The Sunday herald., 1881-02-13

CERTAINLY there is no more misleading
chatter In the whole range ofpseudo than that
about ''Nature, - the with which injudicIous
friends still try hoodwink Miss Mary Anderson to
her own best interests. We among those who care
much about Miss Anderson that they are irritated
by her failure to up TO her due greatness. Those
who care nothing at all abOn her might rest silent In
the conviction that as she has gone up like rocket
she will come down, to use figure doubly appro-
PIRATE, like "stick.'' critic, in any case, who
starts out with the total denial of the claims of art
simply reads himself cut of court and is not to be
listened to any further. Yet even some alleged
critics. have told Miss Anderson to go ahead in her
present course, that art would make her artificial On
the contrary, the actress needs art to make her
truly naiural-under the conditions of her art.
The sculptor initiates nature, but tits in rigid,
colorlesi marble. The painter initiates nature,
but 1t is on fiat piece OF canvas. The player
Initiates nature Shakespeare tells us so repeatedly
In the strongest terms, but 1t is on con-
fined stage surrounded by shams more or
less palpable and TO spectators at varying distances
The only realism - possible IN sculpture and paint
Ing is seen in wax fruit, tkat is, mimlcry or
imitation on the stage the only realism OF this kind
possible is the dawding tameness Of modern comedy
orthe horrors Of hospital death-scenes like those In
"Le Sphinx ;, or ''Drink.', But even Emil Zola,
much as he has TO answer for. would never justify
the realism OF Miss Anderson If she calls it, which
consists in doing everything on the boards her own
unframed intelligence may shggcst on the spur OF the
mosent, or rs some hint In her very brief experience
may supply, or according To some mannerism caught
up here and there from older hands. without any
systematic training to guide the choice. One of her
injudlcious admirers IA this city last Sunday drew
comparison between Miss Anderson and the lamented
Nelson, whom he accused OF being drilled in every
motion by some mythical old actor in London, like
Thackerays Fotherlngay. Granting all that, how
strong an argument Il Is for the claims of art. Miss
Anderson might well thank Heaven fasting
for such Incompatible technique as was
her wayward sister's The same writer tiien
went on in the very madness of partlallty to back
the style Of the Kentucky girl against the style OF
Sarah Bernhardt Fortunately the Bernhardt is at
hand to speak for herself through the medium Of
good reporter as Olive Logan. She said at CiBcin-
natl In reply to question, and uttered therein the
very philosophy OF her calling;
81 met almost n defeat with Adrieane In New
York, and why3 simply because American audi
ences accustomed 10 an exaggerated style Of
ing. II takes them little time to get used to more
delicate form OF art They are used TO seeing actresses
who strike pOstufes, and hold them rigldly until the
applause comes rolling up the!reyes In unnatural
manner, 10 monthlng their words, NOW, dramatic
heroine is only womian-and we women, do we gog-
| gle and mouth and throw arms above our heads
| No, We do not. No matter what excitement
os, we do not. The end and aim or art Is 10 stmu-
late nature and no art Is worthy criticism which
| presses Itself Jdlsety.h
This naturally provoked the question, " Have you
"seen Mary Anderson i'' TO which the celebrated
actress replied
"Yes. She Is beautiful, is she not?'
"Likely girl, Mary
Here she rolled up her soulful eyes TO the ceiling, and
kept them nxed there, In really impressive manner;
"and ths.n Here she lifted her arm with out
stretched foreHnger straight up In air, and held II
rgidly. The look and altitude were splendid, bu
! they were not nature.
| 'C'est mdgaifque.''
"Mafs GO NEST pas de rart ca. Not ant as ",
comprehend II at the Comtdle Franfalse.''
Whether this be really Bsrnhardtor only Olive Lo
gan It Is equally to the point. Tho last response L
borrowed from the comment Of the French Ofieer o.
the charge Of the Light Brigade" II Is magnificent
but II Is not war; The French have always had al
almost unequaled perception Of the power OF rules
| which are past experience cTystalzed. They saw
the trying OF old experiments and over and Civ
fixed point OF departure for eonquests. II
lgnoranty disregard settled piecedents Is Ike de
stroyng funded capital and brings back poverty ars
chaos. Worst OF all, as the Berhhardt clearly put
It, an exaggerated nalurallsm gets further anC
further away from It's model until 1t wind
up in mere crudity and carlcatuFc. repulsiye to
| common sense as well as cultivated tasts. saral
| Bernhar DIT Introduces touches Of pure natur,
which III Anderson would not 50 much as dare Il
venture upon. AS Camille In her boudoir, th'
former sits nursing one knee Ia her elapsed hand
as she talks "a stroke also introduced by Henry Iylni
in his Hamlet.) Imagine that done by the other IL
the midst Of her laborel, hyste.ioal impossblliies
In It completes ilus!oa-that the actress
alone aud uneoncerned-in the other 1t would stei
like wild flower among wall paper roses, satirt
on All The ros What docs shakespeare tell us from The
stage year after Year, o, there be players that have
" seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly
not TO speak It profaRey, that, neither having IN,
"accont oi Christians, the gait Of Chrisnn, Pa.
"gau, nor man, have 90 sruttsd and beloved that
"haye thought some Of nature's Iourneymon hat
"made men, Gnl not made them wei they initiated
"humanity abominably.'