New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-20
MRS. LANGTRT As ROSALIND.
IMPRESSIONS OF AN OLD p1AY-aovR.

/
| To the EdttOr Of RE Tribune
| SIR: went to see Mrs. Lang:ry in the role of
| RosGHad. Friday evening, November II. The
au .Ienco neary titled tho house. Probably
| every seat had been SO q, and at advance prices :;
/ but the stormy niZht, a drzzie Of rain aud
| finally snow, left some seats vacant. was
| glad went to see and hear for myself, since
| the pubhs med criticisms, Is well private opinions
ale 50 contradictory. One goes to Airs. Langtry
with large anticIpatiOns and more or less, uncon-
sclous pTecOucc tons: and also one has 10 remen-
Der that she Is but beginner Az actress Yet we
are TOLD she never be great-that she will
always be beautiful. II is 20 dIliicllt for woman
to be at once he pos essor of physical charms OF
| accomplishments aad distinguished social position
and nave all tAese gift OF cams freely allowed
| Everyone wishes to pierce this brilliant panOply /;
! and who i the "unsprakabe she" that can stand
the keen rapers of the critical aud the enyous; or
! the club of the stupid and the brutalf 1t they
cannot WELD these yet they know how to stick a
pin into their victims more painful aud trouble
some than smart blow If NrsLaugtry's nOtOriety
HIS been an excellent business advantage, or adj
vcrtiSement, the other hand, 1t has 8lso been
serious embarrassment III the Judgments formed
concerning her personality and her acting. In fact
she has been judged If she aTTOgated to herself
the place and character of or actress If she
win. Moreover, Size has been placed the pedes
tai of Helen, the antique worlds paragon
Of beauty But all tins was, perhaps. inevitable:
aud have no doubt she sadly conscious o. the
difficult position in which she is placed Once
during the performance or Friday evening when she
was sitting a. the back of The stage for few mo-
ments the action being concentrated upon tho other
parts | noticed look OF pain--or was 1t eHHai-
cross her face.
have never seen on our stage an actress who
has so little of common stage ways i'll her
movements, her ge>tures. her accents, and, more
than all in the Of her voice, which latter gem
orally either from training or the pitch required IN
the effort to be heard. come To bave strained
and artificial quality Mrs. Langtry's voice IL still
mellow. softly flexible. and such often hears
in private among women of refinement and wit; the
voice which speaks to mans finer nature and makes
him eager 10 respond; persuasive. restraining
and musical. In this voice she bant-
ers Orlando and bids him WOO her
If Juliet makes love to Romeo after the fashion
in which ever SOD of Eve desires III his heart to be
loved but is forever disappointed of, RosGhHd
shows to man how q sweet and pure woman would
have him WOO and win her. In this scene no one
could be more perfectly effective TO those who pre-
fer delicacy Of feeling and action 10 the broadly
demon sratIve she has the art OF artlessness and
becomes moro truly feminine in her attempted dls-
guise of her person and nature than she was In her
proper self No one but AN impassioned lover see
ing nothing but the image in his own eye and nav
ing feeling IN his heart for that image; In
short. the complete egolst that he always is could
have failed to penetrate the Intellectual assumption.
Others may have given to the character OF RosGh"d
more vivac'y and piquancy. but none' GER
tainly, moro sweet attractive grace, ana
a<.ff uttux h.r oapfa
| lures those of one who knows no other world
than tkst NJ TIA gentlest manners When she stands