The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-29
FEW BERNARD SHAW PLAY
test Galaxy of Play Mildly Interesting; "Withir
the Law" a Me1odrana, Appears to Be
an Undoubted Success
nv VANDERHEYDEN FYLES

case advanced ideas mean heart
,, Dreek, Tor she is so far ahead OF her
VIE must be utterly submissive to
her husband She breaks off her en-
gagement to the man she loves In
1883 we find her a lonely, embit-
tered spinster: superfluous member
OF her brothers household: merely toll
Grated by everyone except her niece.
OF whose happiness and safety she is
as jealous as lioness OF her cub.
i pretend you're my own daugh-
my only. happiness.
The girl Is In love with an honor
aole, alert and clever young inven-
tor. But her father. the ''progres-
sivea OF a quarter Of a century before.
Is now prosperous, stolid and re-
spected citizen, about to receive a
baronetcy for the usual services TO
mis- party, and he desires his daugh-
ter to marry wealthy peer, only a
few years younger than himself. The
women of her mothers day; vet with
the whole family-except hcg aunt
against her choice, she finally giveAin
Then comes the latest milestone. The
are old. old people, now quite out OF
the running, and merely petted by the
young folk. when not utterly ignored.
The girl OF 1885 is the handsome, self
contained. unsatisfied widow Of Lord
peer, IS an indolent, insulting waster;
her daughter is a fine. resolute girl
Of today. Again we see the daughter
desirous OF marrying against the family
wishes, though; as In the other in
whose only faults are that he has
his way to make and that his fore
sight n1akes his plans seem radical
and rash to his elders. However. lit
tie Miss 1912 Is not to be dissuaded
bv lot of folk whose day is done.
She meets every obstacle and con-
uuers It. But how will Il be when the
Honorable Muriel Pym Is herself a
mother and grandmother? The
authors leave us sadly conscious Of
the trivial moons eauence Of the indi-
vidual,
XXT ITH the agreeable record OF six
w more or less positive successes
demanding more space than can be
spared. I will pass over the one de-
cislve failure. OF the week with the
MI Orestes Bean produced a drama
Of his own. called "Corianton." In
his native city. Salt Lake; and ever
since it has been his ambition to get
therefore, very sad 10 have to report
that, in spite OF opulent investure
and a good cast. the drama proved
SO vague in promise, obsolete In style
and stupid in effect as to excite the
rIdicufe Of the heartless: In its pres
ent form the play is called "An Aztec
Romance" but 7 fear that the title
will not long survive.
XXT ITH the temperance OF Gaby
w Deslys and of Mrs. Langtry
a month or so away, the ninble Mr.
4--I S1-, l.r al
into the throne Of Personal Adver-
tisement, the occa sion being the
American presentation Of his latest
comedy. "Fannys First Play" True
il Mr.. Shaw had reserved sole man
agement Of the campaign to himself.
the result would not be so suggestive
OF a warm ed over souffIe. OF that
we have ample evidence in the fresh
ness, delicacy and lightness of the
souffle when prepared by hin him ana
ter, over year and half ago.
An audience accomplished In the arts
assembled In the intimate confines
Of Miss Gertrude Kingston's novel
by an unnamed author. Expectancy
and mirthful curiosity were excited
TO q lively pitch by an induction
which introduced then TO four rec
ognizable embodiments Of leading
London critics, slightly and worry sub
tly caricatured.
A new pIay-that is. q play within
a play-was about to be acted for
the first time, supposedly on tenn
porary stage erected in a house IN
Cambridge leased by a courty old
English gentleman. who abhorred the
England OF the Nineteenth century,
refusing to even recognize such a
thing as the Twentieth century long
his life in Venice; and whose man
ners. dress and outlook were scru-
pulously Bvronic His daughter,
however. had completed her educa-
tion under the influence. Of the, Fa-
bian society, at cambrdge; and the
audience was prepared for the shock
her first play would be TO her father,
trusting implicitly. as he did, In It's
idealstic elevation above everything
mundane. The most authentic critics
don to pass judgment on the piece.
though denied knowledge. OF Its au-
thorship. Doubtless all this was eZ-
tremely funny to the audience at the
able that enough English playgoers
know. OF think they know. the per
sonalitles of the leading reviewers TO
appreciate the shades OF caricature
to whom such man as Mr.. A. B.,
waIkIey and Mr.. William Archer are
no more than names. the induction
was stupid and prolix.
Tine 6pllOGue proved IuoLo hHuSlh6,
because the criticisms OF the play:
dealing. of course. With subject
we had Just been made acquainted
with. were amusing for their intrin. :.
sic rdicule Of points or-View and
prctudices that can be practically
duplicated In any argumentative gain
ering Of intelligently analytical men.
But Il must be said that the frame
work Of "Fanny's First Play" which
constituted the lively London nov
elty-tbrough the mouths OF the pro-
fotypes, Mr.. Shaw discusses such ac-
tive Britishers Of the moment az
Lady Constance Lytton. Mrs. j. NJ
Barrie. Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, Mr..
Granville Barker (producer OF the
play and. at FIRST. suspected Of being
It's author) and. with sharpest shafts
OF all, hlmseH-is less Interesting for
us than the play itself.
TT HD play that is Fannys FRS
could hardly have been writer
by anyone but Mr. Shaw; unless som'
disciple had discovered the art OF lit
Miss cissIe LOTUS practices that o.
bjstrionic m,micry. And TO say tho
II is obviously by Mr.. Shaw. Ia TO de
clare IL "plotless." IN the ordfnar,
sense. Its entertainment result
from verbal Wit. which, In the earli
er scenes, is pretty freely wateref
with the conscious and labortous top
syturveydom OF the poseur. ana, IN
daed. with occasional Jokes unworth!
of Weber & Fields buTlesque; pu
| all the water rupe OUT OF the piec'
before the third act and leaves tina
| ,,,ltt, nVre rharnnd Rn