The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-24
AS powerful, Overwhelming and as

| Is Eugene Walters play, Zine Feathers"
| which was presented last night at the
| Salt Lake theater by an all-star cast
What dazzling riches in such names as
Rose Coghlan, Lolita Robertson, Robert
Edeson. Max F1gman. Wilton Lackaye
and Amelia Sumers! What play so poor
hands of such interpreters? And when
| all is said and done, one wonders whether
| the all-star cast is a compliment TO the
! author or the author compliment to the
all-star cast.
Fine Feathers to their taste; those
who like pleasant plays will find it pain
1ul. Eugene Walter has a habit OF writ
ing plays, which, so to speak. take US
by the throat, throttle and compel
US TO express our admiration and leave
us wondering why he could not have %on
our good will more amiably.
Fine Feathers" tells story of modern
graft, and all of the characters show
some kind of moral obliquity except one.
he IS a newspaper reporter who grad
uates into high-cIass muckraker. He
is the only saint at large among a black
company of sinners. or course this is
quite In accord with the eternal verities
and also little in accord with the best
at one time very. good reporter.
Ihere is something Grecian in the
idea and development OF the play 1t
mas many or those elements which the
Greek rhetoHcians would have commend
ed In play by Sophocles. From the be-
ginning one can see pitiless fate leading
on TO uhe ultimate tragedy. The lesson
is the old one that the wages of sin Is
death, and In these days of new morali-
tlcs when good and bad are considered
merely relative terms and the highest
torm or ethics is supposed by many to
be enlightened self-interest, the devotees
OF the new thought may be surprised at
the terribly convincing character of the
play Enlightened self interest was the
This play, and she forced her husband
whose conscience was Of the old school
10 surrender, TO her point OF view His
conscience, however, was not fitted to
John Brand (Wilton Lackaye), the high
1 KsynodSs GRobert Edesonj eonscieace a4r nSe
the wrong step tragedy was inevitable.
To outline the plot fully. so as TO give
a, q conplete , impression Of the magterful
a novelette. To be brief:
Jane, the wife, has wearied OF poverty
ana its trials. and when she overhear ~
1onh 1ont, Bran Brand, an Old college friend OF her
| IN favor OF the graft There is $40 900
In il for Bob Reynolds If he will f'opo Iet an
etrent;pg shr9riGp grade OF cement go Into the con
nrst he refuses. He knows thai II is
| theft, He says SO, His wife Is not con-
Flneeoi she intrigues with John Brand.
earI,, III 'ne ne second a act Bob, returning home
| trigue with Brand. and she gives him
odo dddS cnance-he WIN either take the $40
GGo ana ro DO , as Brand wishes, or she leaves
New YORK; Will walt for him at a res
hn,i taurant az, unul p, M; il, he comes for
hss; New al Yorl. rghtdif I'd not she remains in
ipakeshitts OF their life, AS he actually
ioVes his wife and knows that. despiie
her absorbing desire for "nne feath-
nrles she Graves, she really loves him
The next scene is two years later and
1hows now. me the heynolds's charming home on
| neavliy and shows 1t. He has also been
plunglng on Wall street, where they have
completely G96 cleaned him out. He Is $40
OF arrest, Jane Is at the theater with
| the Brands. and Dick Mead~iust re-.
turned from Europe, and grown famous
| as magazine Observation-Disclosures He
tells BOP that Brand has been the cause
Of his final ruin, and shows him how the
broker. with whom Bob was dealing had
| had his orders from Brand, and how be-
tween them they had trimmed him.
| Brand comes to the house in answer
10 demand from Bob. Dick IS sent
| upstairs. and Bob Informs Brand THAI
he knows that he has conspired to ruin
| him and demands his half or $50 900
more. Of the $2O000O made by his action
Brand refuses, and In big scene tells
but II they both go to the penitentiary
| they won't go alone-thcy Will lake
Mrs Reynolds with them. Jane. gor-
seously 1eweled and gowned, happy and
| contentcd, enters the room Bob
| leaves her with Brand who tells her
that her husband Is blackmailer and
| is asking for a preposterous sum; that
! he has overdrawn his account Sl0, 900
| for which he Is criminaIly liable. and
| for her sake, as a friend OF Mrs Brand
he will pay the 10000, but not penny
| more. He leaves. and Reynolds comes
| down 10 Jane. and in tremendous scene
! half-druDk and two thirds mad de-
| nounces Brand and In speech of pas
| sionate protest makes her see with hIs
| eyes the hideousncss OF the crime he has
| committed at her behest
! He has been n CRATER and n thief and
| now he Is backiH8ier IT was useless
| "a call things by softer names. This
| was the truth. and Jane cowcring