The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-10
THosE who went out of curiosity

THOSE who went out of curiosity
- remained TO admire ''The Fasci-
mating Widow at tho Salt Lake
tbcatcr last night it is true that
curiosity docs not cease until the final
curtain, but by that time Julian Ell.
tinge has made admiration Of his
skill the dominant feeling among fhc
spectators.
When the curtain rises the entire
audience is question mark The ques-
ton Is how can mere man enact the
role of woman with the necessary
completeness Of illusion? Surely, one
SAYS TO ones self. he will fail painfully
sometimes in the infection OF his voice
in feminine mauuerism. in his move.
ments, in his general department or i'm
some way that VIII shatter tho illu.
sion and make the scene embarrassing,
The questioning attitude on the part
Of the spectator continues TO thc end.
Ono forSccS each scene and asks
oneself. what will lie do ncxt2 How
Will he meet this or that situationt
In every instance Julian Eltinge
answers the question so conyincincly
as to merit unstintcd commentator.
So that the contrast may be the more
striking and the illusion moro complete
lSltngc appears in tho first half of the
first act as n manly. bigh-spiritcd, ath-
lctlc college chap, who gets into trouble
by knocking out with one punch the
sissy who is trying TO steal his girl.
To escape arrest Hal Blake, as "our
hcro' is called, proceeds to become
"our beroinc,' and from that time un-
! Il within few minutes of tho final
curtain is "Mrs. Monte, the fasciuat-
! ing widow
When 1Iltingc is a man he is aWfully,
awfuly manly, and when hc is "a widow
| lie is marvclously feminine Once just
| to show the audience the difference be-
! tween his college voice and his widow
| voice, he affects TO forget and drops
into an astounding baritone that almost
bctrays his identity 10 the college girls
who surround bim And yet his widow
| voice is not a childish sopran no or any
| thing OF that caliber. It Is just suclI a
| voice might be looked for as one Of
| the charms Of p fascinating widow
| not cirlish, not mannish, but just a
| happy medium.
| The accommodating press agent has
told enough OF the plot to make a de-
tailed synopsis unnecessary. 1t Is a
college play and Eltlnee is the college
| widow. This college Of "Il'' is CO. educa-
tional and, therefore, We find all the ia
miliar characters OF such a school, We
have I.anliton Wells, the college trainer.
| Tuthill Lcffingwell, n freshman: Oswald
Wentworth (thc sissy sophomore: the
Rev, Wilbur Watts the college chaplain;
Mrs, Lcffinswcl, matron OF the girls
dormi,ory, also n widow: Margaret LET
Gingwcll. her daughter, who IS in love
with Hal Blake and is just as much in
| the dark the others as 10 the identity
OF the fascinating widow; Tcssie Dan
forth (enacted by June Mathis. a former
Salt Lake girl) q romp; IVY Tracy. a
college girls. II Is evident that with
these ingredients a most delightful feast
| Of comedy j. served.
| No diva Of grand opera is more Law
ishly endowed with gowns" than Mr..
! Eltingc. His wardrobe is gorgeous. su-
perb and all the other three-r!ng circus
| adjectivcs that one may wish to en-
ploy. Ills first appearance. as the widow
| is in "A stunning dress OF black velvet
in the latest mode With picture hat
| 10 match. A little later, when every
! bOdV including The ch1Dlain Is trimming
merrily To the beach. EltIngc appears ia
a bathing suit that sets off TO great
girls are also in bathing suits just to
show the difference.
The next in order is a black jet over
white satin, with coral satin draperles.
The fourth creation Is more wonderful
still. II would require tho feminine fancy
Suffice to say that In it the widow per
| forms a scarf dance that would make
Mary Garden choke with envy.
The last dress Of all Is the bridal gown,
| which Is a bcwitching creation. This
gown Is required because the widow has
| arranged 10 wed 'his' hated rival so
as to add the final touch of humiliation
at tho last moment. Accompanying tho
bride are eight bridesmaids In sulphur
green gowns aud sulphur green picture
hats that are crowned with noddins
The first act OF tho play presents the
exterior Of Il hotel lin the mountains.
Tho second act has two scenes. The
first shows a rooms in the boys dormi-
tory at "I<'' college. and the second a cor
ncr In the reception hall in the girls
dormitory. The final scene is the chap
lain's study adjoining the TX college
chapel
Eltingc is not the only impcrsonator or
women ON the stage today There are
a few who might even bc described as
successful. but EltinGc is the only one
, who clnvatcs the art to a high standard.
Tho, ordinary impersonator's idea of a
fascinating widow would lead him 10
make tho role suggestive and moro og
! less vulgar. EltnEc presents his fas-
rlna,lng widow as lady, cultured. re-
, fined and winning, one who charms the
girls. attracts tho men and dsarms the
: shafts Of the moral Ccnsors.
The triumph of the impersonator would
not be complete II he did nat sing and
, dance With the witchcry and grace of
; a perfect lady" This lcltinGc does III
= "A way that makes some OF the grace
: full young women OF his CHORUS" look
just n bit awkward at times IN The light
of his achievement.