New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-01
THE DRAMA.

MARY ANDERSON AS THE COUNTESS.
Miss Anderson chose wisely when she chose, as an
add ton to her repertory, the character of The
Countess in Knowles's comedy Of /" Love-" 1t suits
delightfully."- well with her statue-like, innocent,
stately beauty and 1t finds quick and sympathetic
response alike In the intellectual cOldness. tho in
herent gentencss, the native. woman-Iike pride,
and the deep, passionate sincerity which
have been discerned, through her act
ing to be the prominent qualities of
her temperament. 1t suits with her style Of art,
likewise in the fortunate sequence OF moods through
which 1t enables her to pass-beginniug in
naughty calm aud self-imDOsed restraint and pass
ing through affected scOrn, royal pride, and melt
ing tenderness sternly held in check. till at last
it eliminates in the conquest of the affections
over the will Miss Anderson shows that
she has Rrasped this ideal fully, IN all
its b,eadth aud delicacy; and the execution Of
Il that she gave, last night, was remarkable for
spontaneous grace and nObly adequate power The
suggestive by-Dlay, in the drst scene with HaOn,-
showing loves resentment against itself and its OBJ
iect in n proud heert-was alike beautiful in fine
ness of tracery and pathetic in repessed emotion;
and the hysterical recovery, after the tumult
of grief, In tho scene Of the storm,
carried the same conflict Of feelings to
most impressive height. There Is a
still more touching effect produced In the silent OBJ
seryance of RnoH after his refusal to obey the Duke
wherein the actress, with fine intuition, let's her
soul shine through her eyes and makes no effort to
act. The application Of the natural" method has
sometimes led Miss Anderson almost to the needless
extreme OF tameness in this instance 1t leads her 70
an effect Of nature that could not be excelled In
sweetness or artistic pgoprety. There was but one
po,nt in which the mechanism OF this act seemed
susceptible of improvement. To INTRODUCE
whether bv facial expression. or pause OF some sig
niGcance,--the ilumiuatve idea of the plan which
had flashed upon the mind Of the Countess. when she
bids Huon sigh tho paper would heghten the ORA
matio interest Of the moment. and help the strong
climax which follows. That climax, the mountain
peak of the comcdys reached at tho passionate cry
of the Countess. commanding her servtors to bring
back the fugitive HHoa Miss Anderson reached this,
perhaps little too suddenly-but she gave it with
q clarion call of anguish and with splendid energy
and the audience was powerfully stirred thut 1t
recalled her twice upon the etage, after tho curtain
had fallen. In rounduess of outline, in blending of
all its pars In truth Of IDEAL and In smoothness of
execution thisis one of Miss AndersOns best works.
and Il IL personation OF winch o far moro exps-
renced actress might we'll be proud
Mr.. Atkins Lawrence, the representative Of Hu0n,
and the grace for this characters but it seemed to
that he earned the submission OF love to al
lost abiect mood and that his fine scene with the
Duke WOuld be much the better for more intensity,
In the long aside" aud for Deep low tones rather
than high and strident cries, In the defiance.
tunty Of seeiug 10 should not be missed by those
who care for acting.