| Show AMUSEMENTS KEEXE 43 RICHELIEU After eight years absence Keene lovingly known the country over as Tom Keeneappeared before a Salt Lake audience audi-ence last evening and was greeted by a large and a cultured gathering He chose for his reentry the character in which Salt Lake i not the public everywhere has long since accepted Barrett as the I foremost delineator Booth too had played Richelieu since Barrett so Mr Keene had two notable recollections to contend con-tend with in playing before last nights audience Previous to Sheridans death I had the task of classifying the five great actors of the country in the order of their merit with the role in which inch one excelled been entrusted to us we would have named them thus Booth as Hamlet Barrett as Richelieu Keene as Richard III Sheridan as Louis XI and Wardo as Virginius In those characters each actor was on his own ground and wo I believe could bid gound al comers I I How well Barrett maintains his hold on the wily cardinal of late years we are not aware but it is xafe to say that TvPfinn stands close behind him ready to catch the mantle as it falls from his shoulders We still think his Richard will be pronounced the best thing in his repertoire but in many respects his Richelieu is superb He has not the foxy craftiness either of Booth or Barrett his vigorous methods lends the foxiness at times almost a wolfishness and I his speeoh is sometimes long drawn out even for a character like Richelieu but the great climaxes of the play every schoolboy knows themwere thundered out with telling effect and brought out thunders of applause The I speech uln the lexicon of youth which fate reserves for a bright manhood theres no such word as fail he made even a greater point than Booth or Barrett In the penis pen-is mightier than the sword and the curse scene he fell somewhat below them Booth got ta greater effect out of the latter episode epi-sode by bringing a file of soldiers on the stage with Baradas and having them all drop to their knees when the power of Rome was invoked Mr Keeno was rewarded with a big curtain call after nearly every act and after the final acta great one the audience still remained to call him out The support I was excellent Tlr fipnr < 7ft Tpirnnks 3jvasda being reminiscent of Louis James in its finish Mr Moore made a good Ue Mauprat and Mr Lawrence is one of the best Francois we have ever had Mr Scotts Huguet was intelligently acted Vlr Ahreiidts Joseph lacked the unctious I humor we have seen bestowed upon the part and his style of boldness hardly suggested sug-gested the monk Miss Shannons Julie De Mortemar the audience had looked for Henrietta Voders but it seems she only appears in heavy roles nowwas fairly lone but not perfect The memory of Marie Wainwright and Minna Gale vere perhaps too recent The staging and I management generally were of a high order and indicated that a master hand was at the helm Tonight Louis XIwhich Mr Keeno should do inimitably I is one or Irvinjrs great parts but since Sheridan departed we can think of no one on this side of the water who will better suit its peculiarities thanJMruKeene |
