New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-05-09
,yvl p,cKINsoN,s DEBUT IN BOSTON.

.,-,o,v THE CrRTAIN-NIss DICKINSON
va -, .vs ONE OR TWO OF THE CARDINAL VIR-
-. o,rr MORE OF THE CAPITAL FAULTS OF
THE DRAMATIC Art.
inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
-. uov a-The anticipation that numer-
or. and brilliantly representative assenoiage "ouu
..';.ooss the first appearance OF Miss Anna Dicki-
w. r,on the stage was fulfilled here to-night at tne
C,oha Tbeater. About 9, 500 persons were present
1rba night was stormy, but friendship and puDhc IN
t.r,st prevailed against tempest; and Miss Dlck'n
so vas greeted with much applause six calls before
the cnrtain. and a stack of flowers marked WEI
come A. d.
II the social welcome be alone considered her
stage advent was successful. If Otner things DE-
considered; it was not Her play, crown oi
TbornsD lasted two hours and fOrty-hVe minute
II ia a thin tissue of level prose dialogue y" '"'
story of Anne BOleyn, involving seventeen PEI SoN'
Its not relieved BIZ strong dramatic lnci"'
In "uenry VIII" and "Axe ana crown en'o'"S
;ts substance and are better 1t is tedious piece
aora or tbe Giaoometti model. made known here
~, D.; Ira scenes como over like the paddle
.ho.,s of steamboat and are cut OF at the caprice
e ,ha man ut the wheel. Half depicts Anne Boeyn
h.otad of her loyer, and goadcd into resentment by
WoIsev The other depicts her ruin at the hands OF
Cromwell. The language lacks elevation. Most OF
the characters ask political conundrums. The i'm
preston left is that Henry the Eghths reign was
nonulous with bores and ms fondness for decapita-
tion had good grounds. The last scene is taken from
Tom Taylor's pay introduced by Mrs. Rousby.
Anne BoIeyn is the whole piece, and the other parts
are feeders Miss Dickinson went through it with
masculine force. At points where she could lecture
abe was effective. She showed dramatic instinct
some idea of execution and much will. In art she
was callow. Her presence as a Queen was
puny. Her voice was often nasal ana
thin. Her walk was one-sided. Her at
titudes were mostly crOuched. Her emotion
was that of the mind and not The heart. She does
not burn, but she grnts. The face was often SET in
stare to emphasize tigerish self-resraint. Great
stress was laid on an apostrOphe to Jane Seymour
and an expostulation with Lord Percy. They
sounded ike walls from Marthas Vineyard with the
brethren in full possession. Had Miss Dickinson
adopted the stage in youth she might have become
fair actress 1t is not easy to how she could ever
have become an agreeable one. Her performance
was potent exhibition of personal character but IL
lacked the attributes that charm.
Her hearers were friendly and patient, and wore
their crown of thorns like good Bostonian stoic7.
Should Miss Dickinson keep on in this new path
way which she has chosen, in despite OF
her lack of essential qualifications and against
her too evidently didactic grain, she will very
likely have to wear it herself Mistakes are not the
less mistakes because they made with talent and
yigor; and we see reason to encourage the idea
that Miss Dickinson is actress because she dresses
herself in four gorgeous robes aud goes into an
ecstacy of elOcution. VI. w.