The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-11-19

The Jersey Lilly made her first serious at
tempt at Shakspeareau Interpretation at Wallack' 5
last week. And, though the New York critics all
have different aud roundabout ways Of gracefully say
Ing that Mrs. Llp.trvS attempt TO portray RDSdlind
was failure, they say it all the same. The Eceatug
Post, of this performance says:
Whatever may he thought OF Mrs Lnngtry's quail =
hcatious aS an actress, there he doubt of her
courage, which She clearly demonstrated last night
when she essayed the part Of RDsdiiHd, In Shakes
peaie's exquisite sylvan comedy, "As You Like It. -
character which, 1t " can be adequately portrayed
upon the mimic stage all certainly presents almost
lnsurmountdble difficulties 10 any hut tue most eXpo-
fienced aud capable performer That comparative
novice, unless gifted wittransCeudent genius would
succeed In giving visible and tangible expression la
SO odeltcate, varied, and poetic conception was not
to be expected aud It Is there fore fair To assume
that the large aud brilliant audience which assembled
III WhaCk Theatre last night was not particularly
disappointed at her complete failure 10 do than
lend the Charm of II lovely female figure To back
ground of very beautiful woodland scenery.
Although physical beauty iSan element of cOmparh-
lively no Importance In critical consideration of the
merits oil dramatic assumption 1t may he admitted
most cordially and gratefully that as R0Sniind Mrs
Langtry Is delight to the eye. As the centre of a
pictorial group she would be well nigh an Ideal GIaV
mtde The same thing could he said equal truth
OF half dozenwOmen with whom New York theatre
gOeIh are tamiar-Adealde Nelson, for instance, OI
Mrs. ROusby, or Fanny Davenport or Rose Coz hliu,
or Mrs. Scott SddonS-hut no one yet ever presumed
TO say that tho good looks Of any all these ladies
sthe sole and sufficient Justification OF their assump
tl0n of the part. At the present moment she Is only
clever amateur, VINO Possesses little probes
sional knowledge wthregard TO the mechanism Of act
Ing, anda most potent battery OF female charms. She
was out OF her depth as Hester GrdzebroDk In RoSu.
itHd SHE Is lost she ratles through the part with
much huency, with considerable spIightlness, with a
certain mechanical eXictitude of stage business with
many graceful poses. and With abundant self conf
dencc. But of the spirit Of tue part she has scarcely
a glulmer. The subtety Of the text eludeS heI
altogether. and SHE repeats the lines with the mono
tOnJus infections OF school girl carefully drilled FOL
commencement day. Glrlishness Is at once the cei
merit aud the most garing fault of her characterize
ton She has the sweetness and freshness and innO
cehrt OF youth, but exhibits no sign of the glow, thu
passion, the power Of wOmanhuOd. She Is sometime
COquettsh, but never arch; she can indicate scnt
ment, but not emotion; she can preserve rhythm, bn
cannot suggest the spirit of poetry. Her ROSdtind
ls simply HeSter or rather Mrs. Lnngtry In masque
radc; anu In writing "As You Like IT, Shdkespear
did not mean Ia depict either one the other. Sh
acted, In short like novice, with abOrous attention
Ia mechanical detail and without any appreclble cfior
AT Interpretation. This being the case any attemp
at minute criticism would he plainly SupcriuOus
The simple statement that the entire performance wa
hopolessly incompeicnt, most melancholy and eN
aspcug abuse OF omr Of tho choicest gifts ever con
ferIed by human genius On his brother man, ainpl
meets ihe requirements oi tho case.
The SuH taking similar view In adscrimlnatln
criique, says'
The part Of ROSdi.d offers some especial dincu lite
! for AN untred perfOrmer-dnCultiGsw which, as the
may well stAgger the trained artist can hardly fail
be lnsuperable tOa novice. judged by anything lk
! a fairly eNacting standaTd-suul standard ms IN
| lady herself would think II complimentary TO b
]
DO briefly, II kindly pronounced inadequate and IN
satisfactory. Its deficiency lay In two easily sepa
rable eemens-in the conception and In the mean
to Its deneation. 1t would 10 too much to say tha
Mis-. Langtry' conception Of the part Is wrOng-Sh
has none, OF tie mingled sweetness, strength, wit
! petulant humor, yet real wisdom and discretion
/ RdSdiiHd, hardly trace seems TO have dawhed o
| her intelligence. OF RoS0tiHd'S dignity, her nm
willing yielding, her sef-conscOus struggle. sh
! gives MS little or sign; she falls In love Iko
boarding school girl OF weak pattern, aud such sll
| remains unto the end. In the delineatiOn OF TIL
Imperfect Ideal 1t was hardly To be expected that Mrs
Langtry would display we-deyeOped and sym
meIlcal technique, which her short eXperlenc
would render little less than miraculous. II was
last night, however, even more imperfect than he
FIRST appearance might have led her friends
hope. shakespeare must be not only acted
but read, The exquisite harmony dnd Illness .
every line ana phase must nave ITS cOIfesIOhuci
grace aud utucbs ui tiOuutiun. IL Is an uupluasaI
duty TO record that Mrs. Langtry reads her lin,
badly, with little sign Uf imaginative appreciation
with an almost affected thiuuess n quality of voice
| aud plautiye and inexpensive mOnotOny VI int
nation which, while II cufOICcs tho school girl ldei
above limited at, nearly or quite emptles the Chai
aCter OF ia dignity and It's charm, The grace
puTtenanC0 OF modern society largely las her In tl
free, untIammGod surroundings OF the Forest
| ATdennes, aud her facial expression, which shoul
express the sparkling humOr and warm feeling of
clever but passionate woman, too often varied ht
tween the iusipld and the exaggerated. Ia briel
Mrs, LanEtry'b Interpretation last night showed thi
In an really artistic regards she s 6tl At the fir
round OF the ladder which should lead her 10 re
/ cmnenCe and lust approval. II Is, after all hit
10 the discTedit 0f lady who could not ho expected
btep at once To position for which her training IN
through and almost fedeoms her technical uuhtnes
II is, however, sharp commentary on the fulfill
| OF trying to discount u success which must con
slowly, n II comes at all and substituting indiyldu
fascination or social vogue for tue long and patel
labor which alone can secure worthy achievement.