OCR Text |
Show Wilkes Players Open Season's Schedule "Common Clay" Proves Attractive At-tractive to Big Audience at Popular House. VyTTH "Common Clay" for a vehicle, the Wilkes players launched out on their 1917-1S stock season last night, the olu and new members of the company scoring an Instantaneous hit before an audience that fully taxed the capacity of the theater. The play, which is a product of the Harvard school of playwriting is an idealistic conception, replete with ancient an-cient saws and wise sayings, and is built chiefly around the ever-prepent problem of sex. ''Common Clay" takes up the problems which "The Easiest Wav" leaves suspended sus-pended in the air at the end of the last act, and uses police courts, millionaires' homes and recounting of the past lives of prominent men in an attempt to solve vexed matters. The first-night audience at the Wilkes welcomed the old players of the company with enthusiastic annbnsc and timn I greeted with approval the storv of Ellen Neal, the wronged girl. "Common Clav" is a problem play, with surprises In every ev-ery act. In the end everything turns out happily, without solving the vexed questions ques-tions which are brought up during the action of the play. This Is Its first appearance ap-pearance in Salt Lake. It Is the same vehicle, which, with John Mason as the lawyer, and Jane Cowl, as the girl, kept Broadway talkink for a season. Nana Bryant, as the girl, received an ovation on her first appearance and had many chances to portray her emotional acting in the first, second and third acts. Her best hit was in the police court scene in the third act, where she relates the story of her fall. A close second to Miss Bryant's work is that of Miss Ethel Tucker, who. as the supposed mother of the girl, relates the story of the birth and life of the girl from the witness , stand. j Ralph Clon'nger, the new leading man ! of the Wilkes company, took the part of Hugh Fnilerton, the man In the ras-. The first ni enters accepted his work very favorably. Ernest Van Pelt, another newcomer to the company, as .1 udge Samuel Filson. the attoruev. who tries to compromise the case of the child which is an outgrowth of the relations of the rich man and the poor girl, made a most distinct hit. His characterization of the lawyer was excellent and Ids work !n th- third act was exceptionally good. Cliff Thompson, as Arthur Coakley. the "souse." was as funny as last season and be carried the part well. His work was appreciated by the regulars, who saw something to lough at in every move. Frederick Moore, as the father of Fullerton, carried his part in excellent manner and also received the commendation commenda-tion which always falls to the lot of the heavy frnrn the calleries. Aneyn T. Mc-Nulty. Mc-Nulty. the butler: H uron L. Blvr'en, ;he judge: James Lee, the bailiff: Billv Jensen, clerk of the court, and Frank Bonner, as t lie police court lawyer, ac-nuitted ac-nuitted t lie mse Ives crtditablv. Claire Sinclair, as Mrs. Fullerton. received a warm greeting from the audience on her appearance jind also three larcp bunupts at the end of the first act. Mae Thorne. another new rdavpr. tok the nart of Miss Fullerton and. while it was but a small p;-rt. mndn ?h mosr of it. Jeanne Rus-I Rus-I sell, anmher n.:w llc-rc wit h the company, com-pany, took the part of the s'enocnir-her. The-e will hp a snerlal mn t 'nee touav an 1 i-pgular matinees on Thursday nrd Saturday. The bill wiU run during the wecii. " I had L'n1' tbere to :eek -proft'on nr |