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Show I AMUSEMENTS. Last Monday night "Ann La Mont" received Its premier American presentation pre-sentation on the stage of the Salt Lako theatre. The play introduced us to a new author aspiring for Fltchlan honors. Incidentally or was it otherwise? we wero shown a new face in the many-sided genius of Florence Roberts. Rob-erts. The audlenco which assembled was large, critical and dressy. It was a gathering which might well appeal to tho vanity of an author, or be an Incentivo to players of a play. In fact it was I say it seriously as highly intelligent and justly captious as any that will hereafter pass judgment upon Mr. Armstrong's drama and Florence Roberts "Ann La Mont" I This is a statement which may be denied elsewhere, but Salt Lakers know it to bo true. Ogden, New York and Chicago may repudiate our claims let them tho privilege of denial de-nial is universal. Tho audlenco was boisterous with noisy applause. Femininity Fem-ininity beat its white gloves with powder balls and masculinity cracked its patent leathers, all in token of approval. These curtain calls were many in point of actual number whl attempted to count? When Paul Armstrong Arm-strong promised us a now problem play, he meant now in tho sense of dramatic treatment. Otherwise he would have denied all history and the writings of Bertha M. Clay. "Ann La Mont" contains nothing original or-iginal in plot. Wherever man's duplicity dupli-city has toyed with woman's weakness there has been the problem play. If it did not come with Adam and Eve, it crept into tho human garden very soon after. Tho. author cannot invent tho plot it always was. Tho most he can do is to gather up tho tangled threads and weave them into a new pattern. Mr. Armstrong attempts this tho painting of old colors in a now frame. "Ann La Mont" Is a Now York art student. Her life Is the life of Bohemia gay, mercurial, unconventional. unconven-tional. Upon its feverish tide she drifts-carried drifts-carried to tho sea where women's souls aro lost. One day a groat love comes into her life and she despises tho man tho fellow art student whose plaything she has been. She (resolves to redeem herself, her Incentive Incen-tive is another man whom she secretly idolizes. "Ann La Mont" determined , upon a now life, floes from her old sur-T sur-T ' g v roundings to London, where, with tho 1 past burled, she acquired fame as a 1 painter under tho name of "Miss 1 John." Love mingles with her brush I her heart dissolves In tho colors and glorifies her work. Tho man she loves discovers here in London ho again renews his offer of marriage. To him she tells tho story of her fall to her V surprise tho unforgivable is forgiven. B But, despite his forgiveness, she still refuses him because of her unworthl-Wm unworthl-Wm ness. fl In tho end, however, they are M united. Now, in treating a themo so S utterly worn and threadbare, Mr. Arm-H. Arm-H. strong certainly shows that he can put l JFJfr new wine into old bottles. He sum-"mm sum-"mm mons to tho task plenty of dramatic WM action, stago craft and unique situ-kBM situ-kBM ations. Into the dialogue he Injects V some epigrams which dazzle. Hero J 9 and there he flings a literary flower as fragrant as over grow between tho rosy lips of spoken words. Thero is a brightness, a warmth and depth in tho Bohemian Hfo of tho first two acts which show that ho is sure of his atmosphere at-mosphere and color. Indeed his atmosphere at-mosphere and color might have como from the very studios ho is painting. But, in the framing of them ho is less fortunate thero are some places whero I saw cheap gilding and evidences evi-dences of a coarso brush. Tho third act, tho sceno on tho Thames, is a triumph tri-umph for which scenic artists and stago carpenters should recolvo a union card of credentials. But also right here, occurs an Incident which shows that Mr. Armstrong has not forgotten his Laura Jean Libby. It Is the meeting betweon "Ann La Mont" and "Richmond," down by tho water's edge, In tho moonlight Tho episode is happily spared tho audlenco. There aro, however, so many repeated references refer-ences to It In tho dialogue of tho play, that one's laughter wants to cry out. Surely for ono moon-struck lover who repents not, there aro ninety and nine sensiblo men in tho audlenco who wish ho would. It is a mere incident a more dramatic detail but altogether alto-gether far reaching In harmful effect Tho last act takes place In Hawaii, and in it Mr. Armstrong makes his final concession to originality and geography. geo-graphy. After globo trotting tho audlenco audl-enco around Now Ynrlr. T ntlflnn nnrl I tho Thames, tho author out does Jules Verno and lands in tho Sandwich Islands. Isl-ands. But that isn't so bad seven league boots aro something diverting. Tho act is an anti-climax. Its fatal weakness is its melodramatic strength. Tho sceno Is ono of tho native huts. Thero is a fusllade of blank cartridges. The villain rushes in and weaves a dark web of deviltry. In comes Ann tho villain seizes her ha! ha! another blank cartridge Strictly on schedule tho hero arrives other blank cartridges explode bang! bang! Tableau. Ann is seen locked in her lover's arms. Surely, Mr. Armstrong, there must be some way of clipping the melodramatic wings from thtf last act It is a bird. "Ann La Mont," as interpreted by Florence Roberts, is a triumph of repressed re-pressed emotional acting. Heretofore we have seen her in violent outbursts of denunciation. In "Ann La Mont" she shows, with true artistry, that down deep in tho heart there aro storms which can bo mirrored In tho face, reflected In tho eyes. H. S. Northrup, as Ann's evil genius, was refined, polished meanness from kid gloves to silk hat. Max Figman overdoes over-does the part of Grant Dudloy. His gyrations and dancing master evolutions evolu-tions suggest musical comedy. Lucius Henderson, always a favorite hero, makes his usual agreeable Impression. Clifford Leigh as Lord Ashley should bo toned down in accents and body movements thero are many cracks in tho English mirrors ho attempts to hold up to nature. Tho ladles of tho company are generally gen-erally satisfactory. Stage settings and costumes aro sumptuous. But, unless Mr. Armstrong Judiciously Judi-ciously applies the pruning knife and gives somo attention to points demanding de-manding reconstruction, "Ann La Mont" will add no laurels to tho man Stronger plays have failed beroro now to set Long Island Sound on fire. Next Monday and Tuesday tho "Tenderfoot" will bo In our wild and woolly midst Salt Lakers are already familiar with this oyrio offering which, as wo all know, was written by Richard Rich-ard Carlo when in a particularly happy mood of hilarity. Tho themo concerns tho adventures surrounding surround-ing Prof. Pottlbono, whoso absent-mindedness absent-mindedness and deep submersion in science rendor him a victim to tho unconventional un-conventional freedom of tho West. Thero aro Texas rangers, cow-boys, Mexicans, nnd all manner of queor folk strutting about the stago In tho "Tenderfoot" a condition which mnko posslblo a costumic variety bewildering be-wildering to tho oye. Thero Is also a troop of cavalry with jingling spurs, clanking sabres and a determination to stir up tho dust lyric and scenic on tho slightest provocation. The eccentricities of Prof. Pottlbono, which aro tho main comedy element of tho show, aro worth a box-ofllco tribute from anybody who enjoys a hearty laugh. Following "Tho Tenderfoot" comes tho greatest of tho very fow female magicians, Mine. Adelaide Herrmann a lady Illusionist who rightly wears tho magic mantlo of her illustrious predecessor of tho same namo. Mine. Herrmann's engagement is for ono ono night only, Oct. 11th. Rounding out a week of brilliant theatricals Is Gcorgo Ado's musical comedy, "Peggy From Paris." In this lyric absurdity rho author has run tho gamut of characterization. char-acterization. Thero is a cosmopolitan mlxturo of leaders of fashion, both men nnd women; yachtsmen, men about town, theatrical people, nursemaids, nurse-maids, cooks, butlers, show girls, rustics rus-tics nnd other amusing phases of Hfo too numerous to mention. It Is certainly cer-tainly a varied mixture and Georgo Ado is Bald to bo at his best in making uso of such wldo opportunities for wit, humor and gaiety. & J Tho "Kentucky Belles," after ringing ring-ing all kinds of monoy through tho Lyric box-ofllco, will chimo for some tlmo in tho memories of tho local bald-heads. bald-heads. From tho patronago accorded to tho organization, the Impression must prevail that Salt Lako has blue-grass blue-grass to burn. Of course Britt was a strong drawing card, oven though his fighting brow wears only the papor crown of pugilism. It Is a llttlo singular singu-lar although thero aro two of them that both Nelson and Brltt are doing a footllght raco over tho samo circuit Tho fighters would have gained morp friends if each had remained, for a time at least, in the quiet of his homo. Howover, nobody can blame tho theatrical theat-rical managers. Tho fault lies with tho "pugs," who, with evident greed, put tho dollar mark on their mitts whether in tho ring or on tho stago. Anyhow let us hope that Sullivan, who Is now in Butte, doesn't como our way. John L. sould hear tho call of tho Silent Si-lent and bo very quiet Among tho gayest of tho gay now marching under tho banner of unrestrained un-restrained Frivolity, "Tho Merrymakers," Merry-makers," I am told, carry tho bluest of bluo-rlbbons. Manager Egan, who has them booked for a week at tho Lyric, beginning with today's matineo, assures his patrons that whilo some names may bo misleading, "Tho Merrymakers" Mer-rymakers" mnko good with their title. Tho company, besides tho usual specialties spe-cialties in songs and dances, Introduco two . burlesques, "Two Wealthy Men" and "A Dish of Scandal." I am quietly Informed that tho gay boys In tho first have monoy enough to throw out of the window, whilo tho second farco contains more than ono dish steaming hot from Mother Grundy's Grun-dy's cook-stovo. Thoro is tho usual dross parado of show girls. HARRY LE GRANDE. |
