The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-21

in this city, was recently inspired with passion
for the stage. After some preliminary instruc-
ton, she made her DEBUT at the Buffalo theatre
and acted there during one week. She was very
severely reviewed in the Buffalo newspapers, be-
cause, as she alleged, she refused to subeidize the
editors She resolved to make an effort before
metropolitan audience and played for the first
time in this city at the Academy of Music,
on last Saturday evening. Since that time half q
dozen of the city papers, great and small, have,
to use their own expressions 'rowed her up" in
the most decided manner She is declared alto
gether incompetent for the r0le-her "time has
been wasted and study thrown away;" her first
twelve lines ''were dozen too many" she was
indignantly bissed;" her death agonies were
funny" "she went on from bad to worse, until
she attained climax of pitiable bathos;" "she
utterly, miserably, hopelessly failed;" she made
"humiliating exhibition of herself her read
ing had not "even an ordinary appreciation of the
points of the character" her tragic efforts were
openly laughed at and ridlculed by four-ffths of
the entire audience;" 'the debut was an utter
.fasco;'' "she has nothing in voice, figure action
or delivery to warrant her in attempting to play
Shakspere or anything else;" the balcony scene
was played with "maudlin tenderness and extra
ordinary cOntortions of countenance;" it was IA
failure without dignity or excuse;'' she made a
"most mischievous mistake in coming before the
public at all" cher person is far from attrac-
tive, her voice is harsh and husky, her enuncia-
ton and pronunciation disagreeable and in
hpr craif it,,ta or
dignity, propriety and grace; cher best
point was in the tomb scene, where she has
only to lie still and say nothing" she was
'audacious," 'cool," reckless ''in the bal
cony scene Mrs. McMahons absolute incapacty
as an actress broke fully on the house several
OF her tcnderest touches were saluted with bursts
Of laughter" never was an artist more unequi-
vocally damned = 80 the debutante has entirely
mistaken her VOCATION she has not one part-
Gle of either feeling or taste;' outrageous faults
Of execution and conception reads with utter
disregard of taste, feeling, and sometimes sense;'
ridiculous failures" speaks Through her nose !"
her "intonation is school grlish;" the perform
ance was " fat, stale and wearisome, lacking ali
the points of art, and finally, she's Ian amateur
on the lowest step Of the ladder"
There's a bouquet for the matutlnal meal Of an
ambitious debutdnte who rides in her own car
riage, with her own servants in her own livery,
lives in her own splendid establishment within
biscuit toes Of the Fifth avenue, and acts In her
own theatre. 1t is not our purpose nor cur duty
to inquire whether or not all these severe
criticisms upon Mrs. McMahon's personal cha
racter and theatrical efforts are true. 1t is
sufficient for argument that they have been
written, printed, published and circulated,
and we wish to call the attention of the parties
aggricvcd TO the brilliant example given them in
our own case.
About eight years ago, Mr.. Z. 2. Fry under
took the management Of the Italian Opera in this
city. AS an initial proceeding in commencing
his season. he confined his advertisements ne VS.
papers having the smallest circulation aud as the
Opera was then only q matter Of interest to
very small number of people, we lost sight of Mr.
Fry and his affairs altogether. Success did not
crown his efforts, however; with failure came
chickering's and quarrelng with his artists, two of
whom, Signorina Trufli and Sgnor Benedict, ap-
pealed TO the public by cards over their own
signatures, through the columns of the HERALD
which columns have always been open to parties
seeking fair play at the hands OF the public.
we published all the facts in the case, with such
criticisms as were naturally suggested by the
documents before us For so doing we have
been twice held 10 answer in civil suit for
damages On the first trial of this great libel
case the jury decided that we must pay
ten thousand dollars; on the second trial
the damages were assessed at six thousand
dollars, and third trial of the cause
is now pending We have before US
copy of the evidence submitted at the last
trial, and it will shortly be given to the public
Ii will then be seen that we made no personal at
tacks upon Mr.. Fry. The first publication in re
aton to his season was the card of Signori Truti.
who believed that she had been attacked by
some journals in the interest OF Mr. Fry. and d..
sired to defend herself. We afterwards gave
some extracts from Mr.. Fry's journals and an
account of a iracas between the empreeorio and
the tenor, with the tenor account of the matter
and the managers version They certainly did
ay some severe things about each other. but
that was distinctly not our affair. We simply
performed our duty to the public by giving the
statements of all parties. In the appended re-
marks we criticised Mr.. Fry's course as a mana.
ger, and gave the reasons of bis falure-for he |
had failed, and the reasons were patent to every
man who had the slightest knowledge of the sub
ject. II has since been admitted that all our |
and the deductions drawn from them,
we're strictly true.
But the jury has twice decided against us, aud |
the precedent stands on the record of the court |
IF IL is good for us il is good for every other ,
journalist and we submit that the case of Mrs. |
Mcmahon is much worse than that of Mr.. Fry. |
She has been bitterly sssailed by nearly all the