The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-24
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MISS WARY ANDERSON.
A Cr,tici,u, nm her Evadnc.

Etiitor Democrat-W Will you permit
ono who Is passing into the sere ana
yellow leaf. and, therefore, to be pre-
s,,med not over enthusiastic on what
arc called matters OF art, to say u Few
words i'm relation to the fair debutante
who has So suddenly burst upon. the
gaze OF the admirers Of real tragedy.
At the suggestion OF friend attend
cd her performance Of 'Evadne' at the
Varieties Theatre last evening. went
fully prepared to see u performance OF
unusual strength, but all was so far be-
yopd my expectations that, even Mt the
risk Of arousing the young lady's van
itv. | offer ~ few words Of commenda-
ton. -,
True genius for tragedy is II rare gilt
| have seen nearly all male and female)
who have attempted tragedy on the
American stage in the past thirty
Ave years. and very, very few have
sent me home from performance i'm
pressed with the conviction that had
encountered true genius. ! have seen
much Of the result OF the most careful
cultivation Of u natural aptitude Tor the
stage, and wherein MI the illusions anu
trickcry Of the stage were not only made
most 81. but necessarily awaited Of, but
All tho way through there has been IA
fearful hiatus, which the actor or actress
could not through any excrtion fill.
Genius was not there aud genius can.
not be borrowed. rs can stage strut,
paint and feathers.
In the performance last night | saw,
for the first time in my life. genius al
most wholly unaided by art. | saw a
child of seventeen years throughout the
evening develope the extraordinarily
difficult character Of Erddne in such
wonderful manner as not only 10 com
mand the profound attention OF Hat
tcring audience, but to draw tears from
eyes long accustomed to stage art. And
that child was so profoundly absorbed
with the work before her, 50 completely
mastered by the inspiration OF the
author whose difficult text she rendered,
M to make her seemingly ignorant of
the existence OF an audience.
As an humble friend Of high art |
could not, an entire stranger to her will
fully cndangcr her future by fulsome
praise but surely Miss Anderson has
no female equal on the American stage.
This Is saying enough. but not one word
too much.
And how lavish has lind nature been
With genius she has u fine person. n
sweet face, and u voice well, simply II
perfect voice for tragedy.
will the young lady permit me to add
few kind words OF advice gratisy'
| Study. study: never cease to study
But not to conquer natural genius with
the painted weapon of art. Shakespeare
wrote the .Juliet you enact without Il
master. Your study Is to personate
.Jriict ns Shakespeare paints her. Its
all very well to bear u train gracefully
about the stage or To stop for the ap
prevail Of the lesser critics but neither
stage step nor dcxtrous kicking Of tn,
train can make you great In the eyes o
men. Poor crippled Prcntiss woulc
lean upon the back OF u chair ant
eclipse all Of his day in oratory.
was glad to see last night that yot
did not seem to know you had train
that YOU did kick it once. There were
critics there who expected you to kick
and when you became irritated by the
folds OF the train they swore you coult
not emerge therefrom without breaking
your neck. And yet you live. And this
| IL as il should be but do not forget thai
the painter Of the truest landscape pays
due respect toa light and well laid Goa
OF varnish.
Do not take to heart too deeply adj
verse criticism. On the contrary. let /
be stimulus to cxertion. BE pleased
but not BATTERED by words OF praise
| Nature gave you all you have.
And last. but not less important. shu
up the way to your Young heart
Achieve all that you are capable OF
either Of fame or fortune. first, ano
then FRIEND.