The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-26
ADJUSTMENTS

Mrs. Fiske and her Manhattan com
pany presented Henrik Ibsen's pillars
OF Society" 10 a large, delightfully."- en-
tertained audience at the Salt Lake The.
ater Saturday evening. 1t has been said
that the highest compliment that can be
paid to Mrs. Fiske and her associate
players is TO say that they are worthy
10 present the strongest. grandest con-
evenings performance of pillars of So
ciety fully bears out this statement
The play is the big thing; the actor only
second consideration. Mrs Fiske and her
about their task OF interpreting the play
to the eye and mind OF the audience.
Mrs Fiske does not appear In the lead
ing role Of the play. The heavy role is
and Is most ably taken care of by uol-
brook Blinn, an actor Of extraordinary
ability.
The story Is OF the leading citizen, rich
and powerful materially. potentially
strong Of character. in little Norwegian
seaport. The theme Is his struggle with
himself, and the struggles OF a woman.
against n tissue Of lies that have become
acter, the leading citizen, one of the
pillars Of society"
Fifteen years before the opening of the
action of the play Karlseen Bernick has
monpace plot-germ In less able hands
than those OF 1bsen. In order that he
might escape the consequence OF this. he
has accepted the sacrifice of friend.
who has shouldered the blame and gone
to America, A child has been born to
the wronged girl and Bernick, to ap
pease his conscience, has taken the child
into his own home-the mother having
died. In the fifteen years. Bernick. cal
lousing to the mental pain Of his secret
guilt. has hardened. lost sense Of con-
has become a city builder, has done
great things for the community has be-
come a pillar OF society,"
But ono day his old friend, Johan Ton
neson, who had accepted the disgrace.
returns, bringing with him Iona Hessel,
| his step. sister. who had once been loved
by Bernick. Tonneson falls in love with
| the daughter Of the girl who had been
! marry her. The prospect is staggering
| to Bernick. II means terrific scandal For
II is supposed In the community that
| Tonneson Is the man who committed the
| original wrong, and IL appears that he
| wants to marry his own daughter The
only way to obviatc that scandal Is by
| making known the real truth-and that
involves the destruction Of Bernick's own
| reputation. which he has struggled for
years to build up.
BernIck is not strong enough to do the
necessary thing. to toll the truth. He
struggles nightly against that necessity
| He points out to Iona Hessell all that
the consequences would be OF such tardy
| action on his part. He argues that he
|
cursed his existence during the past If
| teen years, not only for the sake or his
family. but In order that the community
may benefit from the great works OF
| progress which arc guided by his hand.
| He is about TO send out 10 sea ship
that is entirely unseawortby. Despite
protests from his workmen that the ship
| will never reach port, he takes firm
stand that the ship must sail and run
| the risk OF reaching port, The cargo
must reach its destination. Johan Ton
time being. intending to sail on the
death-trap ship, but stating that he VIII
| return within two months and give the
truth of the scandal 10 the world As a
| drowning man grasps at a straw so Ber-
| nick grasps at the possibility or the ships
Il sinking. with Johan Tonneson on board,
Bernick's son angered by the stern dsci-
pine Of his father, under the pretcnse of
saying goodbye to Johan Tonneson,
boards the ship as stowaway Tonne
son, on the impulse of the moment.
changes his mind about sailing on inc
other ship with the girl he has suddenly
learned to love. The watchful mother.
suspecting her sons designs. follows him
10 the ship and rescues him as tho boat
ls getting under way. at the same time
giving orders. under her husbands name,
that the ship turn back
Bernlck learning that his son Is aboard
the rotten ship. and not knowing OF the
mothers Interference thinks that his son
is sailing TO his death. II IL too latc to
/, stop the boat, he lnlnks, Nnllc i1oor-
; ing under the strain OF knowing that his
; son is going to his doom. Bernck Is
| called upon 10 address n meeting Of cit-
zcns who have come to pay him tribute
for the bcneficent works he has done. and
, is about to do, for his community. ~
1.-the critical momont word reaches him
, that his son is snfc. that his old friend,
: Johan Tonncson. and his bride are aboard
another ship and that under his name
the unsea worthy boat has been ordered
| back 10 port
on the Impulse of the moment he taliea
: the stand, apparently to address the citl-