New-York tribune., 1876-10-17
TIE DRAMA-MUSIC.
MRS. POMEROY AS JULIET.

The old Shakespearean candle-mold' stand al
wavs ready-and they are neither more admirable nor
less in consequence OF anything that may happen to
be poured into them. This surely not an occasion
for e1toing Romeo aud Juliet, which, aS all the world
knows by heart though not great to have fallen from
the peu OF ShabeSp Speare certainly great TRAGEDY
Nor is this occasion for much dcscant on the charac
ter OF Juliet 1t may be sensual and dcccitiul, or
it may be an almost celestial ideal; hut oi
one fact there can be no doubt - that it
is not a part which derives any munih'ent ben
eft, such as should prompt TO public cbnllition Of
gratitude from any attentions that bestowed on It
by amateur Mrs POncroy who came iorth ID
II last night at the Lyceum Theater and pleased large
audience chiefly composed Of personal friends, is sub
stanally novice in the theatrical profession She has
indeed as Is understood studied for some time aud
made several appearances but in all essentials she
is a beginner and the beginner who attempts JHd
attempts achieve an impossible success No woman
can act Juliet i'm an evenly effective manner TO whom
the mechanism of the dramatic art mas not become a
second nature Tie personality is deep and the emo
ton 80 strong while yet private that artihciay,
the inevitable bcmsh Of inexperienced arwill always,
in n noyices work, render the performance tame. Mrs
Pomeroy's Juliet precisely Of this order; that Is 10
say 1t was uneven aud dull The question raised by TINS
lady's proceeding upon this OCCASION however we DO
not suppose to be whether not she acted, or
at present Shakcspetres Jid. bu' whether she
evlnced aptitude for the dramatic art To tins the reply
will be affirmative Her personal advantage consid
cradle her intelligence is keen her Instinct as to the
use OF action ia good heTscnse listener Is accurate
her mimetc poverty which we mean her faculty to
initiate and TO do her preccptors tell hcr to do n mi
tation-is quick and generally sound and there w- In
one important scene Of her J,tct nice exhibition OF
bitter reticonce and sad haughtness which the an
tcipatiOn OF real acting might rest She begins
late, and she seems Of shallow naturc-as de-
noted in oyerweening attention TO dress, obtru-
sive sef-consciousuess, and the ptluy triviality
Of an attitudmizing manner But she Is "a handsome,
bright woman, apt to the theatrical method, and pos
sessed Of winning attributes that are backed by
force OF character and time and experience
day t her real in domestic drama and social
comedies OF the present day. Never should think,
for Jtset In the ingenious phase she painfully
mature; in the hnpassioned phase, colby men
! tai; in the imaginative phase, utterly prosaic,
from lack Of imagination and from lack OF the
power to express an cxcedy imaginative cOndi-
ton Her Interpretation Of the balcony scene
was obvious routine, and initiative at thai Her move
muts usually angular and liglty, as Is natural to
the amaeuT-and this defect, when t' strong scenes
arrived divested them Of all reality 10 JdrrS dcrium
size was utterly inadequate her selfposscssion showing
itself to be Of wood her voice proving weak, and her
strained excitement awakening thrill IN the
answering heart Of the spectator. From "a
part Of this disability the lady VIII
no doubt recover. Squeers's method oi teaching boy
TO spell wnder'' make hun go and wash " the
wuder," after imbibng the photographed elements.
This sort OF drill in another way, has been enjoyed by
Mrs Pomeroy so that she never speaks Of her
without waving them. ana otherwise Oyer-strenuousiy
suits the action to the word Tho parrot, however,
may he expected TO disappear. What will remain
1t is difficult TO say. Net geppg not extraordinary
abity-tO Judge by last nchts effort but competence
for good acting the middle walks OF the drama Mrs.
Pomeroy, In person, is large and pleasing blonde,
she would be finer, stage presence, how
over with more color-sincc, when eyes. hair,
and complexion are all of nearly one hue.
the effect is vagucness Of facial expression.
Her low tones please by kind Of nfantie purr. In
excited moments though, her voice twdugs. These
mere denOtemens of inequality. That 1t was absurd for
the lady 70 begin with Jl,e goes without sayng-cX
cept il be done upon the theory perhaps quite cnablc
that this is q shallow community OF play-gOers, and
that pretty may do as she likes and be sure
to win its favor.
Mrs PomerOys Jictwas supported W the aged, incle
CANT unrened yociferOus ana correctly delivered He'
ctio OF Mr.. J. b. Roberts; the hardfcaturcd, dry
voiced, thin. shallow and garshy-robed RoDico Of
Mr. NJ V. Lingham; the vinegar cruet Lddy cap
uIet OF Mrs. j. j. Prior; and the cor
rect but not In the least dron Nurse OF a
Mrs Jordan who TO this region. The most salts
factory performances Of the night were Fiar Laurence
by Mr. Welsh Edwards, RnpoliO by Mr. Augustus Pitou
and Peter by Nc Joseph o. Seton Mrs. Pomcroy Will
remain ali the week at the Lyceum, aud will Je
and also as Pauline in "Tbc Lady OF Lyons