The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-31

docs
@ Tor we are stIn in total darkness.
Ihen the mother speaks ard once
started, she does not stop until she
mas uneurdened herself of several
thousand words. But before she las
delivered herself of many hundred n
~ evident that the dead body referred
as dangling above her is not
nune Te mere by rope. but Is sagging
from cross. For her monoloeuc Is
simply Il colloquialization OF the
story of Christ's life on earth as II
might have been regarded by the
mirg,n' as the narrative progressed
and stumbled from the theater: but
What auditors who were offended by
INC Biblical recital would have done
in%najny haa afjney o, remained to see the as
Wilderlng To think Of For after the
female speaker, now unquestionably
IDENTICAL with the mother of Christ
IN spite OF nodernty and roughness
the tragedy Of the cross. avoiding
none OF the dreadful details of the
hhal sufferlng-and after the officer
nad d'se2rEed many mouthfuls OF
staple platitudes about Life in
Death'-a light was thrown on the
stage and three huge crosses revealed
bearing life-size figures representing
the bleeding and inert Christ and the
lhleves on either side Of him To
say that the audience was stunned is
hardly to eXaggerate the tremor of
dismay that ran through the assem-
olaSe; Silence almost absolute per-
Vaded the auditorium as the specta-
tors gathered up their outer garments
and dispersed
THE right or wrong of such an
IL exhibition In theater seems
10 me debatable, and in any case,
too dependent upon the personal
poiiI t OF view TO be determined by a
nl
ate on Mr. Ames's part to spring it
on an audience without warning
anyone who knows him and the au-
thor and the actors-indeed, anyone
WIN enough perception and intelli-
Gence to appreciate what the Little
theater stands for-could not enter
tain for a moment the Slightest no.
ton that THE Terrible Meek was
not written and presented in the
spirit OF seriousness and reverence.
Matthison. his wife. appear possessed
OF the belief that the theater should
reunite with the church as religious
3 force They came from England as
caiInJ Leaders ..,s, IN the Christian morality
first and only memorable play was
The Servant in the House" in
which servant in a modern vicar
age was designed to reproduce Christ
in teaching and in personal appear
the most notable outlet for her ex-
traordinary hstrionic powers as the
Virgin Mary In Sister Beatrice"
So convinced that their intentions
are absolutely serious and reveren-
iial. the critic has only TO consider
their expressions of them in their
artistic aspects. At this point Mr..
and Mrs. keunedy's paths diverge
There Is no English speaking actress
at the present time who can equal
In has 90
and eloquence of delivery; and that
Is saying, in a sentence, that there
is no other woman on our stage who
could do so much for The Terrible
Meek" Mr. Kennedy on the other
hand. thinks In conventional grooves
and expresses his laborious convic-
tons In heavy, unillumined pIati-
tudes; his style is no more eloquent
or elevated than that of n Metho-
dist minister in a small New England
that, on the day "The Terrible Meek"
was acted for the first time, copies
were delivered to all the ruling SOW
ereigns of the earth, TO the presl-
cardinals of the Roman Catholic
church. TO all Anglican lords. bish-
ops. and indeed. ] hardly recollect
quite all the personases named
though | trust Manuel Of Portugal.
the baby emperor OF China and the
octogonariaD Eugene were not over
looked because they had lost their
royal grip; and / have little doubt
that Mrs, Pankhurst, Mrs. Belmont,
y. r.. Gaby Deslye and Frederick
Townsend Martin were remembered
I'm the distinguished distribution,
There was something truly thrilling
I'm going To a matinee and realizing
that At that very moment, In every
capital OF the world all business Of
state was halted while the relgning
monarch and his ministers read Mr..
Kennedy's unburdenings and pom
dered upon the greater uses Of the
drama,