Washington sentinel., 1854-04-08

nerisms that are not entirely acceptable. But
give her scene in which she can create, some
character in which her genius can step beyond
the authors lines and have full scope to second
him with her imagination, and she is truly
great.
1 This is the prerogative and charm Of genius
1t never IS genius unless it creates; and every
thing inside of that is merely cleyerness, which
can be bought or made. We do not wish to
be understood by the term occasional, tame.
ness" as inferring that Miss Heron sights any
portion of her characters. On the contrary, she
stamps every expression with her intellect, ex.
hibits watchful interest in every trife of the
piece, and, to use the expression Of former
criticism, "some of her best acting is done
when listening to the acting of others; and il
is evident that she never ceases to Mpik, from
the time she enters till the time she leaves the
stage" The comprehensiveness of her quail.
ties, in this respect are most strikingyexhibited
an impersonation of so much excellence and
exact beauty, that it is fit to be the fabric of an
ordinary reputation, but in Matilda Heron it is
her powers; bubble, which, though sent up
from the bottom of her thought, gives no idea
Of its depth, and sparkles only on the surface.
fulness, yixenish spirit and lady-like breeding
and none but lady of breeding, wit, and intel.
lect, and education, can properly render it.
Miss Heron, having all these, makes an excel
ling picture, and obtains through it charac-
ter for versatility which is due rather to an un-
failing accuracy ofperception than to versatile
ty itself. She is essentially a tragedienne, and
this command of her powers, large as it is, will
not enable her to be great, except in charac-
ters suited to probe their depth. Julia in the
" Hunchback," and the Countess in "Love,"
though affording her opportunities Of exhibiting
points of excellence which few actresses can
reach, are not adapted to call forth her highest
efforts but such character as Blanca, as
Hermione, as Margaret Elmore, enables her to
share with the author the full credit of the pro-
duction, which together they put upon the
stage.
But Blanca is her masterpiece. This is the
character she made her debut in; the one in
which she opened to San Francisco audience
the one in which she closed last Saturday
night and one in which, to use the expression
OF many who were present on that occasion,
she should repeat for continuous succession
Of thirty nights.
The love of deeply generous and enthu.
siastic nature-the love of fiery temperament,
governed by controlling purity of soul; the
love OF high intelligence and spreading intel
lent--a love whose every pulsation throbs to-
wards its object; whose every breath inhales it
for the blood-an Italian love; O love of life
and thought and breath and being, without di-
vision, which, when it runs smoothly, makes
existence dream of tenderness, but which,
when checked and broken, changes it to a
spasm, frenzy, raging torrent, simoom OF
fire, tornado of hate, a torpor of despair.
Such is the love, such the changes, and such
the passions which are found united for the
powers of an actres in Blanca, the Italian
Wife.
To say that Miss Heron faithfully developes
these features of the authors portraiture is not
doing her full justice. She rather takes them
as a text and, adhering strictly to the theory Of
the author, creates Blanca for herself-a BIZ
enca who grasps you with her story, arouses
you with her wrongs, alarms you with her in
tentions, chills you with her anathemas, pierces
you with her sufferings, and, finally, browns you
IN tears, as she sinks before you dying of a
broken heart
1t IS IN this character, particularly, that Miss
Heron presents her great resemblance to
Rachel. 1t is in this that like Rachel, she ex.
hlbits that concentrated energy of passion
| wind across the heart, and, like the muttering.
OF the coming thunder, is more fearful than the
thunder itself
This exhibition of power has most peculiar
effect upon her audiences; the lower her voice
sinks the more profound is their attention, and
following it down to stiffness that almost
presses on the ear, you often hear from differ
ent quarters an absorbing "hush!" even when
no one speaks or stirs. 1t seems, on these oc
casions, as if you could hear the house breathe
And it is little singular that she seldom gath
ers much applause, except such as is comprised
in what may be called the "indescribabe sound
OF silence" and the continually crowded hous
es that contribute it.
We have frequently seen the curtain drop
after scene in which a full house had been
intensely wrapt for several minutes without
the movement of hand or foot, or ANYTHING
but general look of thought. At times how
ever, In those bursts of passion which act upon
the ear like an alarm, she starts every impulse
and the applause, mingled with the sound o.
voices, will last for several minutes. Such was
the result at the climax of the celebrated scene
at the opening of the third act of Blanca.
1t is midnight; her husband is absent, and
she sits at table racked by the most agon
zing thoughts. A servant tells her that Fazic
is with Aldabela; she is plunged in horrid
thought; she is deathly pale, she wrings hel
her fingers, as if she would twist them from thei,
sockets, and gradually raising ner face, you sec
fitting over its fearful surface the internal
thoughts "Shal poison him3 Shall mur
der herr Shall fly to the mansion of the
wretch who has allured him, and smite them
dead together?" Suddenly the idea strikes
her that the Duke holds council on the death Of
old Bartolo, of whose wealth Fazio is unlaw.
fully possessed. The fearful map of her agi
tated features assumes settled shape she
rises from the table; her form dilates, a low
laugh, SO low at first that it seems mere bnb
BILE in her chest is heard it slightly increases
as she steps down the stage, when with an elec.
trical vehemence she exclaims:
" Ill rend him from her, tho she wind around him
Like the vine round the elm. I'll pluck him Off
Though the lite crack at parting"
AT the last line the audience lost all selfcom-
mand, and the actress was obliged to pause for
several moments before she could resume her
speech.
The scene before the Duke, though of fully
equal merit was attended with the opposite ap-
plause of silence; but the appeal to Aurio which