Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-06
AN ACTRESS TALK.



The boudoir of an actress is generally a
pleasant place. That of Miss Clara Nor
ris, with its paintsand flowers and Chamber
ing vines, is quite leafy paradise. The
warm sunlight fell upon the pnctures Of
Garrick and Dickens, lighted up the "hOral
hibute" TO '.Blanclie," a relic of The SPHINX,
and touched some pale-blue drapery des-
| tined for the "Julia" of Sheridan Knowles.
! a. the writer found himself in Miss Nor
ris' presence. The fair and famous artist
had just returned from drive in Central
Park, and, nestled in her favOrite chair,
with the wiry terrier "Rags" and a more
indolent French importation playing about
her feet, kindly went on to give her views
throughout wide range Of questioning.
81 am weary Of what is known as the
| French drama" she said, "because [ be-
lieye that it offers no further opportunities
/ for advancement. Could a play be written
| in this school Ito take one extremely which
! would call for more violent display of
emotion than Article AZ? Could, on the
| other hand, a character be created which
would demand more of the opposite quail
ties of this school than sAlixe?' L do not be-
| lieye that there could be, and think that
there will be no departure among French
| playwrights from the treatment of the
sadulterous' theme. It is only natural that
| it should be so. In society in France no
young girl has lover. She may not see
| the man whom she marTies more than
three or four times before the happy event.
Now, all w men must love-if they don't
before marriage, they will after The
drama is the reflex of society, and thus the
French drama deals with an unchanging
theme.
SLOW did 1 feel about The Sphinx. Just
this way-that as long as had undertaken
the part it was my duty to make all that
could out of it, down to the very last gasp
in the death scene. Ii was my duty to the
public, to my manager and TO myself. Ny
mistake was in permitting myself to play
the role at all. Although did not see the
play in Paris, heard so much in its disfa-
VOr from people whose opinion value
highly that quite determined not to play
the part. NJ. Feuillet wrote me numerous
suggestions about the business OF the role,
but made up my mind that should not
have occasion to carry them into effect.
When I returned, told the management of
the Union Square Theatre how felt about
the part, but the piece was announced, elab-
crate scenery had been provided, and saw
that their interests would suffer should |
not comply with the agreement entered
into. blanche de Chel!es' is a wholly
bad part; morally, it is abominable, and as
a role it is weak and purposeless. There
is absolutely no motive for what the
woman does. l grant you Article AZ and
'Madelein MoreP were immoral to a Ger
tain degree, but then there was no
lack of motive. Cora pursues a revenge
full purpose-she has lost her beauty, which
was her stock in trade, and she is repre-
scented as animated by an absorbing desire
for revenge. sMadelein Morep is shown
endeavoring to find redemption in
love. But Blanche de ChelleS' is
contemplate. She is rich, and she is
under the care and protection of
her husbands father She has neither
been injured nor is she poor. Moreover,
the man for whom she cherishes her pas
sion is not the husband of an enemy
(winning a wOman's husband away from
her because of spite toward her were at
least eomprehensible)-but he is the hus-
band of her dearest friend. There is some
thing so mean about that. felt that |
was lowering myself professionally in play
ing such part, and l was heartily glad
when it was over"
"What did you think of Gambler
"Well, cannot say that felt at all in
the same way. In CtGnlllle there is great, |
honest love to depict. To be sure, it is |
not play one would take young gill to |
see night after night. But then plays are !
for men and women"
sand how about your venture in the le- |
gitimate ?'
s.The first night of Julia | felt that 1 |
was not mistress of myself but | do not |
think my playing in the legitimate would /
be considered a venture where l was pro-
brought up. Then we were
to a round of the legitimate /
from year to year. All the male stars who |
came around played Hamlet and /
Macbeth and all the women Lady Mac /
beth and Julia never played in a so
ciety piece in my life (and l had been a
long time on the stage) before l went TO /
Mr.. DAYS theater, and since then l have
depicted suffering in the suise of Alike
'Nadelein,' and Camille until it has been
asked if 1 can act any thing else. | have
made an essay with julia and they want
me TO play Lady Macbeth N BROOKLYN.
All, won't the critics get out their anvils
and hammers, and shall | not suffer
them"
aHaye you seen Miss Cushman?"
81 rushed up from the theatre after play
ing The Sphinx one night, aud saw the last
act of her Queen Katharine with my au-
burn wig still on, and with some remnant
Of sBlanche's' foam still on my lips.
thought Miss C1shman's death scene the
most wonderful piece of acting | ever saw.
| have not had the pleasure of seeing her
Lady Macbeth"
''What is your idea of the character"
Il maintain that Lady Macbeth was
slight, slender, and of blonde type. |
know this is not the accepted theory, but it
seems to me very plausible. do not be-
Lieve that she cOerced her husband other
wise than with that subtle and almost in
tangible persuasion which is essentially
womanly, and which is indicated in some
chance expression or look rather than
every tone and word of con-
verse. Take, for instance, nine out of
every ten fiirts that we see about us. No
one imagines that it is because of the man
himself that they exercise their arts. No;
It is to hear some one say, she is ire
sistible-no man can help succumbiDg
20 her attractions Lady Macbeth found
hat she could completely rule, in
his persuasive, womanly way, her great
soldier of a husband, and it made her
trunk She thirsted for more extended
power. Her husband first catches sight of
what she would have him do in that simple
question GpropoS of Duncan And when
yoes hence? in which, by look, but with
40 mouthing to point the significance of
ler speech, she points the bent of her am
DitiOn. She longs to see him seated on the
hrone, and 10 be seated by his side. The
Lady Macbeth swoops down
upon her lord, and leads him off as though
The were the bigger man of the two. And
no Lady Macbeth that | have yet seen !
has rendered justice to the sleep-walking I
scene. You know that a somnambulist /;
has absolutely no fear, but Lady {
Macbeth is always represented as cropping :
Ter way with difficulty about the stage. I
This is a very little thing, but l always
ook on: for the small matters, and the
anger ones come Of themselves. Thus
lurriedly have given you some idea of +;
ny conception of LADY Macbeth It has I
,een my pet character since / was child,
md 1 hope to do something with it. At
east can try"