Show PROF HAMILL There was I good sized and intelligent intel-ligent audience at the Theatre last evening to bear the first reading by Prof S S Hamill and his daughter Alice At the appointed hour Prof Hamill vmo il a large finely built man came on the stage aLd entertained enter-tained tboe present for about twenty minutes with a very interesting but brief address on the present method of teaching rcadintr or rather on the failure to do eo The remarks of the speaker were instercpreid with examples ex-amples and were full of bard farts on the topic He showed clearly the I necessity of more attention being paid to the study of elocution and I contrasted i with the methods pursued pur-sued in giving other instructions instruc-tions tbe contrMgt while true being anything but creditable to the plan to generally and almost universally pursued regarding this art in schools all over the country The address tnoncb short was calculated to give I Borne insight into the evils resulting from improper elocutonary training and wan given in a style wuicn amused and instructed the hearers at the same time The first reading or declamation was taken from act four of Hamlet commonly known as the Closet Scene in which is given the interview in-terview of Hamlet with the Queen immediately after tbe play scene In this piece Mr Hamill assumed as-sumed four characters those ol eume Hamlet the Queen Folonius and the Ghost Apart from its being a marvel mar-vel of elocutionary perfection it was i one of the finest pieces of acting ever witnessed on toe stage here Every word was given with all its beauty force and was full of meaning every idea was made so clear as to leave no doubt as to lU meaning the expres son being so perleot that where there was any probability ambiguity arising aris-ing from tbe words the tone of the voice at once came to the assistance assist-ance end cleared away the mystery The sudden transition from one character char-acter to another embracing different gestures demeanor quality of voice and facial expressions were made with perfect grace and ease showing the master hand and killed and cnl tivated voice action and conception The Blacksmiths Story brought tears to many eyes and was like each of Mr Hamilla selections in marked contrast aa regards style with all the ethers Betsy and I are Out and How Betsy and I Made Up were equally well appreciated appre-ciated The scene from the Merchant Mer-chant of Venice in which tbe professor assumed different characters Shylook of course being the leading one was terribly realistic and ws fully as fine aa the scene fiom Hamlet The portrayal of the conflicting pas aions for gain and revenge EO strongly marked in the Jew alternatingly made uppermost in his breast the one suspending the other in the instant so that one could hardly tell which was dearest to him his money or his revenge were brought out with a vividness and reality re-ality which almost made one shudder Prof Hamills part of the entertainment entertain-ment concluded with a moit ludicrous imitation of a Western Lawyers Address to a Jury which sent everyone every-one home laughing Miss Alice Hamill his daughter was suffering from a very severe cold which made i dit doult for her to speak yet she had not finished her first recitation Jennie McNeils Ride before she made euch a favorable imprceeicn that tbe audierce throughout the entire evening accorded as much applause and appreciation to her as to her father She has a most pleasing manner and is withal such an artist V tbat one cannot help liking her at once besides this her selections were all of a character calculated to please and all that was in thorn she brought out notwithstanding her very painful cold She gave besides Jennie McNeila ride Whistling in Heaven Shadows and The Story of the Little Hatchet Because of her hoarseness she did not attempt the heavier pieces which bad been put in the programme but those substituted sub-stituted captivated the audience In everything in the little touches of pathos in the broad humor in the finer wit there was the unmistakable evidence of the finished artist 1 anything any-thing Miss Hamill carried off the honors of the evening though her pieces did not call into play the depth fire and higher art which was required re-quired by her fathers selections each of which was intended to show some peculiar feature of the power of elocution elocu-tion and which were made to do so with remarkable fidelity A greater intellectual treat of the kind than tbat of last evening has never been given a Salt Lake audi ones and without doubt Prof Hamill is the equal if not the superior of any elocutionist in America He and his daughter give another reading tonight to-night when every person who appreciates appre-ciates an entertainment which combines com-bines pleasure with instruction in one of the arts and its higher branches will not fail to attend The pro gramme for this evening embraces several scenes from Mac eth Tbe Vagabonds Mr Pickwicks Proposal to Mrs Bardell The Rum Maniac etc and is particularly particu-larly attractive Another feature is the one that the Theatre is well warmed and made just as comfortable as can be desired so that no one need fear of suffering from cold |