Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-12
0Rllo(I. TO- .SStatteI,s;r)1rrarr. Il
[From the London Review.l
PRETTY Acfresapa. %.


been so sedulously cultivated has given
rise to set of performers who can lay
claim to being original and primitive upon
more grounds than one. That the species
always existed we have sufficient evidence,
| but its developments take so strong and
| decided q part in the modern shape that,
except in wide lines, we cannot assume
that the parent is altogether represented
by the offspring. There are, of course,
points of resemblance, but they are few,
and not at all of character to be partic-
ularized. Some. of them, we may touch
| upon, but others do not admit of disquisi-
tion. Without recalling the "palmy days
of the drama" to give authority to the
opinion, we are inclined to believe that
there never was time in the history of
| the stage when our actresses exposed
themselves so much beyond the degree re-
quired for the honest purposes of their
art as the present.
The female gentlemen of our burlesques
display themselves in fashion which in
| dicates the level to which the profession
| has fallen, and the manner in which their
saucy attitudes are applauded serves to
show that they have indeed succeeded in
making the taste by which they are en-
| joyed. When famous French novelist
! habitually dressed in coat and trousers,
it was said OF her that the disguise would
| have been complete if she had only been
| little more modest; and when young
| lady now struts her plantation dance,
wriggles the jockey step, or filings the sail
| or's hornpipe, Onei is tempted to indulge
| in the reflection that the representations
would be the more perfect for about as
much reserve as would render them decent
| It'is not much for us to boast that our dia-
| lOgues are Tree from the brutalities of
| Wn uln .
| street music with gestures Systematically
unchaste, and encourage women as un-
| draped as acrObats, to Illustrate by their
department quite as much immOdesty as
would season comedy of the old school.
| The costumes worn by actresses in our
burlesques are evidently designed without
| the least affectation even of coquetry. The
singing chambermaid, with her apron and
| front pockets, moves in a legitimate circle
! of influence; her mods and winks are fair
| business; she uses woman'S grace to en-
| list our sympathies in her part, and per-
| haps slightly in her own pTettiness; but 1t
is quite another matter when she wears her
pockets differently, when there is nothing
| for the sex to retire into, and when with
an impudent daring she upsets at a strut
every notion we might have had,Of that
feminine sense which ought to distinguish
| a lady. 1t is q bad feature in the pretty
actress, too, that in many cases, not only
does she look to the gallery for applause,
but she may occasionally be detected ogling
a side-boX in which the occupant is care
| fully retired We are not in the least con-
cerned for the special repute of actresses;
they have quite enough of advocates in the
press. The critics have exhausted the epi-
| thetS of praise upon them. Funny writers
are funnily complimentary writers the
/ nf will
them-lugubriously affectiOnate. What
| the amouG of virtue among them may be
we have no way of determining, and
great deal of private virtue is quite COM
| patible with the degraded viciOusness of
| branch of art; still the actresses are, be-
yond doubt, spoiled into style of exhi-
| bition which places them on the very con-
fines which divides the pure from the i'm
pure, and if they choose to play there, it
can do them no harm to learn the exact
position they have been induced to assume.
It's possible we may be reminded of the
| "GarGer" motto; buth there Is little faith
nowadays in the guielessness of White
Quakers, or in the flimsy reasons behind
which any other form of impudence dis
robes. Stage Diauas may regard their
| Greek aud natural integuments as quite
| consistent with the accepted reputation of
the goddess, and in doing so may loop up
| single garment until 1t as nearly as pOssi-
BILE defeats the object of garment alto
gether; but they must be prepared to have
a second Interpretation placed upon the
mode in which the cold divinity is persona
| fed. We have seen a feminine Apollo
within few inches of being Belvidere,
and q female Jupiter who could, with a
slight change, have appeared as Menken.
In fact heathendom histrionically sets its
face and legs against the innovation of
| clothing to within tunic such as Mrs. Leo
| Hunter proposed to adopt, and such as Mr..
Leo Hunter incontinently objected to.
| Even this tunic is being curtailed, and is
following the wake of the b0nneto ordin-
ary life. When the part demands long
| gown, the invariable rule now followed in
such distressing case of obstructed talent,
| is to have the gown tucked to the knee at
one side at least, and the stratagem by
| which that side is kept toward theaudience
| proves how genius, even when trammeled,
| is able to take advantage of any little
change for the employment of its choicest
accomplishments.
But it is not on the stage alone that our
pretty actresses figure so attractively.
Coley Cibber regretted the exigency of
the dramatic calling by which the instant
graces of the player were lost to the world;
but he knew nothing of photography, or of
the camera sort of graces which the lady
performers of our time are secure of trans
mitting to posterity. You may buy their
portraits exactly as you have seen
them perform. II there is slight differ
ence, the difference gives you the
benefit of more than you noticed
behind the footlights. The pretty
actresses are fast driving the pets of the
ballet to desperate rivalry of attitudes.
| In truth they have already done, as much
for the carte shops as English dancers, aud
| it is only the French women who can beat
them on their own ground, and, we must
admit, give them odds. Nor are you left in
| the dark, having paidyour shilling, as to the
| identity of the lady whose picture you may
purchase, Not only do you get her name, but
YOU are presented with the familiar diminu-
| tive by which she chooses to be set down
| in the bills. Our pretty actresses desire to
| linger in the memory OF the swell, the cad,
the snob and the gent by those mincing
names which denote cordiality and ac-
| quaintance.
| -lOnce or twice a year an opportunity is
taken of rendering this cordially almost
| intimate; for the swell, the cad, the snob,
J and the gent are invited to a bazaar, and at
| a small outlay can speak with the deities,
| and stare at them to their eyes content.
| So that there islno reticence whatever on
| the part of the pretty actresses. Easy on
the Stage, free and easy in the cdrtes, liberal
of their fascinations at special JeteS we
lScantot determine where this generosity
will cease! We shall notimitate- Matthew
4 u 50 Al - 49,. -. = -