The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-15
ADJUSTMENTS.
Mice Ada Cavendlsh to the car Is English

American stock IIor manner ia 80 cager that
it has been accepted instead of her meaning:
and | believe she won her laurcls on the first
night by not giving anybody time to think
whether or not she deserved them.
Her Mercy Mg1ick on that occasion was rather
an impatient affair. What admired in it was
its impetus. not its intensity. 1t revolvcd SO
rapidly that We thought motion was progress
sion But all ths was fatal to the dignity the
magnitude. and the meaning Of her wrong and
her suffering. She broke her misery into gilt
tcrng fragments; little 'o,0s de force with
long drawn breath Of special preparation before
them, like IN index She had none Of the iner-
tia OF deep sorrow and mono Of the elaboration
Of deep conviction. Even her heartbreaking
would he vvacious
This il not English Cavcndish ought to be
American. for her art ia. You would take her
to be born In tho dry stimulating air OF Down
East. save that snc cnunciatcs her vowcls with
round English distinctness and mcllowness
that make strange music for us.
II sara Jewctt were less intellectual and moro
vital. Miss Cavendish would not be novelty.
But Miss Jewctt acts as she writes poetry.
swectly. and smoothly and properly; while
Miss Cavendish has a vixenish force that COM
mands our attention. II not our respect; and
presume she does not write poetry. At least.
The New MaRdalcn" is play with n bcautl-
fu motit' but | do not think Miss Cavcndish
realizes the fun meaning Of IT, Its dramatic.
not to say its poetic. strength Is evolved from
the struggle in the breast OF the haplcss woman
herself and not by the struggle Of the two wo-
men for place and name. One Ia the conflict Of
good and evil. and can be made sublime. Tho
other is the quarrel Of individuals. and is little
more than show ~ vindictivcness and weak
ness. But 1t is this that Miss Cavendish makes
conspicuous in the play above everything else
and the audience applauded her momentary
outburst OF spitefuness as II It had been n
transcendent reach OF genius. whereas 1t was
only u superb show Of temper.
But we must welcome intelligence when Il
comes in the shape of Cavendish or anything
else seeing that we have SO little Of IL. / sup
pose that smartncss" is the exact word for my
young lady. Intelligence is. perhaps too broad
and vague-and actresses. az n rule. dislike it,
Let US accept her In Mercy M1rick as an excess
slvcly smart actress. for. after all. intelligence
is Of no use on the stage unless II IL organized
intelligence. and has come 10y centuries Of habit
or years Of toll to reside in the muscles and
nerves no less than in the head.
The shallow fellows vino write about mind In
art always overlook the fact that In this art
mind cannot make itself manifest without mus
cles. and when mind gets 10 reside IN them and
control them like an abiding energy. instead Of
being pumped in on special occasions we shall
have that unconscious facility which gives 10
matter It's higher ministry Of grace and elo-
quence and beauty
suppose that Cavendsh has been sen, here
10y the benignant muse to show us what Mary
Anderson is not. There Is a double advantage
in this for as soon rs We look at Anderson
again We perceive what CaVcndsh is not.
They werc born at opposite ends Of tho
dramati' arena. As artists believe that only
one ot them claims 10 have been born at all.
The other was made.
Within her range Cavcndish is almost perfect.
1t is a narrow range. though. Within hers.
Anderson is the most imperfect artist ! know.
and her range is limitless.
Between the girllsh sincerity and grand
Grecan momentum Of one that affects you like
a flood Of moonlight. and the sharp mature.
calculated CELEBRITY Of the other. there is no
bridge nor connecting wires. There arc times
when Mary Anderson beams irrcsstiby upon
Us with the cnulgenoe and innocence Of two
year old. and unfortunately. 1t is generally at
| those times when her play bill and her attire
| tell US she il the representative Of deep, soul
| renling passion.
There are other times when she towers I'M
| consciously like Diana herself. and extends her
protecting arms like the Goddess Of Liberty,
but it nearly always happens that II ia at those
times when the text and the illusion 10 not re-
quire her 10 tower.
This sportiye child OF nature. who has all
| the prccocity and much Of the originality which
we look for in Harpers Drawer, does everything
| 10y natures warrant. She no more knows or
cares what the subjective conditions Of a role
are than the yiole, knows why it blooms. or the
sweet mountain runlet knows why il babies
melodiously over the enamellcd stones. Her
art. chameleon like, takes its hue from her
latest coach. Now II is gray and lugubrious
with the t!nts Of Nandenhoh. and now 1t is
rudy and warm with the masculine colors Of
Hatkins.
Such plastic innocence adds the charm Of
childhood 10 an old art. We are reminded OF
the skipping rope and the rattle by the supreme
efforts Of the goddess.
But Cavendish has tho maturcd spitefulncss
| Of the experienced woman. and when in The
New Magdalen." she turns upon Grace Rose
Ie1v we are reminded of-Cavcndish in her
hotel abusing her manager and finding fault
| With the country to reporter
| There are at this moment playing in New
York Ave dramas which have sexual profiGNcy
for their themes. Olivia. Jane Shore Mercy
Merrck and Clarssa Harlowe make a rather
prominent beyy OF women. chiefly conspicuous
for their fragrant loves. md " Hurricanes fol;
lows weakly after with the funny side OF sexual
| iniiscrctiOn,
| believe every actress has protested against
the part she has selected TO play Miss Cayen-
dish who brought her manus,ript, with her,
wanted to play Bedirice. and Miss Ward sent
for "A reporter. after the first night. to inform
him that there had been great mistake. the
rari she had set her mind on was Queen Kdrta-
riae in which con option, she would not be con
founded with tho late Miss Cushman, Miss
Cushlan at Wallack's has yet 70 be heard from,
! hut Mr.. Coghan distinctly wishes It understood
| that LOrpldce was not OF his choosing.
Let the Pursis take comiori-none O. these
| PLAYS have met with popular success. The I'M
| morality q the past proves quite as Objection
able n that oi the present limo has not
sweoteuod seduction. and the resurrcrtionsl
rlaywriglts have been unable ~ reanmatc the
old bones.
"Clarisso Harowo gives way TO the School
for scandal with less thqn two weeks run
OLIVIA cling- TO the boards with idyllic tenac-
ity. only be'nuse France has, nothing qnit,
ready % diepace the old English CLASSIC
| Jane Shore" is thcatric ana not dramatic
sucress Tooker has acted well his part, and
the snow scene holds the town. There is lit,
To- admire in Miss Wards impers4naton OK
cept her antique bravery when tho soldiers
striu her clothing of in the public streets and