The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-18

| tain modesty OF attire. and an absence OF all
| opportunity for bounce we're tho only differ
entiating peculiarities that I noticed Her Lovo
for the young Squire was in all respects of
manifestation and depth and flavor and de-
gree the same love that che has lavished
through vofuminous repertoire. upon other
fortunate heroes OF n later literature. Tho sad
ness-premoditated and arranged sadncss-of
her parting scene with the family, before flying
with her lover. was 30 deficient in genuine
pathos. was 30 wholly the regulation pathos Of
the stage, that really felt that the actress did
not at heart believe there was anything sad at
all In running away with lover.
| Her after protcstations. her Indignation grief
! despair and pcnitcncc. wore OF tho stock kind
marked Al in all the trade circulars Of tho
drama. That lie TO say they were emphatic
declaratory. and understood. But to say that
they wore tempered, or colorcd or in any way
newly attuned by the character or condition Of
Ohrid. IL impossible Tho scene with her lover
where she strikes him differs from her enact
mcnt Of scenes in "Piauc" only in degree Of
vchcmcnce. And that leads me to cay of Miss
Davenport generally that her variation Of roles
IN always n quanttative not a qualitative one
do not question the existence or tho extent
| OF her talents. only dcplurc their uniformity
In such u table land Of merit immensely itself is
tircsomc for you may be sure whore there are
no chilly chasms Of failure there will be no gilt
tering peaks Of triumph.
And It IL we'll TO remember that We often
measure the heights OF greatness by the depths
to which it dcscends. | don't think we over
Clearly saw what a summit OF mcodrama Clara
Morris had stood upon until che toddlcd out
upon the plain Of tragedy with Lady Mdcb,th.
tyou would find an actor Of confirmed talent
look for ono whose excellence lie never de-
nectcd.
To genius alone comes the inestimAble privi-
lcgc Of occasional failure
Miss Davenport is not gifted with wido
range Of variations. The ego Of Davenport is
not plastic. and it has been littc strained 10y
the territory it was forced to cover.
cannot say at what poin, in her career shc
learn; that artistic success and popular ap-
plauso pulled in opposite directions Perhaps
she never learnt II. Not one actor in thou
! sand ever learns IL. But II is very certain that
during Il long and brilliant experience In a
stock company. shrewd manager turned her
| on IN all his plays. as he turned on his gas To-
illuminate them with the special radiance Of
There came time. however when II she did
not say Il 70 herself somebody whispered 1t for
| her. that there were two ways open. one was
! ne expression, the other was the suppression
| OF DAVENPORT The first wac her way. the sec
ond was the path otart..
Then she tried e. hide herself for while In
| hosdhnd Iiold juliet. She oven tried To- make
| herself believe that Ldiy NacbeM would act
like smoked glass and doaden the brilliancy
| Of Davenport.
But We tracked her bv her personal aura
through every metamorpho-c. Poor thing
She though, there would be less Of her seen In
RuSdlUd. and everybody with eyes saw gladly
thnt there wns more Of her.
In leaving her feathers behind she had not
lrss.ned her fascination. On the contrary
well she was hoyden STILL though plucked.
In AL her changes there was the same cner-
waiting tones the same grace Of physical health
me sam, lansuor OF articulation; the same dis
position o. rMten love into ldre. the same domi-
nani UNCONSCIOUS vitality that did all things
easily without knowing how or why. or much
To come hack to ollvis." this dead-level-
patent excellence that fits anywhere is the
prevailing characteristic 81 the performance NJ
the Union Square Theatre. Mr.. Fishers hd-
tiud. Dr. lrufos. II as true and pure and COM
monplace NJ the stage uncle from India. one
would think. by the way this admirable actor
plays il. that IN. IrmToss was a regular line Of
l. this the sturdy hero we ask ourselves. who
ao1 Cd dad With 20 roast beef or goth at the
bottom OF him Ia boil over at times and be- Gained
again by virtue that sprang from the same
root MS yirilityf
from the old pastoral q Goldsmith than lid the
handsome, lus,y, American and contemporaries
1us " ,6s c ws nav sysa m nsH after night
Know MN IN AL his answering virtues az tho
ton, made. probably. 10y the Modes and Per
Still il amazes me to think that Mr.. Fisher has
been playing IN. PRIMROSE for the past quarter
oi.a century. and didn't know H.
Mr.. Chas. \. Stevenson. OF course, got some
Of a Goat He E eaned Pi o c se o S con
yenuQnal prettness when he might have
leaned little 10 the ygor, the r,cklessness.
who had been taught 10y example that 10 be-
'ome q gentleman II was necessary 10 retain
somewhAt 81 tho savage and the tvrant.
A. for VI. BWctfN. who carried an air 81 au-
81 thority and power through the Primrose fam.
fly that everybody in the house seemed 10 think
think W. all hated him instnctvcly and with
, human sense that the dcstinios Il mankind
should not be- lodged in one mans hand. Ho
was too grim and great aud powerful to Ice liked.
and when greatness and power take the form
and method Of n seventh Day Baptist our gorge
rises in spite Of manifest talent.
agree with you that very unjust critic IL
he who goes 10 the play with preconcelved no.
lions q his own Of what To characters should
bodyng his notions.
on the other hand. yop vii, agree with me
that perfectly safe method for any theatre
purpose Of the playwright and the play.
,,dr yoH have got TIME {on may Ty thai expert,
failed II Olivia Is not q character play IL is
nothing. It's circumstances are only excuses
ior the exhibition Of personality, and its hedge
rows and apples are purely decorative The
one actor in the company who 10 my eye, enter
ed into the spirit Of his part with understand
ing and sympathy, enough To make the subtle
distinction OF indiylduAllty declare itself evenly
and openly. WAS Mr.; W. Herbert. who played
haTntr Fapb2ro49h, and played IT with an
was glaringly rustic and English
Therg Tas 10 msEakn the pig headed h,S envy
and time the moment he opened his mouth.
| tromble for Olivia" when IL steps out q
ne Union SQUARE frame for DO not believe
own clcyerness produce the Illusion that is
essential TO success in the play house.
NYM CRINKLE.