The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-16
at once.
Miss Dickinson's Opinions OF tho
Stage.


Miss Anna Dickinson's courage will be
universally admired, for having once put
her hand to the plough it would have been
folly to have turned back because of the ad-
verse criticism she received. The opinions
she expressed in the HERALD yesterday show
mination and faith in her own ability which
distinguished her in her earlier life. She
believes that she succeeded both as author
and actress, and says that she carried the
feelings Of her audience with her to the
very end This is o consoling belief, and
one which all great actors have possessed.
1t does not follow, however, that all who
possess it are great actors Her criticism of
the critics is quite lively and amusing. She
does not in the least degree regard their
opinion, in which she also resembles all
great actors, for we have never known one
who did not insist upon his indifference to
what newspapers said in censure of his
performances, and this is a proof that the
dramatic profession is not as sensitive as the
world supposes it to be. Miss Dickinsons
complaint is that she can find no two critics
who agree; one says she has no humor,
another that she has no tragedy; SO that
while they are nearly all united in the belief
that she failcd they differ as to the reasons.
Inexperience, she comedies, was one cause
of her shortcomings; human beings would
oppose her way on the stage, and she would
become painfully aware Of chair OF a table.
and her enthusiasm would be shocked as by
q cold water plunge" This was to be ex-
pected, for the difference between the lee
ture platform and the stage is great; far
greater than Miss Dickinson appreciates.
An illustration of how much she has yet to
learn of her new art is supplied by her
maize answer to the question why she wrote
her own play. It was because she could
find no character that suited her. There
is an almost pathetic simplicity in
this confession, for it is the peculiar
faculty of an actor, the distinguishing char
acteristic of dramatic genius, that he seeks
expression in forms different from his
own nature. An actor ought not to expect
his characters to suit him; he should suit
himself to the characters. Ability to per-
sonify is the ultimate test of fitness for the
stage, and Miss Dickinson cannot hope to
prove that she has it by making her own
parts as she does her costumes. In writing
"a Crown Of Thorns' she evaded the usual
standard OF comparison by which debu-
tante is judged. If she had appeared in any
of shakespeare characters land surely tho
women of Shakespeare, ifnot as good as Miss
Dickcnsons Anne Boleyn, are not wholly
unworthy of her consideration the extent
of her success might have been more easily
measured. Nevertheless, we applaud her
bravery and hope she will persevere in her
dramatic experiment., and that the public,
which generally judges rightly, will, at the
last, take from her intellectual brow its pres
ent crown of thorns and replace it with a
wreath of laurels.
ARCHBISHOP WooD, Of Philadelphia, the
venerable Roman Catholic prelate, Gays it
would grieve him very much to see the Ex-
position open ali day on Sundays. But he
adds after an able argument, that ''among
the means of innocent relaxation of soul and
body can see none more harmless than nm
afternoon visit 10 the Exposition, where tho
poor and the laooring classes (and they are
most numerous among us) may enjoy few
hours of rational pleasure. In
deed, believe that it will have most bene-
fetal effect; that it will tend to prevent
many disorders, and to check to great
extent that Dissertation Of the Lords Day
which is, unhappily, growing evil in the
community"