The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-30
MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC.
stiss Lizzie Persons Debut.


The first appearance upon the stage of
young lady aspirant for dramatic honors is gene
rally trying occasi on for all parties concerned
the debutante, the actors, the audience, and
the critics. OF the latter, especially charitable
Judgment is expected; for a novice can scarcely,
with propriety, be judged by the same artistic
standard as an experienced actress. 1t is the cri
tics principal duty to detect if possible promises
of future excellence, and to make all due allow
ances for the embarrassment that generally
renders debut anything but an artistic success
even when talent of high order is mani
tested. 1t is very rare indeed for a young
actress to so far overcome the difficulties of
her position as to merit hearty praise for her
first public performance; but the young lady
who personated 'Pauline" In the Lady of Lyons
last evening at the Arch Street Theatre did
prove herself to be so much superior in all the
higher qualities of her art to most debutdnteS,
that she is entitled not only to cordial commen-
dation, but to judgment based upon different
standard of excellence than would have been
employed if her acting had been less genuine in
its quality. Miss Persons debut was brilliant
success, and after all proper allowances are
made for embarrassment crudeness, and other
drawbacks, the fact remains that she personated
''Pauline" with grace, dignity, expression, and
at times power, that would have done credit to
the character were both we'll chosen for in spite
of its high-hown language The Lady of Lyons
is model of dramatic construction and it is
one of the best acting dramas on the stage, and
the character of "Pauline," while it makes no
heavy demands upon the powers of the actress,
furnishes her with some admirable situations
and with opportunities for the expression of
great variety of emotions. For some reason
which we do not comprehend, the opening scene
of the play was omitted and the debutante did
not appear until the garden scene In the second
act. The representative of pauline was evil
IDENTIFY considerably frightened, but she spoke
her lines with excellent emphasis, although in too
low a tone. Beyond good reading there were
no evidences of marked ability until the
scene in ''Widow helnottes" cottage where
'Pauline" learns of the trick that has been
played upon her. Here Miss Pierson thre off
her embarrassment, and throughout the entire
scene, as we'll as during the balance of the play,
her acting was marked by artistic qualities of
very high order, and the hearty applause with
which the large audience in attendance greeted
her efforts fully deserved. Miss Pierson is
tall finely shaped and with very prepossess-
ing stage presence. Her features are fine rather
than bold, and this will probably interfere
somewhat with the expression of the deeper
tragic emotions in she essays the higher
walks of the drama, although her facial express
sion last evening was fully up TO the require
ments of the part she was performing Her
attitudes were generally very graceful and her
gestures appropriate and imposing. Her
elocution was good, very good, but
almost too studied, except in the animated
scenes, where the articialities of her style dis
appeared to a great extent, and she became
more natural as we'll as more pleasing. In
deed, the greatest fault we have to find with the
performance was in the artificial style that
marked both the acting and the elocution,
except in the scenes where the debutGnte
allowed herself to be carried away by the emo
tions of her part. This was an evidence OF
careful training, and it may do her good service
until she becomes at home upon the stage; but the
peculiar constrained stateliness of manner thai
marked portions of her performance last even
lag is the Characteristic of school of acting
that has had its day, and if Miss Plerson intends