Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-15
New Year Plans for London Theaters
London Dramatic Letter

tion OF his knlghthood Fred Terry was
To have occupied the chair. but severe
attack of gout, from which happily hc
is rapidly recovering held him DriS-
oner at home, His place was filled by
the veteran Henry Neville who delv-
cred a splendid speech, touched with a
fine sense OF humor and OF manly sen
timcnt, lauding Tree TO the skies
Trees reply was couched in the very
best vein. Evidently II had not been
prepared beforehand. and one could see
that he felt deeply the warmth of his
reception. Nearly 300 sat down to din
nor and the proceedings lasted TIL
o'clock, when n large number of the
more bolsterous members went off to
the Green Room there to finish the owe.
ming, or rather the morning. After the
speeches came an entertainment Tor
which many OF the most popular artists
OF the day. had volunteered their scrV-
Ices The program wound up with a
three act tragedy entitled Capital or
Labor" the most side-splitting thing
1t has ever been my lot to witness Il
only some enterprislns manager could
secure it his fortune would be made
but I'm afraid 1t would tax all his pow
ers of persuasion to induce the lord
chamberlain to license the piece
a week from New Years day Frank
Curzon produces at Wyndham's the
musical version by Seymour Hicks OF
Richard Harding Daviss farce, THE
Dictator" the score being supplied by
Leslie Stuart Into the original plot
Hicks has introduced a little love story
which serves to provide Ellaline Ter
rlss with a part The piece as II was
played at the Comedy here some years
ago amused us immensely and William
Collier in the leading role kept us in
fits Of laughter from start to finish.
Whether ii will be improved by the
addition of musical numbers is mort
point; my own fear is that these may
prove a hindrance rather than a help
to the action which, as | remember II.
was OF so brisk and rapid nature
as to leave no room for anything OF a
kind likely to break Its continuity.
1t usually takes years of study md
more OF less bitter experience To learn
the technique of play-wrIting, but an
exception that helps to prove the rule
and to encourage dramatists Is supplied
by the case of famous novelist here
the name cannot be given lust yet
who suddenly got an Idea for a play
q few weeks ago. He wrote II at white
heat without previous experience, and
without even having been much of a
theater- goer, The result proved to &c a
NOnltuS 81 oDdi MITE anu tlpMutu WIN
ingenious business that the first man.
ager to whom 1t was shown became
instantly fascinated with II, and pro
poses to produce il forthwith. and
make fortune out of 1t. This sounds
so much like a fairy story that ii IS
worth recording in this Christmas sea-
son, although 1t happens to be abso-
lutely true. The moral is; II you get
an Idea, fix 1t before 1t fades.
There have been many tears and not
few hard words at the Savoy where
by Sir William Gilbert and Edward
German. has failed to find favor with
the public. Gilbert made a tremend-
GUS mistake by forcing upon the syndi-
cate his ward. Nancy Mcintosh. who
first appearance. possessed no partic-
ular attractions either as singer or
actress to recommend her. Time has
dealt by no means generously with tho
lady But to all this Gilbert obStIn-
ately turned a blind eye. A few days
ago, however, he received very out
spoken communication from the thea
ter saying that either Miss Mcintosh |
must leave the cast or the usual fort
nights notice would be put up. The
first alternative has been chosen and |
a new singer. of whom report speaks
highly. viii within the next day or two
take up the part of Princess Sylene
her gifts. fear she comes
too late to save the fortunes of a piece
that all too plainly belongs to the
genre ennuyeuN."