it remarkable for
originality On the other hand. the
part OF the Colonel fits Alexander like
glove. True it calls for no display
of emotional forces; it is just quiet
ly humorous sketch of q mfddleaged
military man, yet I have rarely seen
| Alexander to greater advantage. The
| role of the heroine is hardly worthy
l of the talents of Irene Vanbrugh. She
does what she can with it, but after
all, even the cleverest actress cannot
be expected 70 make bricks without
straw. L am rather inclined to think
that something fresh will be wanted
\ at the ST. James before the season
! is very much older.
BILLIE BURKE COMING.
We are looking forward with no
little eagerness to the arrival of Bill
lie Burke next week. She opens at
/ the Haymarket. where Hubert Henry
Davis latest comedy. "Bavis,' has
/ failed to make good, on Tuesday May
| II, in Love Watches which APP
4 pears to have done so well on your
side of the Atlantic. j learn that
Adeline Genee also will soon be with
i us, but whether she will be seen
/ publicly before her return to America
/ in the fall remains an open question.
/ Tree Is very anxious to have her at
| His Majesty's for a number of after
| noon performances which would in
| clude her appearance in 1.-THE Dryad., :
together with Bernard Shaws new
| play 1.-THE Showing up Of Balance
Posnet.' At the Empire. too. they
want her for a grand operate ballet
which would afford her unusual OPP
/ portunities for the exercise of her
| wonderful talent. Genee. however.
i needs holiday and there are other
reasons why she is not particularly