The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-28
ADJUSTMENTS.


Queen Mary"
The play itself presents Queen Mary in any
thing but an amabc light. and it is not
effective in the theatrical sense. It was badly
cast. most Of the people being little better than
sticks; and altogether | was not struck by the
dramatic ability displayed in its conception or
construction. and found myself little wcaricd
at times 10y the representation.
Miss Dargones an actress with bold and
oven rugged stage appearance u massive face
and manner and nhrOus voice that is some-
what coarse in moments Of intense passion.
and apparently incapable of the finer sympa-
thctic nuanccs.
She struck me at once as a player whose means
Of expression were too massive to be- animated
by feeble imagination She made. ! thought.
n common mistake Of less gifted artists and
kept the quccnly manners and motives too con-
spicuous at those moments Of intense sorrow
and humiliation when the woman should have
dominated everything.
In other words. she represented the majesty
and mporiousncss Of the sovereign much bet
ter than She portrayed the weakness and
strength OF the lover and wife.
II is quite true that her understanding Of the
role may have made this showing Of the char
acter necessary. II Is not fair TO attempt to fix
the status ul So vigorous an artist with only ono
examination 81 her work. for We cannot on go
short an acquaintance always determine what
it is the player is trying TO do. And it is by the
! players Object that we must estimate his en-
dcayors.
Only certain general conclusions can be-
] reached For instance in this ease it was not
dim nit to see that Miss Dargon did not belong
! To- the present ana popular school OF actresses.
She could dcclaim. hut she had no graccs Of
rhetoric. She walked heroic plane from first
/ ia and tho tuutrpituIg Il lpr ,f .
made a certain aerial perspective nee, ssary If
they were to have any blending or soitcning
/ Illusion.
All those women of the past who were intend
ed by nature To- stand upon the lofty pedestal of
tragedy were carved little coarscly. The
nncy-cut psychologists Of our day who give US
the nigrco II sentiment lose all detail at 50
great height.
One of the canons ~ our romanticism Is that
To- be- elective one must be real. and 10 be real
one must bc minute.
Tho result is that We no longer get those bold
daShcs of color: those grand Rubcns sweeps
Of action those tremendous violations Of actual
and rro-aic facts which were called Inspiration
II u woman could have the tragic impulse
without the tragic instinct. | should say that
woman was Dnrgon.
II r. body WAS oit"nor tragic than her spirit.
And vet felt that. had the play been Mac
beth" she would have risen ou it, chariot lines
t. the true cmpyr,an.
suppose that such % nature as is Ms Oar
Eon'- cannot ris' superior To- the Indifference
which such play az Queen Mary creates.
She must bee atmo-llorod los the idea as was
said az the older Booth. Tho spirit and rur-
pose Of thc chara ter must se.ze her before she
can animate the Dharti.r
Mis- Dargons faults are those Of strong and
somewhat crude dramatic tempcram" mt. Her
nlo'ution is without any Intermediate tnts II
| say 1t j. a hla X and white ci,eution. YOU we'll
know what | mean. She orenda vocally. Hor
/ lcu-.-su-tuincd climaNcS. her iudi~rriminat"
emphasis. and her seldom varied pit Of tone
weary those who are unable To- detect the cause
of their dis omfort. and make critics Of those
who are.
For these reasons | accepted Miss Dargon a.
an actress Of sturdy native ability who needs
finishing. Her strength and her largcness Of
'ndcaNor were obvious.
Eui could not holy rcn,'tin.; Il, tho same
time that lar.,'n of onloay,r !. NJ, what the
public wants just now. Itproior- urctiinoss of
finish. II H. constantly reducing the si2' II IT,
theatres and getting closer TO the play r.. ro-
cause it cares loss for iAuestiD proportions IN
art than 10 docs for infinite details \ srca
play with large Hay in it, Ike an army 10
notion. must h' seen at some little distance t,
bc uud r-tool.
The latest style If plays are no longer frcs
Goes. they are miniatures. We prefer O. adj
miro the players exquisite means rather than
To- feel the dramut-t- meaning.
Every year wr got further away from the iilu
sion o.; ih' play hy coming closer To- the per
-onaiily II the actor.
! There are many reasons why this should 10
so II Is sufli lent II mention one or two
The sum of human knowledge makes Us 'slr'