The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-28

IT WENTY years is sufficiently long
time for even the most seasoned vet
eran 10 get out of condition, and when.
after the lapse OF n score OF the mile
! stones OF time. a man demonstrates that
he can come back" he certainly Is de-
serving of credit Heber M. Wells did
lust that last night in his Interpretation
OF the title role OF ''Puddn' Head Wilson"
at tho Utah theater.
Taken as q whole the opening perform
ance was a credit to the players and the
theater. although IL was evident that
several more rehea rsals would have
wrought a smoother production. As the
play progressed from prologue TO first
act. and then TO It's close, however. there
was a noticeable Improvement in the
work. not only OF Mr.. Wells, but also of
the other members OF the cast
The Mayo dramatizaton OF the Mark
Twain book OF the same name coupled
with the opportunity of seeing Mr. Wells
In the leading role and Ada Dwyer, play
ing the part OF Roxy" was sufficient
attra ction 10 bring more than the usual
Sunday night audience 10 the Utah. There
is no question but that number OF the
because Mr.. Wells, ex-governor OF the
state and prominent in social and bust
ness circles. was to play a part with
professional company. And there is no
question but that all were satisfied OF his
ability TO handle the part.
''Puddn Head Wilson" as play is pos
sibly better known To the older OF the
Salt Lake City theater-goers than to the
younger element. Briefly. the story con-
Germs itself with tho motto. "the truth
will out"
Roxy is the freed slave Of York Dris-
coll. a Mississippi river planter. She is
nurse OF n nephew OF Driscoil and the
mother OF another boy OF whom the plant
er Is the father Both boys were born
on the same day At the christening OF
the nephew Roxy. out Of pure mother JOY.
takes from The neck Of the nephew a coral
necklace and places IL about her own
chld's neck. whose skin is white, or
nearly SO, and who as a child seemed TO
Inherit the facial chara cteristics OF the
Driscoll family,
Forgetting TO transpose the necklace
the children become mixed and the ne
gro is christened Tom DrIscoll and the
white boy IS raised as Chambers. Roy's
son.
is lawyer who is clientless. but who Is
busy nevertheless with the study OF his
hobby. thumb prints. Puddn Head, by
chance, had taken the thumb prints OF
the necklaces and then methodically filed
away the record of the ''one never
changing mark OF man
After lapse Of twenty-five years the
hiIt ratn
To his uncle's home from st Louis. He
has grown 10 manhood and has developed
the traits OF niscegnation.
Chambers now IL youth who because
OF his fair skin has the enmity OF all
other members OF his supposed race on the
plantation and because he has always
slave by Driscoll and his fellow towns
men Chambers Is the devoted slave of
Tom and OF Rowy. the niece OF Pudd'n-
head.
upon Roxy, who having long since disap-
peared, returns 10 the plantation TO see
her own son. The resultant investigation
reveals the true state OF affairs. after four
acts which furnish an extraordinary OPP
portun!ty OF character study and the pro-
pounding of the great truths OF human
nature.
Mr. Wells brings to the character OF
PUdd nhcad sense OF deep understand
ing. He is interesting throughout albeit
there were several occasions when the
ilneS OF the part we're momentarlly for
gotten. In the early acts there WAS bit
OF hcsitancy. n sort Of desire to think be-
fore each word which tended IL make
the lines sound unreal. Cnnuestiona bly,
this was due In large meausure TO the
volume OF the part and the lack OF suf-
fcient rehearSals. However, this grad
ually disappeared as Mr Wells became
more sure OF himself and there is no rea-
son why his remaining performances this
week should not be as smooth as those
Of the seasoned veterans with whom he is
playing.
Miss Dwyer gets across" the footlights
with all the punch there is in the role
OF Roxy. And there is ample opportunity
in the part. Her use OF the dialect of
the negro OF the before the war times was
exceedingly clever
Aside from the two stars OF the COM
pany other members OF the cast are de-
serving OF credit for their work Miss
Connel!I as Rowy. Richard Vivian as Tom
Fanchon Eberhardt as Patsy. Alice Con-
rad as Hannah and J. Frank Burke as
York Drlscol were all good.
Robert McKim in the role OF Cha ambers
and Morse Moon as Blake. the sheriT.
were exceptionally good. The PLAYING OF
Prescott Erickson and Harmon Weight
as Luiji and Angelo. the twins wa
also clever.
All in all the opening performance OF
Pudd'n 'nhead Wilson" was more than
could be expected and before the week Is
over the engagement Will probably make
Its mark among the records of the stock
season at the Utah,