The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-14
awakening Of HeIena RIchIe.y

In the Awakening of Helena Rich
ie." emotional Miss Anglin has a role
entirely suited to her intense and
highly-wrought acting art. There is
emotionalism in every situation In
turn the actress portrays the extremes
OF love. anger, hope. despair. rebellion
and grief each with the skill of the
great artist. II is in large part be-
cause of her dominating ability that
the play has known an unusually sue
cessful run in the east and is likely
10 prove one or the seasons most pop
ular attractions here.
Beng dramatized from a best sell
err" the novel of the same name by
Margaret Iceland, the story of the play
is well known. 1t IS a tragedy of feel
ing IL not OF action. but seems to be
none the less well liked on that ac-
count The mystery OF its popularity,
amusement seeking, seems to be ex-
planned by the fact that II is essen
tally a woman's play. Women find
in AZ a living truth which they alone
can appreciate, that a faithless lover
can be replaced by a child, and IL Is a
satisfaction TO see that truth worked
out in the development OF TINS stly.
An incident at the play last nsSht
bears out the correctness OF this state
ment. When Helena tore up the final
letter from Lloyd Pryor, indicating
her determination to be done with
him, there was q round Of applause
which came from soft-gloved hands.
The women In the audience approved
her choice OF the child and no other
ending would have found favor with
them.
The play is a very human one, with
Chester and realistic scenes of every
day happenings. The character OF
Helena in the play and in the book
is one that arouses intense sympathy.
She seems to have had the worst OF
Il from life and Miss Anglin uses her
skill to in every way intensity that
Impression and yet convey the notion
OF a gay, emotional and sensitive wo-
man with natural good impulses and
a craving for love. There is no doubt
about her love for the man even at
the end, but her awakening, which is
the moral of the story. leads her TO
give him up even without hope Of re-
ward. That she gets the child is the
only fitting contamination and the
charming impression OF her happiness
is the best finale the play could have.
The curtain is rung down just little
too soon One would have liked TO
dwell a moment longer on the scene of
the woman and child together
There is emphatically another star In
the cast. II is the 7-year-old boy,
Raymond Hackett, who is one Of the
best child actors ever seen on the
stage. He has n heavy speaking part
and his lines are given with absolute
perfection and in a highly artistic man
ner. The loving little ways and in
dependent boyishness won the hearts
ahN Aht dffiahSt u Aht dAuAthSS Nu
every occasion.
other roles in this play are ad-
mirably taken. Eugene Ormonde, who
is an old Salt Lake favorite. having
played here last with Blanche Bates,
was excellent in the part OF Lloyd
Pryor. Halbert Brown, as Benjamin
Wright. did a good piece Of character
work. and Eugene Shakespeare. in the
role Of Sam Wright. was a favorite.
though to many his work seemed over
done. The settings OF the four acts
were excellent. The scene Is laid I'm
n village Of Pennsylvania in the year
1850, and the costumes appear to be
historically correct.