New-York tribune., 1876-02-14
IIrCIIIE WESTERN.

The tide of melO-drama, which has been
s,o idly rising local for time reached
Its flood Saturday night, when the Grand Opera
House roopened for a revival Of "oiyer Twist and
Tor the remittance here OF Miss Lucille western The
pece-whic british and rcpusiye to extraordinary
degree heavily frelghtcd with grossly exaggerated types
low life and strenuous with title morality enforced by
ioathsomo picturoswas put upon the stage with pitch
fork; even received than 1t deserves
Miss Western acted N0neY and her performance was
thoroughly disgusting This actress OF whom II has
been customary to say that She possesses Wild dra
matte genis-alent in the Tough-great natural faculty
Tor acting, which it Is pity cduca ion has not refined
She Is, in fact, large, strong woman, with loud
strident voice. forcblo masculine individuality, an ex
citabe. mpeuous. reckless temperament. ready apt
tude for the delrum OF passionate emotion aud much
physical resource unchecked by taste and unempered
by deIicacy She has had liberal experience the sage
and has therein acquired proficiency in sim
ulation. In the main, however. She reaches
further actress than the expression OF herself
She acts NGacv, In "Oliyer Twist" LGdy Isobd and
Madam Tiae, in East Lynne and the afflicted yrago
IN "The Child sealer and all these are pieces cut from
the same iabrc-inStinct with bizarre personality and
therefore effective upon the multitude. This order OF
personal force is not genus either the stage or else
where and the recognition toeration Of IT, such
works injustice toward the dramatic art and It's really
worthy professors the OF Miss Western il would
not be valuable II it were-spco the result TO which
leads, considered as art is entirely mOn-tfOue ana
insuiferable.
We do not recall in a long experience Of the stage
performance fOrmcss anu alternately hideous and
silly the Nancy Of Miss Western, In oliver Tws
her best ana her cntattye achievement. The
spirit OF H. to be sure is ardent the makeup good
and at two pOnts-namey, In expressing the dog like
subservency OF the whipped and cewed woman to her
ranly MASTER and I'm expressing remedies dcgrada
ton presence Of virtue and loving chaityth action
Is right But the general manner is that OF strained er
uee, and sometimes tho method becomes absolutely
comic In its incertitude and yacuity. During
about two thirds of the performance the observer finds
himself in whether Miss Western Is sincere or s
effect results from the Of her mannerisns
are Numerous and all bad-and from her ignorance and
lack Of artistic means. Her work is photograph and
coarse that She makes nothing OF the only oppOr
tunity for real pathOstho parting with the child, on
the night Of the attempted burglsry-becausc. sppar
emily, feeling adequate 20 the moment "a Ia her
nsture and in the before the murder which ough
nnitey foron with little touches Of womany weakness,
Tenderness and soirow she offers mere Stiffness and
baobe The nasal tones, the long pauses the maunder
Ing movements the drawing uteraDce the sudden tran
stons from level speaking 10 smart senentious semi
comic delivery and the general insgninoance OF mott @
less conduct make up indeed stage figure OF which the
fepulsive quality and nsbby form surpass description
u after Nancy has been choked and pounded to DEATH
eusas partly on the scene and partly at the wings that