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Show m.; ,1 B ; ; I lltl With the First JWighters. H i' 'J IBSEN'S MASTERPIECE. H I Li M A great deal of unnecessary and mischievous H i ;'' i '' nonsense has heen written about Ibsen. The fact H j j ' that much of It was well intended only added to H ' f J its baleful influence. Like many original and ag- H I ' J : grcssive propagandists, Dr. Ibsen has suffered H i J most in the house of his friends. He has been a H I i fj I j rallying point for any number of strange people, Hj ' i j j I ; who confounded their own queerness with his orlg- K ' !i i 'I inality and who, because his point of view was H I I f I ' ; sane, fresh and in many significant respects al- H j ' ' 1; ! Mnost isolated, thought it identical with their er- H , j til j ! ratic and unsteady outlook upon life. H ! if; , J j These people are adepts at reading meanings H j ' i jlji ' into a work of genius, and Ibsen, who of all mod- H I j ! em writers, is singularly capable of disclosing his H I I j i own meanings without anybody's assistance, has H j ma j been their special prey. His plays, which have the H- i nlB clarity and symmetry of a geometrical proposi- H j ' ,Jwf j tion, have been pulled and hauled, twisted and H j ' 1 I i misinterpreted by these volunteer commentators H I jij 4 I until they have become wearisome and a byword iB Jfll I many sensible people, who look with suspicion iB ' rW m upon a writer whose exposition of certain funda- H t fa m mental problems in human life requiies or seems B ! w m to re(lure sucu a vast amount of elucidation from H j vjjj M without. H ij M Taking their cue in a way from these over H 1 H zealous friends of Ibsen, his enemies have also H ' lm W read meanings into his works that is impossible H ' HI li for no Playsoer who has no preconceived notions H ' '' W& m in ne maer to discover when he calmly reads H '! fH m ono of tllG dramas or what is better, sees it acted. H r ' 12 M Ho finds th&t ho ls swlftly absorbed in a narrative K ' ' "19 mi which is unfolded with almost primitive simplic- ' m V ity' but wllIcn In its cl0GG adherence to logic, rea- !i JH fl sonableness and coherence, betrays the hand of Wm S a mastr craftsman. When he comes into this 15! realization he Is put out of conceit with the med- HH I ' fH! m dlesomencss of the volunteer commentators who H j ! m M have done so much to befog Dr. Ibsen's mean- H !' '"'M m ings' HB i i I 'US m He also dIscovers tnat there are In Ibsen's iH U 1 Si jI exposition of the problems of human life no com- iB P $& M promises with vice, no incitements to loose thlnk- iB 1 lfl lns' no aft'ront to'the loftiest and severest ideals BB 1 tl m of virtuo' uut that there is a merciless exposure of BH 1 1 S Bi hypocrisy and a scornful analysis of certain dreary iB 1 conventionalities, which have taken on the sanctity iB f ffl B soun(t nioral law only because they have sur- IBffi lB fl vived so long and been so useful to those who iBfi mm I would work evil under the shelter of virtue's iHfl SIB fl cloak. iBwi &W& m ( Tno reasonale Play-goer, impressed by Ibsen's iBmiiliB Wi 'sane methods of craftsmanship and his stern code iBlfrfiiB I lf mora,s then begins to wonder wherein the sav- BMir I a60 criticism to which his plays have been sub- iBill 'Mh m 'jected may have its source. iBfilli m If tno Particular play of Ibsen's which arouses iBI'l' m I lls Incluirjr happens to be the tragedy of iBPlJn fl "Ghosts," he may find the hint of an answern a itKi& Mllil B sentence its central character. Mrs. Alving, BfBiMI fl s peaks in the second act: iiBffllllB B "And then we are, one and all, so pitifully Hfjfifff M Afraid of the light!" iHBBlra K rt Is very sol(lom that in this country the play- iHnlll I B goer lias an 0Pnortunity to gain these impressions iHPPll B oi usen mucn less to verify them, by witnessing iiBlliiiii B a porformance of one of his plays. He may read iiBill 'II ' B tliom at his pleasure, for they are in every public HUl 'IS MM library, and careful translation of them may be ob- HH K lained for a small sum through any bookseller. iliBI 1H But tllGy are flrst of a11 good actInS plays though IHP' flff this contention often has been denied by those BiB fe B wuo ave never seen them acted and one view flA y. K of a slcillful performance of "Ghosts" is more iB I IB illuminating and convincing than half a dozen iliBoli ! lm readings of the play would be. HKyliJ I Miss Albeita Gallatin, who has gained an en- viable reputation as an exponent of the Ibsen drama, will present the, great dramatist's masterpiece, master-piece, "Ghosts," at the Salt Lake Theatre on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Wednesday matinee. t5 3 5 THE YOUNG LADY AT "GHOSTS." The effect of Ibsen's "Ghosts" upon the minds of the spectators is said to be nothing short of marvelous. Upon some the influence is of a hypnotic hyp-notic nature, causing auditors to sit spellbound, leaning forward and maintaining a tight grasp on 1 JMH2HHMn93KTCwMH ALBERTA GALLATIN IN "GHOSTS." the back 6f the seats in front. Female spectators are frequently moved to hysterics by the Intensity of the scenes. Perhaps the most amusing occurrence oc-currence was a remark of a young lady spectator during the run in New York City. It was during a very strong situation on the stage, in which Pastor Pas-tor Manders and Mrs. Alving were the chief actors. Mrs. Alving said to the Pastor: "I feel almost like throwing my arms about your neck." The young lady spectator, who had been wrought up to a high pitch of excitement, exclaimed at this mo- ment: "Oh, I wish she would." In an ordinary performance such an outcry would have been sufficient suf-ficient to ruin the effect of the scene, but in this Instance so engrossed were the spectators in the action of tho play that only a few chuckles of merriment mer-riment were heard. tv t 3 THE HELD CONCERT. The following excellent program has been arranged ar-ranged by Mr. Held for the band conceit at the Grand tomorrow evening: 1. March, "When de Trombones Slide" ....Held 2. Caprices a. "Jolly Millers Gallop" Rollinson b. "Dancer Mexlcana" Chambers 3. Corent Solo, "Zaraida" Puerner Mr. Henry Johnson. 4. Descriptive, "A Midsummer Day in Norway" WIllmer3 6. Standards a. "Pilgrims' Song," from "Lombard!". ..Veull b. "Agnes Dei," from Mozart's "12th Mass".. Mozart G. Baritone Solo, "The Trumpet Shall Sound," from "The Messiah" Mr. Charles Moss. With Obligato by Mr. William Leslie. , 7. Grand Selection from "Dolly Varden" Julian Edwardi 8. a. Patrol, "Tho Blue and the Gray" Dalby b. "The Sleighrido Gallop" (by request) ..Brooks 9. Overture, "The Beautiful Galatea" Suppe O t SHARP SAYINGS FOUND IN ENGLISH PLAYS. Half the people found in the world seem bent on disturbing the other half. "The Rocket." At, let's pretend there's just one perfect star somewhere, shall we? Oh, very well ; let's pretend there's one in the nebula of Andromeda. It's a long way off, and It does no harm to pretend. Besides, it makes the imbroglio of the universe complete if there is one perfect world somewhere in It. "The Masquera-ders." Masquera-ders." Promises cost nothing; it is only the keeping them which comes expensive. "The Dead Heart" Well, there's a curious, somewhat old-fashioned emotion that crops up .sometimes even in modern life. What's that? Love. "The Wilderness." In modern life margin is everything. "Lady Windermere's Fan." Woman's advance means man's retreat. But, gentlemen, it is surely for man to advance and for woman to receive his advances. "The Noble Lord." No man can make his chances every man may take them; wo cannot change the courses of the stars! But, by their courses we can steer our own. "Queen's Favorite." The Book of Life begins with a man and a wo man in a garden. It ends with Revelations. "A Woman of No Importance." It is the fault of dreamers to fear fate "Herod." "Now, there's a man I could take to. Cold, 'aughty, you - keep-your-plnce-and-ril-keep-mine; that's the style! That's the man to make 'ome happy. "The Ambassador." tV c5 b?v THE HELD CONCERT. The "Pillgrim's Song of Hope," rendered by Held's Band at tho fine concert given by that organization or-ganization at the Grand Sunday evening, was the best thing heard from the band this winter. The perfect blending of the instruments was exquisite, and the expressions of praise for the character of the performance were unanimous. The "Barceuse," from "Jocelyn," rendered by John Held, was a gem, and the work of E"rl Mackey and Charles Kent was warmly received Tho band is making a bigger hit every week. |
