The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-27

hErle HeIlew ana an excellent COM
pany OF Three people opened at the Salt
Lake ihcatcr last night in The Mol
The metaphoricaI title is used 10 des-
lgnatc woman who lives above her sur
rcundings (metaphorically, of course): to
whom her relatives, friends and servants
must live in the bondage of her caprice,
Who Is physically. mentally and morally
normal but who imagines her robust self
10 be thin from oYer-cXcrtion and her
mentality impaired by the strenuous re-
sponslbities 10 which she Is not sub
lected. The most difficult thing she does
Is to summon sufficient energy to eat
her breakfast after 1t has been placed
ny her bedside and she has been tender
y propped with numerous downy pillows.
Mrs. RaHtcr Isabel IrNing) is the mol
lusc. she inherited tho molluscular
trait. which became abnornally dereI-
opcd after her marriage because OF the
dotinS disposition of her husband Tom
Kemp 'kyrle Below, a molluscular
brother OF Mrs. Baxter. several years
before the play opens realized his mol
luscular tendency. sought action. now
scenes and environment and thus pre-
vented the development Of the molluSc
ism which was his by inheritance. He
returns 10 England after spending sew
eral years In Colorado and California,
happy In his viii power, independence
and The energy TO do things. Before he
has been in his sisters home ten min
utes he learns that what lie has entirely
cast out OF his system has developed AT
an alarming rate in his sister He soon
discovers that her home is ruled abso-
lutcly by her caprCeS. lie sets himself
the task Of curing her.
lie begins Immediately. and as quickly
meets with dsCouragcmcnt. AToIuscular r
as she is she retains fun control OF her
Woman's wits. She secs through his pur-
pose and determines TO lead him a merry
chase. which she docs through three acts.
| Then she takes new tack-onc Is not
satisfied after tho last curtain falls that
she is really cured Of her shcer lazincss-.
when her husband sprains his ankle in
I The temporary hclplcssuess OF one who
had literally been her slave in her i'm
,aGned helpessncsS affected her more
deeply than all the scorn or rdiculc Of
! her preaching brother She rises from
her couch stirs herself 10 instant activ- =
/ ity, and administers TO the wounded limb
! Of her husband.
! The play Is couched in elegant lam
Guagc. IT Is superbly acted But when
IL is over. the impression made is so
/ shallow that one is compelled to pause
and ask oneself what il Was all about.
II leaves the same placid effect that one
| would expect 10 experience after reading
a moral lesson from female seminary
! text book 1t is suggestive Of pink teas
provides ono Of the really exciting mo-
mcnIs of the play.
Obviously. there is motive in Mr. Bel
lcw's using '"Che Momsc" as his vehicle
quadruplc profits. The profits arc fur
! thcr Ienetheucd in the shortening Of the
| scenic equipment ono setting. an mterI-
or scene, Is all that is used during tho
play. Henry Miller set the example OF
Hbbrcvlatinn. and got away with II. but
he had a vehicle Of compelling interest
| There IS no more substance to THE
Molusc" tlIan there is To W. Sommerset
MauGhm's lace and Lavender stage pic.
'urcs Of English decormm. There were
lines In John Drew's vehicle smith
hat were point ed enough for American
appreciation. Eut tho lumor In !.Thc
Mollusc' Is too subtle and the lines toe
provoktngly wordy for the average Amer
lean
Mr., Bellows Interpretation OF Ton
Kemp * an artistic conception Of Vleor.
Gus manhood. but This is due TO Mr.
u Bellows inimitablc manner OF polite act.
ing, aud not 10 Hubert Henry Davies
10 whom this dramatic bubble owes It.
conception.
J In The small supporting cast Of three
> Salt Lakcrs have the pleasure OF renew