The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-02-25
The Stage Kiss-ItS True In
WardneSS.

more or less pronounced, as the KISS
varies in maWkishness. Yet, kiss
ing on the stage requires as muci
art, refinement and deiicacy as any
thing else, and TO be effective must
carry with it skill and experience
No scene should be studied more
than that in which the climax is &
kiss, or where the author Stops over
with gush and sentlmentality. The
slightest aWkWardness from mex
perience or an accidental trip not
alone mars such a scene, but
changes the tender wooing of even
good artist into ridiculous bur.
lesque. No audience in the world
are apt to guy stage kiss more
promptly OF with as much vigor as
an American. and yet with the full
knowledge of this, managers often
i permit slender leading men to en-
brace fat leading women, and ex-
ceedingly long ladies entwine their
b0ny elongated arms around the
neck of a dainty juvenile, just able
to rest his curly head on her shout
der. The slightest hitch disturbs
the ideal, and so effectively that
nothing can save the scene. This
difference in height is probably the
greatest error that can be made in
mating stage lovers, for the natural
tendency of the gallery as we'll as
the orchestra is towards robust
vigor, strength, manliness in the
actor, and graceful, earnest, wO-
manly tenderness in the actress.
Miss Anderson is too tall for Mr..
Downing, albeit he displays no
mean knowledge as stage lover.
Broad and manly as he is, she is
both too cold to nestle on his Shout
der and too long in reach of arms
to make an artistic picture. When
she kisses she does it frankly
enough, and for that very reason it
lacks tenderness. Miss Rose Oogh-
Ian usually kisses automatically,
with her back to the audience, and
with the precision recruit would
display at drill. This may be called
the old English comedy kiss, which
is a meeting of lips, nothing more.
In spite of the old belief that Wo-
men know how to kiss without be-
ing taught, Mrs. Langtry may be
cited. Off the stage she would 10
doubt know just how and when to
beStOw kiss; on it, she is about as
poor kisser, in fact the coolest of
any of our feminine stars. This
might with truth be said of jan
auschek also, but she kisses artisti-
cally, generally on the forehead
and, as her roles are heavy, fingers
not upon the rosy lips, but gives it
in a sisterly way, and at once leaves
her victim. Miss Maud Granger
throws her head on one side, and
permits herself to be kissed, eyi-
IDENTIFY with satisfaction. Modjeska
kisses with all the grace that may
be desired, but she permits herself
to be kissed oftener than she kisses.
Clara Morris, imperfectly shaped
for labial purposes as she is, dis.
plays a good deal of repugnanee to
the kiss actual: but reelines very
gracefully in the arms Of her lover.
Maud Harrison may be said to use
the kiss metaph0rical. Catherine
Lewis rushes at it, and leaves a
noise vibrating through the audi
forum. Lolita Fuckers her lips,
Jumps to those Of her lovers, kicks
up her heels and runs away, Sold
enc, when she opened her pOndereus
and marble jaws, made Oenti-
ment stand appalled,. Miss JEFF.
freys Lewis forces her lover
L;
moth once or twice and then lights
on his moustache afterward, drop
ping on her knees, bends back
ward, stretching her arms about his
neck, and draws him down close
into long and silent kiss. Nelson
gave 3 fiOrentine sixteenth century
kiss, that was almost frantic with
ecstatic abandon. Fanny Daven-
port is too much now for one man
to kiss; when she wasn't, she under
took the business and did it Ill
manly fashion. Alice Oates kisses
with bang and has 4 fine recoil.
Lillian Russell kisses as if she
didn't like it and was glad when it
was over. Lillian CIeaves takes to
~ l1AC Il IL IyONCA4 1l4C 4nJSSIluu dIlu
dreams over it. Emma Abbot
kisses piously in a Presbyterian
school. and is the only woman who
has succeeded in eleyating the kiss
into a three-sheet poster. Alice
Harrison is a pretty kisser but
dosen't banker much. Mrs. Agnes
Booth gives an undemolstrative
but effective kiss, in spite of Mr..
Whiffen's declaration to the con-
trary. Ada DyaS kisses in the pre-
adamic manner of the old English
school. Sara Jewett kisses like a
cameo,a and with the late Mr.. Thorne
made as neat pair of lovers as any
stage could produce. Minnie Pal
mer joins her fingers behind her
lovers neck and gives himsa down
east buss, and in a manner as if
she didn't care who saw it. Adel-
aide Cherie bubbles land snaps over
the business, and she is about
the only one who can kiss
all around the stage without
becoming ridiculous. Laura Don
stands pre-eminent as an exponent
Of the divine art, and on her return
from the interior of Africa will no
doubt introduce the Cleopatra
smack. Marie Wainwright always
transmits passion into propriety
when she kisses, and like Genevieve