, 1876-06-11
ANNA DIgKINSON'S FAILURE

Observation-Disclosures little and the stage gained
nothing by Mfss ANNA D1cK1zsos's d1ut IN
Boston last month. It was heza1ded by thu
bran-bread daettana OF that dyspeptic city that
she would wear diamonds; that sfe had written
her own play In two weeks; that her clothe,
would cost Sc, 600; and that the daring debutants
occupied the suite Of apartments at Boston
hotel that we're once occupied by FAHNr Ksx-
BLE, EDWIN BooTH, Duke ALEXIS, and Dom
PEDRO. That was very gratifying in social
way to Miss DICKINSON, but 1t will no mora
make her act like FANNY kEMBLE than 1t maf]e
her 8 scion Of the house OF BRAGASzA. Miss
DICKINSON made the dramatic failure every one
who knew anything about the stage must hays
predicted for her. Her venture, to speak frank.
ly, Was foolish and an impudent one. she
had no reason whatever to expect SUCCESS, Or
to assume that for her alone q royal
road to the summit Of the theatrical
profession had been laid. Her career Is
q lecturer gave no promise, even in the blush Of
her youth, Of success rs m actress. Shehad not
the gifts Of vocal expression, dramatic concep-
tion, or emotional power which would warrant
her in thinking that at S. she could take
an easy jump from the platform and land on the
stage alongside the women who had given LIES
study to difficult art.
Miss D1cK1ssos's failure is not one to be ID
mented. She did not deserve success, and there.
fore she has missed it. It's we'll that selt-conH.
dence has discovered that it cannot take the
place Of studious labor and long, patient train.
ing. In all departments Of art there IS NO sub.
stitute for elementary instruction. Not even
genius can get along without that, and Miss DICE.
1NsoN's efforts on the platform showed that
she lacked genius She had power OF intense
utterance, but no idea OF artistic effect It vas
indeed painful to listen to her high pitched.
strained, little flexible voice as she declained,
or rather scolded. Her rash attempt to start At
once as great tragic actress without training,
and as master-playwright without
practice or careful cultivation, was an implied
rebukc to the dramatic profession, slowly climb.
ing to the heights Of htstrionic excellence, and
the dramatic authorship, in which experience
has taught that with ordinary persons only
years OF effort can attain to success. There uas
no reason to anticipate for Miss DICKINSON re-.
suit short Of stinging blow to her arrogant
self-confidcnce+
II she had met with anything else she would
have been dramatic phenomenon, which she
evidently thought herself to be, and In which
foolish idea indiscreet friends seem to have en-
couraged her. We trust that her failure will teach
men and women who fancy they can become
dramatic artists OF the highest class, such
as CHARLOTTE CusHMAN, Rose EYTMoE,
and EDWIN BooTH,-simply by putting
on stage-clothes, no matter how ex-
pensive, and appearing before the foot
lights, that grand acting can no more b.
done under the spur Of vanity, without long
practice Of it's details, than the girl who paint
q pretty flower on screen can produce at ealls
RAPHAEL's " Madonna or ntmble player oi
little waltzes can compete with L1sTz or Von
BuLow in the execution OF grand sonata