Salt Lake Tribune | 1916-12-25 | Page 10 | Players at Wilkes Enjoy Celebration

PLAYERS AT WILKES ENJOY CELEBRATION Christmas Tree Party and Luncheon on Stage Bring Holiday Cheer to Actors at Popular Playhouse. After the regular performance at the Wilkes theater last night another little play entitled "Christmas for the Actors" was staged. The general public was not Invited and there was no critic present to express his views. It was a real Christmas Christ-mas celebration for the actors alone and they enjoyed it. The stage was cleared after the last act of the regular play and a handsome Christmas tree was mounted in the center cen-ter of It, lighted with colored electric lights and weighted down with presents for every member of the stock company. Roger W. Powers acted as Santa Claus and distributed- the presents from the tree to the company members. Each present was of a nature to correspond with the characteristics of the person to whom it was presented and the comedy furnished by the distribution and receipt of the presents was unlimited. Prior to distribution of the presents Ben Ketchum, new manager of the theater, spoke a few words expressing his delight at being brick in Salt Lake and a hope that they would all be together another Christmas eve. Then Mr. Powers read a message from Thomas Wilkes, in which he expressed his Christmas wishes, to the members of the company and announced that he expects to arrive in Salt Lake December 2ft. Whether lie intends to remain here or will come onlv on a visit he did not state. After the Christmas tree had ben enjoyed en-joyed those present enjoyed a delicious luncheon served from improvised tables on the stage.