New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-14
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
MRS LANGTRY AS ROSALIND

90 NAV trust the accounts of hsr that have come
Aovu TO u.s. mnst have been the most bewitching
,.rresentative that the character has ever had.
Cha pleased the exacting Hazlitt; she charmed the
ta.tidious Ella Bat even Mrs. jordan, so beauti-
,ul and 80 fascinating did not consider herself ade-
,ouste to this part. The dilemma appears to he
chat this creation Is mans poetic ideal OF all Una.
a most delicious in woman. aud that no actuai
woman is able 10 bring herself into absolute accord
ance with this peculiar masculine view OF the SUD
,ect AT all events 1t has usually been found as
result of acting, that the stage ROSahsd IS eithet
TAO earthly or too artificial in ideal to match win
Ar Ro.alind of tho book while IT'S execution Is
either huical or indefinite. too much overladen
;,h f.shion-plate coQuetry and rude, extravagaut
frolic
Ellen Tree, Charlotte Cushman and Adelaide
Nelson gave exceptional portrayals of this charao-
fer but while Ellen Tree no doubt came nearest
20 the perfection of Shakespeare there was III eacu
of these portrayals either deficiency orexcess Ellen
Tree was more delicate than brilliant. MISS
Cushmas's magnificent amplitude OF feelhg' o
eether with her almost rustic simpicily-tno wy
spirit of the green fields and dusky "oous-iH''
her performance with overwhelming luxuilanCc' O''
the work was jarringly mannish.a and 1t lacke phvs
ical beauty. Miss Nelson made frequent cha sesin
her design for RosaHnd and evidently had ny -Aa-
tu,ad il There we're fine serious touches ana
there hut the stress of her nature was mostly Idlu
rnon the element Of glee. These, anu others
had their audience, their triumph and theIr
splendid recognition; but, aiter al, IL
NAV be doubted whether any thoughtiui
ohsarver Of such matters as he looks into the
vista of the past name R0sa ma whom De
vonld unhesitatlDgly describe as perfect. Many
English playgoers. doubtless would refer TO Helen
Fancit, many Americans TO Julia Bennett Barrow.
individually we have no suggestion to make. BUT
otter seeing the performance of Rosaijad that Mrs.
Iongtry gave last night, in Wallack's Theatre, we
nst record as the planest possible truth, that the
,.k which was left but imBerfecty fulfilled by the
laad.rs of the dramatic profession Is not now ac-
oomnshed by this beginner There Is wlnsome
narsonal charm in Mrs. Langtry's appearance
and conduct: but her ideal of ROsaliad Is prosaic,
and her execution of it is fragmentary, uneven.
inspid and iniirm
II we have read Alright the Shakespearean design.
the nature of R0saliRd is intended 10 combine
most tender heart with most fancful and spark
ling mind The salient and obvious attribute to her
character is archness; but the archness plays over
eentleness and strength. Her mood is usually
merry and she loves TO trfe hut, while she leases
the object of her secret passion, she always does
this in a thoroughly kind and good natured manner.
Her nerves are finely braoed her intellect is alert
arrows Of her raillery in all directions. Yet she is
quick to pity and to help; her love Is
profoundly aTectionate. her thought al
ways generous and noble, Gentleness aid
patience are ascribed TO her even by
her enemy and it is particularly noted that all the
people praise her for her virtues There Is no bold
ness in RosGlind beyond the outside show of defiant
resolution Inwardly she shrinks from all offence
with the sensibility of a ttmid maiden She can
dazzle but also she melt. Not without special
and significant design has the poet surrounded this
blooming figure with the OpulenU foliage, teemlng
Life brisk winds and rustic freedom OF the Forest of
Arden. Not without meaning has he made her to
be extolled and beloved by SO many and such good
and true hearts. Celia loves her. Orlando, one of
Shakespeare sanest and souudest men, is
Immediately captivated by her. The Wise
ToachstOne-laughing at himself and life
and ali the worlds always tender OF
this Maynard princess. Through her first interview
with Orlando there shines wstful, tremulous ear
pestness half grieved half doubling, almost child
like meekness that is rresistibly winning In her
iust and hi III resentment of the Duke frede-toPs
cruel sentence of Punishment, there Is perfectly
royal pride. And when at length she turns to the
unknown wilderness and the adventurous quest OF
fortune it is with the cheerful buoyancy OF pure
heart the elasticity of fresh and ardent mind aud
that golden spirit of the imagination which, while
il conjures up the pathway of exile only brghtens
it with the sunshine of hope. Here. surely. if any
where E Shakespeare are oommingeI the tender
ness and the spendOr which man adores in woman
Mrs Langtry's Improvisation of ROsatRd makes
fuller disclosure of her personality than was made
In her performance Of Hester Grazebrook, but not a
different one. 1t again seen to be personality
that abouuds in bright elements, resting upon
laai .ofs and
than imagination or deep emotion Much allow
ance, in considering her Rosaiind. has to be made
for AN inadequate and wavering execution but
the ideal presented by Mrs. Langtry Will be de-
sc-ibed with exact accuracy as a type, or
representative, or capitalization OF tancltul
trolio This ROsaIiRd is never passionate, never
ideal never touched with passing shadow OF
mournfulness never depressed never out Of suits
with fortune" never, beneath her mask of banter
even momentanly anxious about the fate OF her
love 1t is a BOsaliHd all sunshine; it is in iDten
ton the diamond waterfall that sparkles in the
morning ght Mrs. Langtry understands-Or, at
any rate portrays-the character, not as a complex
web Of thought passion, sentiment and archly
simulated cOquetry, but as that Of merry and
rather unrefned girl who is romping in the woods,
and whose business 1t is to be mischeyOus as pos
sible stf puts on the garments of boy, and she
dsshes In for frolio.
Her movement in doing this is almost incessant;
her face invariably gleefu; her voice restricted
to the tones Of mookery and her demeanOr per-
pstuAlly tribes taunts. Saucy merrInent IS the
s1t Of the performance. and sport Is its best re-
suit Those observers who think that ROsGliRd
goes no deeper and means nc more than this would
De entirely delighted with such realization. if only
II we're perfectly executed But Mrs. Langtry's
power Of Identification is slight and for that
the auditors Of her ROsalind perceive her effort and
feel her article. After more practice her cleaning
frivoHty in the part will doubtless be evenly sus-
tanned but II seems very little likely that her