The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-10
Miss Anna Dickinson WeaveS One for
the New York Critics.
ALLEGED PREJUDICE OF THE PRESS.
A Combined Assault on the Play
and the Player.
"HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE -

sho critics" s'Anna Dickinson" said she, as she
bowed In acknowledgment to the applause which
grccted her. "scarcey knows herself before you IN
blonde wig aud with makeup, but let Il pass as she
doesn't wish 70 trespass further on your timc !
thnk,n she continued, "that II have
been known for anything among you. and
] doubt not great many men and women who arc
here tonight have heard mo on tho lecture platform,
ri am known Tor anything am known as n defender
OF the wronged and the oppressed. (Applause.)
Canaidly and honestly know Of no moro thoroughly
wronged person In somo respects this night in this
town, than tho woman who stands before you"
Miss Dickinson then proceeded to road extracts
from New York paper OF yesterday concerning her
performance aud said that she would try TO talk OF
herself person whom she had not known before.
"Candidly." said she. :" think that my
efforts and my long years Of faithful service
successful service before tho public-ought to
J earn for kindly and generous criticism and
judgment at the hands Of intelligent men and women
In whatsoever might attempt My lie on the plat
form some years ago seemed essentially ended-for
ono reason, because | hopelcssly broken in
health Though It was not necessary Tor me TO an
nounca that fact to the public that 1t was dnl-
cult for mo 10 endure the hardshps incidental
20 travelling from fifty TO ono thousand miles pcr week
ycenm lecturer II Is no; necessary for me 10 go
all the grounds why came TO the stage Suffice
II say that year ago last spring did go on the
stage IN Boston. made my appearance at the Globe
Theatre la May ast.'
SHE RELATES HER EXPERIENCE IN nosroN.
II Ind been asserted Miss Dickinson said. BY the
Now York papers that she objected tho criticism Of
their critics. That not She objected merely
to deliberate Justification. nothing else She made her
first appearance in Boston, she said before 900 people,
who constituted not very well disposed audience.
since the people who had most love for her on the
platform were tho least willing to see her loave It.
heard her in this country who did regret
her leave the platform Tor the stage. They did not
ATTEND her rss sr sns scrm
mating one. MISS Dickinson declared that
she was an old thoatre-gocr, and had
often travelled thrce hundred miles for the sole pur
pose Of witnessing a performance and her test OF
successful performance had always bccn--and she
thought her would testify that il was true
one-its cordial acceptance by audience. Elaborate
ing this point at some loneth Miss Dickinson pro-
cecded to declare that she was not present
playing would have 10 stand or fall on their own
morris without any word Of hers ~ am here, she
said '.in my old character Of champion OF the truth
and OF tho oppressed" iAppause She then
the incidents attending the production OF her
play Boston and tho disadvantages under which sho
labored In making her appearance there.
TIKI MEASURE OF SUCCESS
al have the name. believe, she SAID. "Of being
very strong woman, OF caring very little what said
thought OF mo- When came for tho first time before the
Boston public came with only four reheasas OF AN
entirely piece entirely new role, and was SO
worn, trettcd utterly miserable, that in the TWO
weeks preceding had lost over seventeen pounds III
weight had been absolutely without food-since
could swallow thcn-for more than seventy hours"
Mss Dick said that when the curtain rose upoE
her play that night she determined TO apply her old
ut the end OF the first act but she did not permit her
self TO call that success. But when the
the succeeding acts and fell upon the last
with 700 standecs still In their places and the
rose with thrilling call her before the curtain
I'VE successive times with shouts and outcries, she
said, this Is a success tAppausc) Everybody In
Boston home believing she was a success.
THE MISCHIEF MAKERS.
The local papers tho next day noticed the play and
believe thew until the New York papers
reached the city at i've O'Clock on The fol
speaking OF the performance .'atrociousn
and viIe and declared that tue d6butante could not
act Miss Dickinson repeated that she did object
10 their giving their own opinions but she object to
their saying that that Boston audience regarded her
failure. It did not EVERY man and woman
went oct of that house." said She sskuowing that
with all my faults, crndties aud manifold matters 10
10 learned and uniearned had the elements Of
Increasing audience before that scvercy critical,
Of Boston, she through New England. Managers
papers treated her kindly and said II she were not
success that she was sure TO win one. Despite Of
this the slender critic" OF the Tribune wrote again
ZONE two weeks later itcrating his former false
statement concerning her and her perform
ance, without having in the meantime seen
her II was fair ana just and
honest thing TO do Tor critic to elaborate two
column article two weeks after he had seen an actress
not just" (Appause)
the speaker then read for something like half an
the New York papers OF the date when sho made
her appearance IN Boston well rs those
These were all severely adverse TO her acting and
many OF them condemned tho play itself In emphatic
terms. Miss Dickinson made u running commentary
Vi sarcastic wit us she emphasized the more strk.
ing passages Of each. and Offset declared
that the Western papers almost unanimously
appaudcd herself and the play, ana that
Henry waiterson mad declared be the ncss bis-
torcal drama Of modern times. She mentioned long
list Of papers which SAID had praised her acting
and the play. She read from a criticsm published In
the HERALD Of Tuesday last passage questioning the
propriety, from religious standpoint, Of calling
and another crilicsing Miss Dickinson pro.
nunciation. III would not" said she, car to put my
religion and my pronunciation against tho bgotry aud
brogue OF the man who wrote that artice.n
HER STRUGGLES IN NEW YORK.
Miss Dickinson said she expected, when sho
prcciativc lecture audiences, but the papers had
made wall between her ana her old public.
she dilated upon the difficulties under which
the play produced here. 1T was said," she
continued, with evident emotion ana d broken
voice, ".ha. ! fought Tho papers, that !
self IN antagouism TO tho papers and
70 Tho public Good trends, she said. patheticaly,
crushed, heartbrokcn woman do Ia opposition the
combined papers and the bitter prejudice they had
stirred up against mo Ia this placer 1 did not light
them. God knows didn't want to fight them was
almost crushed, but struggled on 1 viii struggle
on, because, having taken up my work in lie TO DO
put II not down until utterly ia. !"
This passage wac acclaimed with great emphasis and
ended IN what was almost sob. The audience broke
into cheers and applause which lasted tor at least
minute
A DEFENCE DRAMA.
MISS Dickinson then entered upon a culogy OF the
theatre, declaring that al time whom not newspaper
In the country dared TO publish line against slavery
She theatres by playing 1.-THE Uctoroon" and
"Uncle Toms Cabin aroused public indignation
against that great evil She referred to number OF
modern plays, aud spoke In terms oil high praise OF
tho noble lessons they ncucated. al | WERE !"
sho said, 40 set my lance In rest again TO
fight against abuses II should not be lcvellcd al tho
theatres but at the papers.u In conclusion she
remarked, ~ have SAID my say In somewhat DIS
ioinied fashion, but think you all understand H.
Don't read what tho New York papers say OF
my play and then sit In judgment on u; but
work Go and It, and tell your ncighbors
10 20 and see IL listen to and then II you condemn
Anna Dickinson has not one word to say IN oppos'-
tton.n