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Show Ik:; AMUSEMENTS, p ! ! Salt Lako Thcatro. "Tho Virgin-U,j Virgin-U,j lun," mntlnco todny, performance tori'1 to-ri'1 :B Grand Tlicatrc. Anna Eva Kay. P''! Utalina Theatre. High class vaudo-)j,Vj, vaudo-)j,Vj, villo afternoon ami ovonlng. r,ti ' COMING ATTRACTIONS. I . k Salt Lako Theatre. Gardner vs. i ! i Schreck, April 17; Salt Lnko Symph-I Symph-I A I 1 ony Orchestra, April 19. f S Utahna Theatre. Utalina Stock ' kl Stock company, wcok of April 17. ( ," f ; Grand- Theatre. "Moonshiner's L'J.M Daughter," April 17-19. I ' i If the circulating libraries had not l M done so much for Owen Wlster's nov-1 nov-1 el, tho audlonco at tho theatro last " f ; A night might havo accepted tho dram-; dram-; , ntlzod "Virginian" without protest. i 'M But, whllo Owen Wlstcr wroto a i' .( wonderful story, It cannot ho said that, ; ) ' oven with tho aid of KIrko I.aShollo, ; i;-. ho has wrltton a strong drama. If 'j --. Wlstor had loft tho oplsodos of his i i j , book and merely dramatized tho pic-!; pic-!; :'i) turo It offered, tho bold contrast and ,-f.l temperamental dlfforenco between ! 1 ,Y western and eastern typo3, ho could i ,'' havo still retained, tho atmosphoro of i-' tho story and perhaps who knows? ,r '.'! havo struck tho key of a great Amorl- ijj can drama. V But no, ho must mako tho futllo attempt at compressing a literary . bakery Into a very mealy-1111. Therein I '.'Ml, lies the- fatality of tho dramatized J novel. Instead of elaborating or ( .f!' training tho central picture- of a book, I '"J ;.. tho colors of tho various chapters' lli. ; must bo smeared throughout tho play. I- Tho result Is seen In tho dramatized f, , ' ' "Virginian" a crazy-qullt of molo-a molo-a ' , dramatic pieces sowed togothor with I . . - a blunt noodle. Mr. Wlstcr In his D V ' books gots prolty closo to tho heart III , . of tho desort. Even Its dust gets Into M ; , ; t tho reader's nostrils. Thoro Is n glor- B( - lous majesty In tho oloniental llfo H V which breathes In tho pages of tho , But It Is quite beyond Mr. WIster to plant tho Wyoming hills behind tho a; i X' foot-lights. When tho spot lights shlno . thoy reveal nothing moro than painted ; canvas strotchod on wooden frames, a and tho cowboy still rooking with tho . grcaso-pots of tho dressing room. If f, r It Is not our privilege to laugh, It Is our right to smllo. Havo wo not seen v. i tho real cow-punchor riding In oir "ii.., ( streets? Havo not tho hoofs. i V ' bronco loft their marks in our muu ,)". highways? Egad, yes, sir! I don't t iBrijit. - mm -JIMIIMllJBteMMf! '" "' ' ' ' ' wonder, however, that "Tho Virginian" was tho talk of Now York. Remington, Reming-ton, with his pictures, delighted the eyes of Manhattan with a now creation cre-ation In jingling spurs and dust halved sombors. Then Farnum camo riding onto tho stage and tho cowboy was .realized as novor before. Mind you, as nover boforo! I frankly admit that IJustln Farnum's "Virginian" is tho best foot-light cowboy I havo over seen. In tho delineation of tho character char-acter ho carries a trlplo burden. By birth a yankeo from Maine, I believe be-lieve ho depicts a southerner on a western cattlo ranch. Tho weight of tho dramatic burden is ratherStoo heavy to bear conviction, uut tho splendid effort of tho actor Is Its own roward. Mr. Farnum drowns his Yankeo Yan-keo twang in a flood of dulcet strains and southern accents, which aro at onco tho admiration and despair of all, save those born on Dlxlo soil. His splendid physlquo is a valuable personal per-sonal asset. Salt Lako matinee girls still remember tho well filled uniform of "Lieutenant Denton," and impatiently impa-tiently raiso tholr glasses at this now hero in leathor-loggins. But Mr. Farnum's Far-num's conception of the part Is disappointing. dis-appointing. It does not satisfy tho westerner to whom tho cowboy is a reality. Instead of a virile, daredevil cowboy, ho is hardly moro than a cattlo cat-tlo gentleman. Tho fire and wildness aro unnaturally restrained and form no part of tho recklessness of which, In part at least, ho is supposedly an nggresslve factor. Frank Campcau as "Trampas," by some fatality of conception con-ception or misconception runs to tho other extreme Tho real cowboy lies between these two Interpretations just where, wo westerners alone know'. Mr. Campcau makes of "Trampas" a double-dyed villain with tho reddest of red trimmings. Fancy a molodramlc bad man on a cattlo ranch l And when tho "Virginian" and "Trampas" got together with their dolodramatlc heroics, I feel myself moved to glorious laughter. But I am saddened when I contrast Campeau's "Trampas" with tho matchless artistry artis-try ho displayed as "Tom Drlscoll" in "Pudd'nhead Wilson" and "Tony" in "Arizona." There is no need, cither, cith-er, of throwing your hat in tho air and shouting when Helen Holmes as "Mollio Wood," tho Now England school teacher, finds herself In the big emptiness of tho west. She Is not tho "Mollio Wood" of tho novel tho distanco between them is as great as between Choyonno and the Vermont Ver-mont hills. It is, therefore, not surprising sur-prising that Helen Holmes is rather watery as "Mollio Woods." What can tho poor girl do? Tho dramatlzers have given her only ono foot to stand on. But, Just tho same, you should go and see tho play for yourself. Even If tho dramatic situations aro not happily planned and tho atmosphere is hazy, there is somo effectual dialogue, some good byplay and some good horse play In "Tho Virginian." "Bevelllo and Taps," the war drama written by Mr. B. S. Young, was presented pre-sented at tho Salt Lako theatre last Monday and Tuesday. Given under tho auspices and for tho benefit of tho G. A. R. Tho attendance was far bo-low bo-low tho worthy merit tho author had in view, when dedicating his efforts and taionts to a meritorious cause. Tho play, whllo showing tho crudities of amatuor authorship, Is not without literary merit and several strong dramatic dra-matic situations. A drama such as "Reveille and Taps," must suffer when loft to tho interpretation of an amateur ama-teur cast. It is ono of the fatalities of tho stage that ovory weakness in a play is discovered and enlarged upon by amateur actors, whllo tho strong points aro just as effectually concealed. con-cealed. Between these rolontlesa millstones of doing and leaving undone un-done a drama oven by Clyde Fitch, in tho hands of non-profosslonal people, would tompt tho gods to merriment. I ,i Tans" is in four acts HH I 'troSue Td an epilogue. The with a Pr'dg epilogue are prettily po- J I protoSd dramatically valuable, being f i etic and are ff dlng an opportun- I I "reWve something quite obsolete 1 I lirlL modern drama. In the first - I I '"there is too much sacrificed to do- - M M act i, small talk. The second and I rfuto contain unquestioned dra-B dra-B I th'l merit rapidity of action and H H ?aI.hfl the military atmosphere which iiffP H essential feature of the play. 'I 1 hoys of Co. "H" did themselves ,d in the recruiting scene and later K rfe mimic warfare on Lookout 1 M Lntaln. Mr. Young, the author, who 2 also the stage manager, accom- II VSkei wonders in handling so many 11 Plnle The fourth and last act, al- Sh perfectly consistent, is disap- Sine Whatever may bo tho actual tftunes of war, "Reveille and Taps" nlos nothing by showing a heroine j,sfl,rured by disease and a hero with siehtless eyes. Mr. Young should have made provision to end his play I In the good old-fashioned way. It is I commonplace, of course, for the pa- H tlent girl always to bo rewarded ana H the bravo man, in the end, to be crowned with laurels. But, just tho H same, our desires run along those Hne3 and we welcome the happy endings written in tho story books. Through- out the play Mr. Young puts some H effective heroics into tho mouths of K bla characters and any quantity of patriotic speeches though there is the B USual tendency to overdue the verbal if fireworks. Miss Jennie Alford, as f H "Mary Russell," who loved tho sol- H dler boy, displayed charming stage as- H surance. She was sweet and wln- H some tho silver lining to the dark, B H lowering clouds of war. Mr. Dean 1 H Daynes was surprisingly easy. He D H delivered his speeches with tho fire m K that burned in the heated blood of H The cast was a long one and space H precludes further individual notice. . "Reveille and Taps" should inspire I Mr. Young to again woo tho dramatic H I There Is something doing in the 1 vandeville lino at the Utahna this j week. First on the programme is tho clever acrobatic work of tho "boneless lj kids," tho Germain brothers. George j and Lizze Bird do some warm flutter- m H lig In a nameless matrimonial sketch If that might bo tabbed, "How Husband m Willie Turned tho Tables." Fred j H Walters In a coon monologue stunt j H keeps tho house laughing. Say have 1 you seen 'em? Who? Why Mulvoy 1 and Ward, tho live ones. Mulvoy is the "nutty kid," just jarred loose from 1 H f31?'8 apron strlnBs, and Miss Ward I m is tho soubretto, with tho naughty goo-goos under tho picture hat. 1 . ih ,I1Mr-Bywater had been replaced by 1 US "ss Florence Locko as tho singer In 5 the illustrated songs. I I Howard and Campbell aro worth 1 a6i. s.,ln thclr gymnastic novelties. I ! liner Ul bI" th,s weok ls a top 1 n . , I n,r5 ?n ?g noxt Monday and running i L!gh H10 weok th0 Utahna Stock Xany' fr?sh from a successful road J 21 s!' WU1 aga,n make "8 appear. nH.,populap drama' ''Father's De-S De-S I1?,3 bcon selected and tho inends of the organization aro already mvlng on the box office. ' caKiVAlEht wlH b0 an athletic Sinn,"1 th0 Salt kako theatre. The Sun? i VOnt wiU b0 "io twenty-Sreert twenty-Sreert C0teat between Mike GeE nl",10 Dutch cyclone" and X 8?h "d?ep wh0 lms a record Sto P?d?ed m,tts- Both men royal ta il tra nlng hard and a battle H nrfiX,Pe,cteu.- A number of first-8rXm? first-8rXm? 1,m,nar,eB are on th0 nro- SaRakX6"6 organization, tho Lake Symphony orchestra, makes its final appearance this season on tho evening of April 19. Mr. Shepherd has prepared a most interesting in-teresting programme, already announced an-nounced in this paper. & Lionel Barrymoro in Augustus Thomas popular comedy, "Tho Other Girl," is a nearby attraction at tho Salt Lake theatre. HARRY LB GRANDE. o |
