Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-29
Mary Anderson as G:aiatea.,,


From the London World
Without attempting any comparison between
Mrs. Kendall and the young american actress. it
may at once be stated that the latter gave an
interesting and original rendering of Galatea.
As the velvet curtains draEnaside disclosed the
snowy statue on its pedestal. in pose of classic
beauty, it seemed hard to believe that srch
scuiptural forms. the delicate features the fine
arms, the graceful figure. could be of any other
| material than marble. The gradual awakening
TO lie. the JOY and wonder of the bright
young creature TO whom existence is still
a mystery, were charmingy indicated; and
when Miss Anderson stepped forward SLOWLY
In her soft clinging draperies. with her pretty
brown hair lightly powdered, she satisfied
the most 1astdionsly critica. sense of beauty
Gdt1ted as Miss Anderson understands her. is
statuesque: but GGidted is also woman, perfect
in the purity OF ideal womanhOod The chief
characteristics Of her mature are innate mod
esty and refinement, which, though perhaps not
strictly fashionable attributes are appropriate
enough in a daughter Of tie gods. When she
loves 1t is without any airs and graces. She has
not an atom Of set-cOnsci0IsneSs: she cannot
premedltate; she loves because she must rather
than because she Will because 1t is the condi-
tiOn OF her life. Some of the naive remarks she
has to utter might in cumE lips seem coarse
Miss Anderson delivered then with consummate
grace and Innocence; but her fine smile her
bright sparkling eye, proved sufficiently that
the innocence was not stupidity. The first long
speech. at the conclusion Of which she kneels to
PygaGlton, was beautifully rendered. and ELI
cited burst of applause, which was repeated at
intervals throughout the evening. Her poses
were always graceful, sometimes strikingIy
beautiful
Miss Anderson has the true sense of RHYTHM
ana the clearest enunciadOn; she has deem
ana musical voice. which il moments of pathOs
thrills with sweet and tender infection. She
has seized, in this instance upon the touching
rather than the humorous side of Galatea. the
pure and innocent girl WHO'S not fit to live upon
this world. She is only no; human. because she
Is superior to human folly; she cannot under
taught fault. but the wonanly love and deyo-
tion and unselflshness are all there. writ in
clear and uncompromisilg characters The
flrst and last acts were decidedly the best:
IN the latter especially Miss Anderson touched
true pathetic chord, and fairly elected
the pity and sympathy of tie audience. With
gentle wonder and true dignity she meets the
gradual dropping away Diffusion, the crumb-
ling OF her unreasonable fifth, the cruel stinrs
when, her spiritual nature misunderstood and
her actions misinterpreted, she is Jared by the
rough contact of commonplace facts, and rnffled
and wounded by the stranse and cynical indif-
ference to her sufferings Of the man she
loves. At last, when she can bear no more.
yet accomplishing to the last. like a flower
broken on its stem, shrinking and sensi-
tive, she totters out with one loud crv Of
woe, the expression of her agony. Miss
Anderson is poet; she brings everything to the
level OF her own refined and artistic sensbility:
and the result Is that while she presents us with
picture of ideal womanhood she must appeal
of necessity rather to our imagination than to
our senses. and may by some persons be con-
sidered cold. Once or twice she dropped her
voice SO as to become almost inaudlble, and oc-
casionaily forced her low tones more than was
quite agreeable; but whether in speech. in ees-
turc. or in delicate suggestive byplay her per
formance is essentially finished One or two
little actions may be noted, such as the instinc
tive recoil Of alarmed modesy when Pyqrnalion
blames her for saying 'things that Others would
reprove." or her expression Of troubled wonder
to find that it is possible to say one thing and
mean another" va"