The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-17

leK IsMET,'' that is to say fate, waits
IN for no man-nor for tho ladies'
neither. Promptly on the stroke OF eight
the curtain rose for the musical prologue
to 'INsmet." the great spectacle play, at
the Salt Lake theater last night. Not a
third Of the audience had arrived. For
nearly twenty minutes the late arrivals
moved like wraiths in the semi-dark-
ness searching for seats. For three
hours thereafter they remained In their
seats TO watch the unfolding of the wond-
rous story of Hail. the beggar OF Bag
dad. II is sort Of Thousand and one
Nights crowded into one. ft Is divided
bv prologue which lady and gentle
man in beautiful silver gray costumes
sling TO the accompa n'ment OF silver gray
lutes In the first prologue tnere Is also
a story teller: In the second jugsler
who performs tricks that are new be-
cause they were old In the days OF
Uaroun- AL Rachid; In the third q dancer
who evidently tries TO symbolise hero
glyphlc. And, by the way, hieroglyphic
in action ia much more graceful than In
repose on the side OF pyramid or one
OF those stone bllIboards that may stu
be found on or under the banks OF the
Nile.
The chief attraction OF "Sismet" is
Otis skinner. who shares honors with the
gorgeous scenery. Indeed, he is gorgeous
the rank Of heggar. The part he plays
is strangely reminiscent OF one that he
played years ago with much romantic
fire. Francois VlIon. Hail. the beggar,
Is a sort OF Arabian .Villon. "a mad. glad.
bad poet" as Swinburne called the d.
vine Vagabond OF medieval France. Hail
s strange conception: Not all the I'm
gers on the right hand. nor exc on the
left. can number the characteristics OF
Hail. In the brief period OF twelve hours
he is n beggar. n fakir. n charla tan. a
poet. an oriental dandy. lover thief.
a consplrator, murderer a nemesis.
beggar again and finally pilgrim
bound for Mecca and repentance With
out wishing 10 call Mr.. Skinner names
NC desire to state that he 1ts the part
No idea Of tho Kaleidoscope plot can
no conveyed without giving Il In detail,
Fortunately the programme has supplied
this want In q clear and concise resume,
which is as follows
For many years HaJi the hcgEar
WHO sits before the mosque of the
Carpenters. had waited to meet and
wreak vengeance upon his enemy,
.Tnwan. who killed Halls son and
stole his wife away.
Jawan. now become wealthy. comes
this day 10 the mosque. lic taunts
Hall with his poverty, and contempt
uonsy throws him purse OF gold.
Hail takes tho gold. not as aims.
but as weapon that Allah has sent
10 his hand To be used In his ven
eeauco upon Jawan.
In the bazaar Hail chooses rich
raitnent for himself and tTinlScts for
his daughter. Marshall To avoid
paymNnt he incilos quarrel between
the tailors. and during the excite
rnent runs away With the merchan-
disc.
Hall Is nrrested and is tokcn bs
fore the WaZir Mansur. CHIEF of po-
lice.
Now Mansur is tyrant. n pTofli
cate n squanderer OF the public
moneys and the new caliph has de-
clared that II he cannot render a just
arcounting his life shall be taken as
n forfeit Therefore. Mansur plots
the assassination of the canph.
When Hail is brought before him
Mansur pardons him, but demands