Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1878-10-05
MISS .CUsHMAN,S "NANCY SIKES.' -
A Powerful Personation and How 1t Wa
Creafed.

A Powerful Personation and How 1t Was
Created.
TAnne H. Brewster, in Blackwood for August.l
During our intimacy she often related
to me incidents of her artistic career,
and most interesting were her recitals,
for she was as dramatic off the stage as
she was on. Her stage-life had begun
early, and had been hard and painful
one, with much to contend against-not
only poverty, but envy and ill-will; but
she was a brave, vigorous woman, res
olute and prompt, and these qualities
often gain what genius often misses.
One of her most interesting recitals was
how she created Nancy Skies. forget
the date, but it must have been some
time before knew her, as Nancy was
then one of her leading roles. Miss |
Cushman and her sister were stock act
resses on New York stage at the time.
For some unlucky reason she had gain
ed the ill-will of her manager. One day
the casts came from the theater while |
she was out. Miss Susan Cushman
opened the paper and found, among 9TH
er work, an order for her sister TO act
Nancy Skies in I" SOLVER Twist " the fol-
lowing week. 1t was an unimportant
character and always given to actresses
of little or no position in the company.
"Charlotte will be furious" was the
remark of the mother and sister; and
so she was.
"But what could 1 do?" remarked
Miss Cushman, sadly, when she told me
the story. 81 was at the mercy of the
man. 1t was mid-winter; my bread
had to be earned. Idared not refuse or
even demonstrate, for knew he wished
to provoke me to break my engage
ment.''
"Shall you actP' asked her family:
Certainly was the reply. Up to the
night appointed for "Oliver Twist "
she was not seen by any one except at
business hours She took her meals in
her room and spent her time there, or
out of the house-where, nobody knew.
What was she doingP Studying that
bare skeleton of part; clothing it with
flesh, giving it life and interest.
81 meant to get the better OF my en-
emy," she said. "What he designed
for my modification should be my tri-
umph."
And it was so. She went down into
the city slums into the Five Points, and
studied the horrible life that surround
ed such a wretched existence as Nancy
Skies. In the first scene Nancy only
crossed the stage, gave sign to Oliver,
who is in the hands of the officers, then
went off. 1t was an entrance and exit
hardly noticed, small accessory Incl
dent in the terribly realistic drama. But
after Miss Cushman created the charac-
ter, this silent scene was always tremen-
dously applauded. 1t was curious to see
} how quickly the public seized on her
: clever meaning. Instead of crossing
the stage once, she made three passages
Before the second the whole house came
down with laundering applause. Hell
makeup was marvel. There was not
sign of feminine vanity about Miss
Cushman. She was always ready to
sacrifice her appearance at any time to
the dresses required by her parts. And
surely that horrible perfection of Five
Points feminine costume was sacrifice
An old dirty bonnet and dirt-colored
shawl; a shabby gown and shabbiel
, shoes; a worn-out basket with some rags
in il, and key in her hand! She en-
tered swinging the key on her finger,
walked stealthily on the outside of the
crowd, doubling her steps; looked with
sharp cunning at the boy; attracted hi
attention, winked one eye and thrus
her tongue into her cheek. 1t was ;
tremendous success, and each succeed
, ing scene sealed down her triumph, ant
the discontinue of the manager. Th'
play had long run; and, as have
said, the part of Nancy continued to b'
one of Miss Cushman's most power
I full roles until she went to England
where she never acted it.
"Oliver Twist !" is one of the rudes
of realistic plays. Nancy Skies, as Mis-
! ! Cushman made the character, stood on
with rough but solemn tragic power.
: was like a revolving sacrifice in SOM
: rude work of early art, when there wa
the strength of genius without cultut
and refinement. Nancy has little t.
say in the play. Miss Cushman had t.
gain her effects by careful and powerful
acting. 1t was Sardou's rule, Eacl
sentence contained pages; each wor'
comprised many sentences" The seen
with Bill Skies and old Fagin the Jew
when she was trying to creep out un
noticed to the bridge rendezvous, is a
example. The talk is between the tw
men. But who ever listened to ther
It when Miss Cushman acted NancyP A
s sympathy was with her; every eye rest
!. ed on that poor creature, who wa
l. blindly cropping to perform an act c
!. Justice. After Intellectual attempts t
q steal off, and Bills brutal oaths Shove
!: her it was useless, she puts pages of dt
T. spair in the act of battering her ragge
70 old hat on nail in the wall, sittin
4. down rocking to and fro and biting
j. bit off stick! Then the scene on tn
% apet, listening; then moving off hk
. | m haStnn th
Re tragic fate of the doomed woman. Poe
Of Nancy! Her vague notions OF rigf
lv and wrong-the dull, stunning sense {
at purity-Miss Cushman delineated thes
r. >. emotions with wonderful skill. Only
IN few bold strokes, but they disclosed tt
e. q. sad awakening of the gutter-bol
az wretch. When the young gi
n. treats Nancy with kindness, an
an showed that she trusted in her, Mi
T. Cushman's exultation was fierce, an
IF. the handkerchief was snatched wit
We hungry eagerness; and when she boy
he ed humbly down before the memory
ct her foul life it was heart-breaking. III
We murder scene was always revolving. b
vn how she acted it! Hunted to death, I'll
n poor wounded woman crawled in on ii
stage writhing with agony, on her lii
almost the odor of sanctity. ''Pardol
-Bill!-kiss mel forgive!"
just before she left America for En-
he land, she told Inc she had asked t
til elder Booth if she ought not to act Ma
k. cy Skies in London.
,is "Noi" said the clever, wise actc
m "No! it is a great part, Charlotte-o
lst of your best; and you made it; b
cb never act it in London. twill give y
he a vulgar dash you will never get over
Or. "He is right" she said, when she
,at peated his words to me; she is all rigl
re- But know what 1 will do will s
re- Meg Merrillies just as 1 do Nancy, a
ed III make hit.''
he She did, as the future proved. Nj
in which was her most popular part-b
off ter liked than her Lady MacDeth, or q