The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-09-05
A GRAND SUCCESS.
Debut of Mary Anderson Before a London
Audience.

Audience.
LONDON, Sept. 1.-The event of the week
in the dramatic world was the debut of Miss
Mary Anderson, which came of this evening,
at the Lyceum Theater, whose stage has been
made classic in the eyes of Londonsrs by the
genius of Henry Irving. Miss Anderson had
been sufficiently long in London TO have be-
come personally known to many Of the lead
ers of the art world of the metropolis, and 1t
must be admitted she had scored prelimi-
nary triumph in winning golden opinions OF
herself as a woman before the opportunity
of judging az an artist had been given. She
has been warmly taken by the hand by some
of the most potent arbiters OF artistic fate,
and the presence of a large and brilliant first
night audience was assured to her without
the need of any OF the adventitions clap
trap which Haverly and some others taught
the Londoners 10 expect when an Ameri-
can debut is impending. Still, if it
were certain that there would
be a large audsence it was equally certain
that il would be a critical one, and that when
the laures, if they were TO be worn, would
have to be worn by artistic merit, calmly
Judged by the canoDs which have. been set
up by that exigent of London assemblies, a
Lyceum first night audience. This fact was
known to none more thoroughly than to the
debutante herself and her mentor, DIR. Ham
ilton Griffin, but that gentleman > calm Sc
renity up TO the moment the curtain rose
showed that but little fear of failure entered
his mind, and the event has proved that If
such fears existed in any quarter they were
wholly groundless. The evening was as
nearly perfect as September night IN Lon
don can ever be- and there was no
al
tency TO keep away the best class
of theatre-goers The house. which has long
witnessed the highest exhibitions OF English
dramatic art, was crowded, and it seemed as
il the whole OF artistic aud critical London
was assembled within its walls The debu-
tantes reception in the first act was distinctly
friendly. and soon became enthusiastic. Her
figure was seen TO be commanding from its
hight, although girlish in its supple and al
most serpentine slenderness, and the simple
and colorleSs drapery in which she had dress
ed the part of PaIthenia. lent grace to her
pose and carriage, which were always statu-
e,Que without bearing the least impress OF
study or self-cousciouSness The wbite-robed
figure, with siDuous arms barred to the
shoulder, and abundant brown hsir
hanging freely from the shapely
head, with the tremulous mouth
and curl of the short upper-lip involuntarily
suggesting pathetic power, was q revelation
even 10 those of The audience who had seen
this fair girl in the conventional dress OF the
drawing room or The prone aud the ice
of criucism rapidly melted in the glow of an
involuntary enthusiasm. The applause be-
came more and more general, aud it con-
tinued far beyond what any of her fUeuds
could have anticipated. The de6uiante stood
long before the footlights. gracefully bowling
her thanks, and essaying 10 begin the lines of
her part. When az last she began to speak
her richly modulated voice provoked another
IL e. Il.
lion OF this act thele was a slight trenerr and
The actress seemed hardly al her ease bat
this quickly wore away, and she be.
came the noble, animated heroine of the
half-savage, half.idiotic romance of lngomar.
The applause was generously renewed a. the
close of Parthenia's interview with Polydor
in which the maiden's noble devotion 10
filisl love and duty was powerfully por-
trayed, and her speech, in which she fore
shadows her resolution of self-sacridce, was
enthusiastically redemanded. At the close
OF this act she was twice called before the
curtain and applauded to the echo. The
same recognition was given at the end OF the
second act and al elaborate bouque. from
Mrs. Labouchere's box was among the iloral
offerings which now began TO rain upon the
stsge. The third act confirmed the verdic, of
the other two, end dec ded beyond cavil the
triumphant success OF the debut. Again Mr..
Barnes the "Ingomsr" of the play, was twice
compelled to lead "Par,henia" before the
curtain, and the cultured critics of the
metropolis again became the clsquers of one
of the most speedy and spontaneous successes
of the London stage. After the performance
the more deliberate judgment of the foyer
and the clubs was found to have retained the
verdict of the play house. 1t Has decided by
the coolest of the critics that Miss Anderson's
performance had challenged the highest
standard OF criticism and had fairly stood the
ordeal; that she was equal to the best expo
nents Of the dramatic art in England, and
that in voice and gesture, In play OF wit and
fancy, and in the delineation of human pas
sions and human emotions, she had shown
herself worthy of the ovation which her
genius had enforced. Miss Anderson ex-
prefsed herself as delighted with the result
ard confident OF her artistic future.