The Wilmingtonian., 1883-05-12
Mrs, Langtry in Wilmington.


Philadelphia and became at once the regn-
ing attraction Of the day. Large num-
bers of persons flocked down to the Depot
to inspect the new Langtry palace car, with
out however being rewarded by glimpse
of the fair actress, for the simple reason
that she was not there. Immediately after
her arrival, Mrs Langtry, after the man
ner OF her countrywomen, set out for good
long country walk, and did not return till
supper time. The reporters who had band
ed themselves solemnly together to inter
view her, as the Jews of old in regard to
Saul, went away with empty notebooks,
consolin themselves with secret resolves to
be beforehand with each other when the
performance began. But again they were
doomed to disappointment and Mrs Lang
try escaped-in Wilmington at least. the
ordeal of an interview.
1t was well known that there would be n
full house, as the bulk of the tickets had
been disposed of before the doors were
opened. There was no sort of rusli, and by
without being crowded. The gallery was
less literally patronized but the proceeds of
the evening footed up little short of $1,000.
Of the performance itself we might say
very much OF dismiss the whole matter
with half dozen words. As, however,
there is very considerable difference ap-
parent in the comments of the daily news
papers of this city a few critical remarks
may not be out of place. In passing, we
may note that, by common consent the
fairest and most discerning notice was that
published in the Eyery Evening.
Of Mrs. Langtry it behoves the critic to
speak in two very different roles-the beau
ty and the actress and in both we are call
ed on to deal with person entirely out of
the ordinary run. Mrs. Langtry is neither
surprisingly beautiful woman nor agreat
actress but she has merits of her own in
both departments in which she has no rival.
There Were fifty prettier faces and hun
dred finer forms in Tuesday nights audience
than Mrs Langtry could boast. But it
may safely be said that not one could match
the English beauty as the animated statue
1t was peculiarly difficult role to sustain.
Few persons know how difficult it is to pose
well as a model or in ta6leau UiUaat
Apart from the preservation of stiffness, is
The far more difficult problem of so controll-
ing the breathing as not to disturb the folds
of the drapery. Here Mrs. Lapgtry acquit-
ted herself admirably deriving the full BEN
eft of her early training as model.
When, under the magic of the sculptor
love, the figure glowed into life and the
Statue became the warm, loving woman,
the full force of Mrs. Langtry's charms was
defeloped and the effect of her matchless
drefs who turned their opera glasses tow
ards her. There was no pretense of en-
thusiaSm or boisterous applause; the uni
versa raSt, absorbing silence was the best
index of the succ IS of the representation.
Throughout the irst act the other charac
ters were merely props-stcks on which
the actress leaned; there was no eye for
aught else but her; every thing was lost in
the glowing eyes, the snowy drapery, the
emotional movements of the sculptor's mar
BILE divinity.
Here again comes point of which much
of the justice of a critics notice should be
based and without which comment be
comes either empty laudaton or unworthy
disparagement. Mrs Langtry was clad in
the simple costume of the Greek-which,
while it reveals all the beauties of the form,
relentlessly discloses its faults Thus it be-
came apparent that while not woman in
LLc duulchCS Souiu hdNc pOseu III Jne ScunI
flowing robes with the same grace and pow.
er that Mrs. Langtry did, many one could
have exhibited fairer and less angular
arm, more delicate oval in the lower Jaw,
a smaller mouth and a nose more nearly ap-
preaching the shortness and mathematical
straightness of the Greek, On the other
hand the supple elegance, the grace begot-
ten Of the perfection of training grated on
a near approach to perfection of form, made
tine actress woman fair indeed to see.
Like Phryne she disarmed criticism without
a word The soul that beamed in her eye
and revealed itself in the simplest gesture,
could not be initiated by art, And it is the
soul that appeals after although dark be
the cloud that rests over it in the eyes of the