THEATRES IN ZION. An Eastern View of. the Mormon at the Play.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 212, 23 July 1887, Page 3

THEATRES IN ZION. An Eastern View of . the Mormon at the Play.

A fkbfoiimance at the theatre being announced one evening, we determined to go and seethe Mormons under the influence of the drama. The theatre is a large, wellproportioned building with four galleries, rather dingy, but much better than any theatre in Eastern towns of the size of Salt Lake City. The audience was largely composed of women. Groupa of four oi six of these were attended by one man, and many of them came quite without escort. They were dressed, if .without taste, still without vulgarity, and among the younger one* I saw several very pretty girlish faces, some of which would have been more attractive if an improvement on nature's colours had not been attempted. The appearance of the men was infinitely' repulsive. Coarse and heavy faces they had, for the must part with a stupid animal expression. I had almost written brutish faces. Hard faces too, without mobility or kindliness. They wear the beard full, with the upper lip shaven. If tho mouth is the tell-tale future of the face, as 13 often said, it is as well, possibly, that the majority of mankind wear it covei eel, for tho tale these Mormon mouths told was not a pleasant one to read. Many nationalities were to be traced in the assemby — pale-faced Swedes and ruddy Welsh folk : the sandy Scotchman was not wanting, nor yet the swarthy Chinese ; but best among them all to see was the delicate face of a Gentile, a young officer from the fort near by, sitting alone amid a group of saints, who regarded him with anything but amiable glances. It was the opening night of Mr Raymond's engagement, and the play chosen we thought a singular one. " Fresh, the American," is already familiar to many theatre-goers, but was quite new to us. It is the story of an Egyptian princess, who has been educated in Paris, and is finally recalled to her father's harem, where she inveighs against the horror of his dozen wives, from whose convicts' society she ia finally rescued by Fresh the American. "Think," said Fresh, "of fifty mothwa-in-law! I knew a man who was talked to death by one." "Do not force me, father," cries the heroine, " to become the wretched chattel of this infamous man to share what he call his love with a dozen otherwretch.es who call themselves his wives." Many such hits, which were home thrusts, were listened to silently by the audience, from whom weeKpected every moment some disorder or • 1 - monstrance. But all was quiet, and in tho second act where the plot turned a little from these offensive points, the people laughed heartily and applauded with enthusiasm. It was a bold thing, this carrying the war into the enemy's country, and we respected Mr Raymond for it. Twenty years ago I would not havo taken all of his " millions " to stand in his place.