Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-14
HISS GENEVIEVE WARDS
Return 20 New YOrk-Her Life Abroad
and her Plans for this Country
a Dramatic Career OF More
than Usual Interest.

than Usual Interest.
New York Tribune: Miss Genevieve Ward,
the tragedlenne. arrived IN this city on Sat-
urday, BY the lnman steamer City of Berlin.
She was accom- panied by her father, Colonel
Samuel Ward, who has been with her during
the past two years, trying" as he said ''to
keep my gi1l from working too hard and
he LAID his hand atfectiOnately on his daugh-
ter's shoulder. Il don't believe IN hard
work." laughingly replied Miss Ward, as
she reached up and adjusted her fathers
necstie, land it's not very difficult u keep
me from overworkinG." Nevertheless she
looks like a woman who believes In hard
work, and puts her work into practice.
This conversation took place in the pleasant
parlor of friend whom Miss Ward is Wis
Iting In the upper part Of The city. 1T Is so
nice, D." she SAID; in returning home after so
long an absence not to have to go to a hotel.
l think If had had to do that / should hard
ly have felt that | was In my native city.
don't like being before the public except on
S1Iv- -eAre. and in hotel one feels that one
has TO be acting NJ the time"
Miss Ward has stronE aud impressive
face, large dark eyes, a good forehead. we'll
defined features, abundant black hair, and
nothing to which the word pretty would
Be likely to De applied. She said that IL e
art of making up for the stage" was now
studied a good deal IN England, and she had
devoted much attention to II: she could
make up Tor any age, from twenty-five to
seventy-hve years. She had, however. stud
1t d her own capabilities, and no persuasion
would induce her to attempt Character for
which nature had not fitted her. Ali her
personalities are such as call for strength Of
character, force OF will, o. depth of passion,
Many OF your characters are those IN
which Charlotte Cushman was famous; did
you ever see her play much and have an op-
n Of e.
No" was the reply. at happened
strangely enough that | saw her act only
oace; aud l am glad Of it, because | might
have unconsclOuslY initiated her. and no one
ever does well to- initiate another. | have
tried to form my own conception of each
character. l perSOnate, and | then make the
audience understand the character as l see 1t.
The only actress took much interest in be-
fore gong abroad was Clara Morris | adj
mIred her greatly, and never missed an op-
portunlty OF seeing her. l know her IN all
her principal characters; but there Is no dan
ger of my initiating her; there Is no resem-
blance IN our styles. The line of demarca-
ton between different characters is very
strong; she could not only play mine, proba-
bly,, and | certainly could not play hers.
have been urged by managers TO play mems
parts simply because | have 4 strong voice.
They wanted me 10 play Hamlet, and also
Romeo to Miss Nelson Juliet, but l
wouldn't attempt them. / am TOO thorough
ly a woman to comprehend a. mans charac-
ter. won't try 10 10 any thiug IA which l
have much doubt cf my success.
What are your plans for acting in Amer
leap"
II can't say ve'y definitely; the manage
ment Is IN the hands Of Jarrett 6 Palmer,
and have scarcely seen them since my ar
rival. shall 50 immediately on 2 VISIT to
my friend Adelaide Phillips, of Mayshfield,
Massachusetts, the place adjoining Daniel
b-ta II Hr
over so early. On September q l shall ap-
pear at Booth theater IN Jane Shore, which
was written by w. g. Wills for Miss Heath,
and has been played il Eagland for two or
three years with great success. The play has
been, rewritten tor me. Mr.. Wills thought
the third act was not strong enough, and has
changed 1t IN some i'm porta1t PARTICULARS. The
penance takes place on tie stage instead of
of; tn snow storm scene, IN which the he
rome dies Of hunger on he stage, think is
one OF the strongest IN the English drama.
Alter Jane Shore, l shall probably play in
Macbeth. Henry the Eighth, Beg Me5Tiiies.
Mrs. Halter" IN The Stranger, "Portia''
in The Merchant Of Venice, Beatrice" in
Much Ado about Nothing, and other parts.
If Jane Shore should have a long run, some
OF the others will perhaps be postponed until
my return from our contemplated tour. We
propose visiting Philadelphia, Boston, and
probably all the large cities. 1t was pro-
posed at first that | should make my first ap-
pearance in Henry the Eighth. | am clad
the change OF plan was made, for | should
dislike to meet New York audience first in
a character which they have learned 10 look
upon as Charlotte Cusbman's | find that
am getting a little vOus as the time ap-
proaches when am to make my debut here;
| find that this Is what | have really been
working for all these years. The measure of
SUCCESS | have me, with abroad was chiefly
valuable as prophecy Of the success I might
ean.,sn oil
when | get behind the fOotlights, and have
them between me and the public, | shall for
get all this, and be In a world of nay own"
How long have you been under your pres
ent engagements"
About three years; but the the times
Were bad, and l didn't feel that l had
achieved just what wanted TO achieve be-
fore coming home. The length Of my stay
IN America will depend upon circumstances;
L have no european engagements, except
that Sardou Is writing drama for me which
L expect to appear IN at Paris some time
Miss Ward was born in New York, of
which her maternal grandfather, Gideon
Lee, was formerly mayor. she was born in
Broadway, she SAID. She did rot say in what
year, but it was evidently early Ia the forties
While still In her infancy she went to Europe
with her parents, and spent most of her early
years IN France and Italy, where she ACQUIRED
perfect knowledge OF the languages of
those countries, and received a liberal musi-
cal and dramatic education. She was gifted
with a fine voice, and her studies were main
ly directed to q career on the lyme stage. She
made successful debut in Italian opera and
sang for few years in Paris, Italy, Havana
AID America. It was about 1862 or 1868 that
she was in New York. Her voice having
failed she turned her attention to the purely
dramatic stage About FIVE years ago she
made seml-prlvate appearance 10 this city
at Bryant's theater, and then started for Eu-
rope. Sne obtained hearing in London
through the Influence Of Hon. Lewis Wing
held, an old friend of her family: she gave
some tragic recltatlons before some Of the
leading critics, and the result was an offer
for her to play Lady Macbeth at Manches-
ter. The result was such as to give her con-
hdence IN her own powers and an assured
position on the English stage Since then
she has never been without an engagement
when deslrous of one. She next appears in
the character Of Constance" In hiSiq John,
and with equal success. For the three follow
ing years she played at the Adelphi, Drurv
Lane and the Crystal Palace in London: at
Manchester, Liverpool, Dublin, Glasgow,
Newcastle, In fact in all the large cities OF
Great Britain except Birmingham. She gen
orally appeared as Lady Macbeth, Queen
katharine" Meg Meuilies, 'Portla,
''Antigone, - ''MeGea. Her acting as Queen
Katharine" was very popular IN Dublin.
The VIceroy requested thatIt be played on her
benefit night and the duke and duchess OF
Marlborough came to see it. On her last APP
pearance at Manchester she played Meg
Merrilies, and Sims Reeves sang the part he
formerly sung with Charlotte eastman.
About two years ago she went 10 Paris and
studied with Regnier, and afterward APP
peared in a French translation OF Macbeth.
She was received with enthusiasm Her
pronunciation Of the language was so perfect
that many doubted that she was not native
Frenchwoman, and at the close she was called
upon to repeat a part of the play in English
10 convince the skeptical. Her mastery of
Italian Is equally com plete, and at the SPECIAL
request OF Madame RistOri, she Is to play
Elizabeth" to the latter's "Marie Stuart"
TELEGRAPHlC BREVITY.