The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-19
An UaEM ENTS.
Fanny Davenport nc the Finh Avenue Thea
tre-Rosaiind. in "As You Lihe It,


cast-iron criticisms Of the play, the people and
the setting I dare say, but readers OF THE Sun
need expect nothing Of the sort. In tho first
place every man and woman who knows or
cares about Shakespeare knows all about this
particular play. In the next phase castiron crti-
cism belongs nowadays to the box cffice which
sends II out by he column to we ky news
papers who publish It for nothina-apd an "adv."
sssume the public care more TO know about
tho living Davenport and Lewis, than about the
dead Shakespeare ergo here goes for Daven-
port, Lewis, ct. a.. why did Miss Davenport,
beautiful daughter OF a brainy father, select
AS You Like 1t" for her vehicular aid In az
fcctine oresppearancs before public that pets
and applauds hef7
For exhibition.
For exhioition7 Certainly. Miss Davenport has
cleverncss and beauty. Why should she put
one talent under napkin, and Disclose tho
other TO public view7 She doesn't That's
where she and her manager are smart. She
dis 'iIses her ceverness In the bright wit Of the
master dramatist. aud she displays her beauty
In the brilliant garments, otherwise known Ne
tights" provided her by crafty director.
II Fanny Davenport were a. homely as a hedge
fence she'd 10 success on the stage, but IN
different lines. Thus far her lines have fallen In
pleasant places but 1t Ia largely due to the fact
have alw vs. contendei that this fair lady had
such merit as ran far up the 9amut Of talent
toward the kew OF genius, but she Is so sur
rounded Ivy adul tion, 80 famed by the breath
Of praise, SO sbowered by the upas clippings Of
ttery. that / have feared for the normal
sequence. Fortunately for her, her manager ~
man Vt the world. lie has given Der young
spint all the rope 1t demanded. He has written
parts for her de ~ uations for her. placed
her on the ptde-th ~ publicity, and demanded
that soc should sh W hcrseif wort by all his caro-
and culture. lie has won the trek.
Hut the 1t kes 20 to her afi Ell all.
In all the wide realm OF comedy: in all the
trying pm Of emotion, so far az success is con-
nor. Miss Jenries Lewis IL more experiencsd
IN comedy; Miss Morris IL more intense 10 emo
tioual development, and vet Miss Davenport 10
the better on, because she has the favor Of a
pushing manager. in comedy. and The rdre nd-
for The proper eVulution OF emotion. Five years
$50 she was SIMPLY superb creation. 10 day
she is an artist, amelI,o9s. wiling to Learn,
Gus, ami attentive t. suggestion.
That settles II.
IA her and ladyike mother, drill ner in the
lower ranges Of the drama, invest her with sig
nal beauty per iect her In all the business OF her
profession, instil the venom Of ambition In her
mind, drive from her heart tue vanity Of her
sex. school her Tor wears In the task room of
patent, plodding manage, aud then III agree
Ii strikes ne that Miss Davenport nls this
bill.
Let's see.
Her father is Ned Davenport, the best actor In
Shakespe rian roles have. Her mother.
sloeit N actress. IL every whit lady. She
II tied at the lowest round OF the LADDER, and
her pretty feet have carried her step 10y step
along the upward 1isht. she IL undeDiatly one
OF tue n ndsomest women on the boards. Sne
knows every crack ami nail head on the stage
She Is iii, with ambition. Long ago sne
learned that her beauty attracted fops ana dan
dies rather thsn men Of mettle aud dessert; and
for ears tut quiet, ploddinR Daily hHs drilled
her, developed Der, and m de her com prehend
the very X, rnel Of the nut the inside marrow Of
aas.0l h.
as ROsdlind, her Oeau'y, giace aud sIrotr fdire
served only the vase III when her Intelligence
aud Wit shone like the ray Of unrest gem serene.
Don't think | purpose writing a sketch Of
Fanny DsvenDort. twenty years hence, when
tue sod over your uncle Is worn by the nouf OF
the irrevsrent coz, some Younger pen will hasu
It's M over her grace and polish. take her
He1eaof 70 90 sbes osen ure.ay F.ney bvsnpar s
Hencefortb, II sne will II, she'll be more tnan
that.
the star. want to speak OF the star ~ Iers.
Personalities are always IN order. unless, indeed,
they are rough aud rude. First night houses
are exceptionally distinguiss the sstneuc
world around. In Berlin. PRS. London, aud
NV York, the nrst nights perform ,nce-tss
worst. Of course bee use, IN reality, i's only
dress rcnearsai-is invariably witnessed by relu
lar sets of people, who have their own seats year
In and wear out. Each oct Of seats sea Its own
set. aud the same set sits la the same seat
While the orchestra WIS INDUCING in . series
Of musical antics | rolled nv orb about tie
house. Had mad list Of hdbhu& with NE.
there would have been motto out lew ausen-
tees. Mrs. Dal. accompanied by tue JuGse-
sm.rt TO, that. sole relic Of the lite limeuied
Citizens' AssuCt ttiun-was IN her BOX. Clara
Morris. pile ana wan, WITH her attentive nus
b.nd, st ~ hers. O,sey ii ~, witn his clean
cut profile. es tuTted hit e eir Oliver Dyas. Inc
press g.ng Shakespeare uckton, Oiivrr
Twi-t Winner, tne compose Cocncv, PArke-, the
pquaut. the millionaire aseut SchN b. and all
the rest. writers or cop'sts, 40 the fact NAV oe-
sat far down Tue patqu 1. Judge bradNs noble
he was hinkei, 8 usia by eleZance aud style.
Manager Jdr'tt, Commodore locker. AlgerDon
:. sullivan, Judge DOnohue. Slro DelmOnlcn,
Wright sanford, ootn Cuttings, Benjamin X.
Phelps-oh, 81 bland aud happy-Smith OF WASH
iDgton Marx {. awass on hand aud la Tue best
seats, two Or tnree dozen he,ce. looking Cubaus.
=. 10. Hrrt-op, L. e list "a long and not ouly long
Lut invari bic and without a shadow OF turning.
from tue smiling Fiske at the entrance 10 tue
cLrly-he lded GilseY 10 the box.
mat reminds me II tbs late lawyer III Ouse
and his vile. They we're Always On hand on
first nights. and generally sat In tne mont row.
He was rk aud saturbine, sne was lar and
devoted. Finally she shot him. ana nov pro-
poses to mako name aud fame as a platform
urewing In these first nis circles IL more than
| dare guess. Every closet has Ito skeleton SO
dare say every box b Its OK. hut cks or
SIX. ietons, We all gathered on tnis occasion to
welcome the young artlst whose tour aoout the
country has been trumph, and VINO comes
back with as many he rt- strung at her Rirdie as
though she wers n Sioux laden with scdlps
IL would TO perfectly correct we're l. 10 dis
miss tn. Iresentstion Of :" As You Like It. with
"A single scnt.nce Of commentator, but II
would rdly tie tair TO the conscientious msn-
ager. nor woul iustics be done to COMPANY ~
laInst king eople, VINO strive with Intelligent
tffOrt To interpret the meaning Of the author
and to uphold the reputation Of their II ge. ]
must say 4 admired Mr. COgnlau's Orlando. Hut
he makes the same u.ls..ke that Bangs makes
ia Mare Antony. man may di- play shapriy
figure wItnOnt necessarily becoming a Top. l
grant this young actOr need OF praise
Tor understanding, but his school is bid
aud more than marred Dy nannerisms.
II Mir. COgBiaD were est for Orlando at
MINOR tneatrr IN the provinces II wUud bs I'M
far to apply standard To MIN. which he and
hi, nlan ager q I'm aud at the Ffth Avenue. As
clever, gOod-natured, idirly-balsnced light
comedian. Mr.. Coshlan Is as apt and pleasing as
the average, but he Is no better. His Orlando IL
admirable aud IN action pleasing Fisher and
DiVidge deserve 10 be em0almt together. They
belong o tue y 81, but are Il aclOusly vouch-
safcd to The present., nd New YORK owes
deUt Of g.afituue - MT. DAILY for Keeping them
iogcther, two jewels IN gorgeous case.
TIE rare indebtedness OF IOUChstOne Davidge
was never moro spontaneously spread before a
keenly sensitive audience than Oh TINS occasion.
Ever, qua, every JOKE, every sentiment was 30
leary Tut tn Z even the olOpns IN ths house
were at once placed an rapport with tue clown
uUun the stage. And Jdquss Fisher-wh garb
could better NJ that adniraUle exponent of all
that's quaint ana queer anu Oddf You remem-
b. r, II course, whore Anxious ana Jtqles age to-
gctuer III tue woods. ana Anxious sings,
Under the Greenwood tree
VINO loves to he with me,
Ana turn MS merry note
UutO the ct blru's throat;
Come hlther, come hither, come hitheft
Here he shsl. see,