The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-01-11
HOW ACTRESSES KISS.

HOW ACTRESSES KISS.
An Old Thesplan talks Learnedly and
Long on the Art.
Prosy Smdcks-Poetic Saoeetness-
Miss Nelson Artistic Perfs
ances and Mrs. Longtry's
Cold Salututions.
The fact that an actress cancelled
her engagement in St. Louis the
other dav because the scar insisted
upon kissing her in a manner too
natural to be congenia: induced a
Times reporter to seek, through the
channels of professional authority,
some points about the practices Of
prominent actresses and peculiari-
ties which mark their differences of
opinion as to the most effective and
express sive sort of a kiss to bestow
upon an ardent lover on the stage.
ARTISTS WHO KNOW HOW 70 KISS.
$50 the art of making and the
art of kissing,' continued the old
stager, ''have been carefully studied
by the leading actresses of the day
and each of them have their peculiar
methods of meeting lips with lips.
Pretty Miss Nelson used to hang
about Romeo's neck with an ecstatic
abandon that was almost frantic at
times, and wheH the kiss came it
stayed long while. Mrs. Langtry,
| it is said, doesn't impress the spec
tator with the idea that she wants TO
be kissed, as she allows her leading
man to touch her lips respectfully
and seems very i'll at ease while she
is id his arms. Miss Mary Anderson
is rather difficult to kiss nicely, be-
fcause she is too tall to nestle down
upon Mr.. Downing's broad chest.
She kisses in a good, straightfor-
ward way, however, as though she
isn't ashamed of it, and there is no
nonsense about the performance.
It's IN the part, ahd she does it with
out putting any very delicate touch
to it. Miss Catherine Lewis, whose
spriehtly wraps in opera bouffe win
for her hosts of male admirers in
every city she visits, has evidently
given great deal of thought to the
art. She wraps her arms about the
necks of her mocK-lovcr as If she
wanted them to go twice around, and
when she is sure of her grip she
gives a hungry snap, and all Is still
for few seconds. Suddenly there
is loud pop and the operation is
over. Her sister. Miss Jeffreys
Lewis, is something like her. but her
methods are more subdued. A
favorite bit of business of hers IS to
have her lover sit in chair and she
comes before him. She walks
cautiously around him first, as
though she we're watching for place
to light on. With whirl she falls
on her knees and bends backward
over his right knee, tossing her arms
about his neck and drawing his face
close to hers. For a moment she
looks into his eyes and then pro-
ceeds to business. The kiss is long,
quiet and dreamy, and means whole
volumes.
THE MoDJEsKA PICTURESQUE KISS.
"Modjeska kisses in an intellect
ual fashion. She prefers to be kiss
ed rather than to kiss, and her grace
full movements make her an easy
person to act with. There is no un-
necessary clutching and clawing t"
hold ON to her lover. She rests
upon his bosom in a picturesque
way that is very pleasing to the eye.
Lolita just pecks at a fellows face
and is liable to strike anywhere be-
tween the eyes and chin. There is
a lump. a smack, and that all. It's
the worst kind of a kiss, because it
can't be anticipated, and the actor
only realizes what it is when it's all
!. over. Janauschek has very little
}, kissing to do. but she never tarrles
over it when it is to be done. She
places her favors on the forehead In
a maternal sort Of way, and doesn't
appear to elicit nor bestow much
satisfaction. Sara Jewett, the lead
ing lady of the Urfion Square tbeater,
is said to bestow a kiss as soft as
velvet, and has become noted for the
grace with which she can pose within
pair of manly arms. Her scenes
, with Chas. r. Thorne were always
pretty, because she is about the
right relative height to his. Maud
, Granger's kisses are bestowed with
, her head reclining languidly on the
shoulder of her lover and magnifl
cent pair Of arms entwining him
, Fanny Davenport is much too large
, fol a man of ordinary statute to look
we'll with him in her arms. She
/ generally assumes the entire respon
r sibility of the kiss. Alice. Oates
spreads her arms out wide and goes
+. right for the objective point with
r will and the labial sound is noisy
!, and indelicate, When the kiss Is