The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-06

NEW YORK, March 5.-A drama
IN bearing the names of oscar Wilde
and his book. 1.-THE Picture of Dorian
Gray" was described last week as con-
tanning naught else of Wilde's than
witty verbiage culled from his writings.
This week New York gets Mr.. and
Mrs. Daventry," billed as oscar
Wilde's last play" After Wilde had
been a convict, and while keeping out
of English view, he wrote in French the
neurotic "Salome" which now serves as
the libretto of a Strauss opera. That
work stands as suitable climax to his
fame and shame. Mr.. and Mrs. Da-
Ventry," however, contains no phase OF
thought, nor phrase of diction, indica-
tive of the degenerate genius,
Kyrle BelleW says that he gave money
TO Wilde, then destitute in Paris after
mis- prison term. along with scheme for
a play to be used by Bellew and Cora
Urquhart Potter, but never got scrap
of manuscript. Wilde, instead, sold to
Mrs. Patrick Campbell Mr.. and Mrs.
Daventry," based-so Bellew maintains
on the theme original with the actor.
That was along about 1900, when no one
dared produce a play of Wilde's, and so
the authorship was assumed by Frank
Harris. editor of a London literary
weekly, to whom Wilde in better days
had dedicated 1.-THE Importance OF
Being Earnest" Mrs. Campbell devel-
oped no value in what may be re-
garded as Wilde's posthumus work, as
he was dead TO the world at the time,
and soon afterwards died corporeally.
So much for the play now presented In
New York.
Theatrical business is done peculiarly
in England. Some of London's star
actors go on tours throughout the king
dom, but London companies almost
never. Plays that succeed are sent cut
on routes with low-paid casts that,
though frequently competent, long in
vain to get into the great city. 1t is
one of these parties that has crossed
the ocean to bring TO us Mr.. and Mrs.
Daventry." The leader is Constance
Crawley, an ugly example of the spare
rib. lean-ham type of English woman.
She has a voice flowing with tears, how
ever, except when signs, sobs and silent
slumps break up the emotion. In the
vehemence of heartbreak she resembles
Margaret Anglin, and might rival Mar
garet If introduced as a new and
stronger sentimental sufferer. Her COM
panions are English extremely in
speech, and proficient, but not able to
brighten dull matter in the delivery.
Their mediocrity is smoother and neat
American acting.
Peculiar English Law.
Do yon know that the law of England
gives divorce to a man whose wife is
guilty of a single act of infidelity, but
refuses it to = woman whose husband
is criminally faithless, no matter how
many times? A wife may not have one
paramount once, but a husband may
keep a harem as long as he pleases. If
Bellew commissioned Wilde to write a
drama To illustrate that inequality of
Justice, he had a right to expect a
powerful composition; but Wilde was
done with good work and it was lucky
for Bellew that Mrs. Campbell, not he,
got the Daventry piece. Daventry is
shameless in his behavior. His crown
ing offense is to invite paramour to a
liaison in his home, expecting his wife
to be a complacent hostess, and she
can't obtain a divorce: but when Mrs.
Daventry seeks refuge and solace with
a lover whose devotion has stood the
test of a fitting, the law won't set her
free to marry him properly and she
feels forced to elope disreputably.
In these times of strong dramatic
originality, something like the license
Of Wildes ''Salome" would be required
TO make his sMr. and Mrs Daventry'
needs to do something more extraordin-
airy than whimper her grievance, scold
her husband and uneventfully &C off
with her girIhood's sweetheart Moth
ing unfamiliar to the stage is said or
done. The sure-shot husband follows
the runaway to kill their happiness;
but the day is past when an impending
duel excites sophisticate people In a
theatre; for they know that 1t won't be
mortal TO the good antagonist. When
the old weak and easy expedient OF
making the suddenly penitent husband
shoot himself. so as to get the author
and his true lover out of their dilemma
with happy climax. the sound Of the
pisto. outside gives a cue for laughter.
Dramas to satisfy the demand Tor
s;ngularify OF excitement become more
and more difficult to write; for even the
be1dest original schemes won't be eff
fectual unless uorded with exceeding
skill. That lack is what ais the new
s'chi]aren Of Destiny" That It Is be-