The New York herald., 1877-11-13
AMUSEM ENTS.
MARY ANDERsoN's NEW YORK DEBUT.

MARY ANDERsoN's NEW YORK DEBUT.
Ayoung woman Of much dramatic potentialIty and
oil great hisirionic possibilities won a raro triumph
last night at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. She played
Pauline IN Buwcr's romantic and super sentimental
play, 'Thc Lady OF Lyons. For yoar or more
notices OF Mary Anderson, a pleading lady" hailiug
from Louisville, KY, have been floating hthcr IN the
exchanges They were generally enthusiastic notices,
and II thcre is anywhere the old newspaper man sus.
poets gush 1t Is in the dramatic column OF the Peoria
Banner and tho Paducan Rerieo. Hence when It
announced that she had secured an opening
in New York there was among the critical
public general multering Of SWELL we'll sccn Tho
large and brilliant audience that thronged the theatre
last evonlng was not, however, wholly made up OF
cynical ccnsors OF dramatic art. The story oil tho
ady's youth and beauty mad gone before
her. She was not coming with the stamp
OF the golden calf from London or Paris
upon her, II Is true. but she was an American girl
from the blooded South and that certainly gave
her some claims. AZ any rate she had fairly sym.
pathetic house to meet, despite the fact that II was
resolved not to distribute its favor too lightly.
1t had, Of course, entire act OF the play
without her Tho laying Of the well known
plot TO cntrap the naughty beauty of Lyons iell on
rather impatient ears, and Mr.. Tldcn, in OF tho
prosccnIum boxes, divided attention with Mr.. Ebcn
Plymp,on rs Claude Mclnotc Oh tho stage At length
Pauline appeared.
TAN, wowy and young, fresh fair face, short and
rounded, small, hncly chisced mouth, large almond
shaped OF dark gray buc hair light brow n
long white throat, u slender person met the eye and
made pleasant hrst impression She was dressed In
n trying costume OF yellow silk and black
velvet She betrayed but little signs OF nervousness
and these only seen here and there IN posture that
was not all grace. For moment or so it
sccmod that, alter oil, tho critics OF tho great
West, the chivaric Soulh and tho aesthetic
East had sent US only . tall, good looking,
ed Throu halt tlut taaco
in which Pauline Is a mere listener 10 the sugary
rhetoric OF Claude we sat wondering why an am
fell on still waiting audience. In the "Lady OF
Lyons" there is little real human emotion.
s,nuacrum Of passion Of winch Bulwer had the
patent. aud the title to which we hope tie carried 10
better world but though they have traditional stage
give actor ana actress the chance be cec
tive they have not III them the spell the real II
though author kept emotions bottled and labelled
ON shcli and served them dsg used for gentcel
people in orange syrup and gum acacia They
require moro art To cxniut them IN tolcrable success
sion Than genius % ,,ss,, TO WITTY them: They have
genius. When Pauline Is brought homo 10 tho
poor abode oil the gardener Mcnotte dsappo tmcnt,
the emotions 10 be presented. IL mas been much the
stage tradition to construe these literally, partcu
larry the hyslerca scorn From The FIRST u was plain
situation The reliant JOY OF the BRIDE had been
exchanged for trcmulous fear that made tho real
ization oil tho utter downfall oi her pride transition
that lost mono oil ils intensity when tho worst
kDown--as news of the death Of those we love loses
little Of It's shock, though long prepared for.
Hero was Mary Audcrson's first decisive triumph.
Here her wilIowy form aud waving hands lent them
selves 10 her IDEAL The vocal compass OF the passion
In her breast was wide and deep; sad upper notes OF
love iororn, deep tones OF anger at the shame en-
dured; never 100 loud or shrieking in her
Dttcrest reproach and speaking her scorn
In the over long drawn, and, therefore, feeble
rcmnscence OF the picture OF tho mythical palace by
the Lake OF Como, with a cold tonic iteration tnat
lifted II almost TO the breath of supcrbly subdued pas
sion Indeed, her pcrsonaton, pitched on this minor
key OF womanhood that fccls intensely but cndurcs
with all the restraint that pride can put upon
emotion, soon took the stnge 10 itself aud
Left tho relatively good Claude Of Mr. Plympton
TO nope his remorse away comparatively unhccdcd.
The correctness OF her reading made that gcntle-
mans detects In this important particular especially
noticeable. Tho third and fourth acts en-
brace nearly all there Is OF Pauline, and
II Is safo TO shy that within them
she sounded with telling and often with electric
effect all the depths OF woman's passion which the
text permitted or suggested 10 her. This is good
deal. but not all The part Is called a try
ing ono, but IL is far from q supreme test.
II sbc selected II for the purpose Of introducing her
sell pleasantly 70 New YORK audience sho wsAiu