Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-03
SHE COMES.
The star Of the Theatrical Firmament
Hiss Anderson. OF fEOuisViIle-At
the TheateF O-MOFrOw Night.

five are to Judge from the high enCOmi-
uns written of Miss Mary Anderson genius
by the press of cities where this gifted
lady has appeared our theater-goers have a
rich intellectual treat before them this week.
We can hardly believe it possible for one so
young in years, and necessarily in dramatic
experience, to rise so suddenly TO the high
place in the world Of art assigned her by
the criticisms before us; but. as wonders
never cease, and as there is nothing new un-
der the sun, we are impatient to be con-
Vmced that such things can be, and over
come us like summer cloud without our
special wonder. Still, there are authorities
before us who say that In Miss Mary Ander-
son Is developed, almost spontaneously, a
marvellous dramatic genius, which, we are led
to believe, has been trained IN the proper
channels, and which promises to place her,
at very tender age, on the tOpmOSt round Of
dramatic fame Of course, we are not pre-
pared to indorse all that is said of Miss An
dersOn's genius, but we will quote from some
of the papers Of the principal cities where
Miss Anderson has created quitea stir among
the patrons of the drama. The ST. Louis
Globe Democrat says: From the ashes of
Cushman 8 life she Miss Anderson seems to
have risen, Phenix-hke, to assert once again
that art Is infinite, always advancing, and
that each succeeding generation Is the heir
of all the ages. 1t is only when
strong passion is to be presented that she
makes the effort that shows her marvellous
power. She gives free play to her native I'M
pulses, and becomes absolutely. great in her
delineatiOn OF intense feeling The New
Orleans Democrat says This young girl
seems fairly to luxuriate amid the flowers and
sunbeams that grow and fall along the path
way Of dramatic ife. The brightness Of her
spirit shines through the passions Of her
characters, tnging them with the vivid hues
Of glory born Of the lOftest genius. There
is no hard and brilliant enamel III her p0r-
traitures; hers is the rich, soft touch Of the
master She has nothing in common with
those automatic beggars for fame who strut
the stage with measured tread-animated
statues, the hight Of whose ambition Is to be
up in the conventional business, and who
study, in the frenzy of death-scene, to fall
an inch within the drOp-curtain. She has
freshness of originality; she Is bound down
by no stage rOte-nature and genius, twin
handed, lead and guide her rthrcugh her roles
Under her inspiration the dim
thoughts of the dramatist grow bright, and
are made to shine with a sunlike splendor on
the intellect and heart. She depends little on
the structure and copiOusness Of the author;
her genius. power of style and action work up
the vulgar material of the dramatist into
breathing sentences, and make commonplace
ideas and words.blaze with amiraculous beau
ty, even as the sculptor extracts beautiful
forms from Hfeless stones" The Louisville
Commercial, after speaking of Miss Ander-
son S splendid triumphS in st. Louis, New
Orleans, and other cities, said: The fact that
Mary Anderson is young is no reason why
she should be called a novice. She is GER
tainly no novice in her art. She comes from
one of the best families in Kentucky. She
has been regularly trained and educated I'M
der the best masters. There is nothing
forced, unnatural, and precOcious about her
any more than there Is anything forced, un-
natural and preooci0us about any other gifted
person. The BGltimOrean is surprised that
a beautiful young girl of eighteen should re-
veal genius such as it required decades of
years to be made manifest in a Cushman,
Bowers, Scott, asJulia Dean, Mrs. Now
att, Julia Cooper, Mafnda
Jonss, and others who have adorned
and illustrated the American stage. The ex-
preston of this surprise is declared to be no
mere empty puff or vain boasting, but sober,
solemn truth. The excerpts we have made
from the criticism in the papers above men
toned are but the sentiment of the hundreds
we have before us, and we did not Gull these
because they were higher encomiums than
are contained IN the others. Thus we are
told that we have in Miss Anderson 5 engage
ment rare dramatic treat Coming with
such praise, she cannot fail to draw crowded
houses duringthe week,