Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-05-08
MILE. RHEA.
A short Interview with the french
Actress.

"A 61Oft lutbTNftW WIN VIZ
Actress.
The Alta says OF this celebrated ac-
tress. who is TO open the now Opera
House OF this city;
Mile arrived in San Francisco yester-
day by the overland train, and went al
once TO her rooms at the Baldwin Hotel.
Since the announcement that Rhea was
10 come TO San Francisco great deal OF
interest has been taken in her history,
and IL is no exaggeration to say taat
patrons of the drama are anxiously
awaiting her appearance on the boards
to form their own opinion about her
merits as an actress. As is always the
case about actresses, the opinion formed
will be largely of comparative nature.
Is she greater than Bernbardt? Is she
rs soft aud womanly as Neilsonf Is her
accent as pleasant as Modieska'sf Has
she as much force as Clara Morris Can
she, a French woman, fully understand
and interpret Shakespeare's characters
These will be the questions asked and
answered during her season here, and
answered, to n great extent, in accord.
nnce with the individual tastes Of her
auditors. Rhea's merits nre compara-
lively unknown here She has not as
yet obtained place above criticism on
the pinnacle where Patti sits enthroned;
hence the public and the critics will
have no hesitation in pronouncing iudg-
ment. But ms n charming lady Rhen is
nbove and beyond criticiam, and as such
she Is sure of hearty welcome. no mat
ter what may be her reception as an nc
tress.
RIiEA rs PERSON.
An Ala reporter, who called upon
her yesterday, was convinced of this
from the moment of his introduction, for
n more winsome woman than Rhea ono
would have TO travel far to find. She
was dressed in soft clingy robe which
sets off her 1.-THE willowy figure 10 ad.
vantage, though IL did not seem to har-
monize so well with her complexion, for
Rhea Is one of those dark Latin women
women who cannot wear blue with i'm
punity. Rhea is not east in the plump
mould Of J Jeiireys.Lewis, nor is there a
suspicion of angularity about her She
has one of those hard. rd.to.describe figures
common enough in Paris, but rarer here
"a slight figure without the appearance
of thinness. The adjective handsome
expresses the character Of her face
rather than pretty or beautiful, for its
rarest charm Is in the ever changing
play Of classical and intelligent features,
not in the passive perfection of mere
preitiness. She looked rather weary,
bnt said she was not bit tired with her
journey, "only so very glad to get to
California after the long trip" She had
heard so much about this State that she
anticipated great pleasure from her COM
ing trip to Los Angeles, and deeply re-
gretted that her engagements would
not allow her the pleasure of visit to
the Yosemite. Speaking about her art,
she said she did not like Camille, though
some people thought it one of her best
parts.
HER FAv0RITE PLAY.
Her favonte play was "Frou. Frou,"
and she was sorry to hear that "frou-
Frou was not popular play something
she could not understand Next to that
she best liked the part of Lady Teazle,
In "The School for Scandal because,
like Frou From, il gave opportunity for
n display of all the emotions. Camille
and Adrienno are too sad-all sorrow
and tears-but Frou-Frou runs through
all the passions, and Lady Teazle is n
cheerful, pleasant part. OF all American
cities that she had seen so far, Rhea said
she liked Washington best. She thought
the people there were warmer
than in the far East -- more like
her enthusiastic friesds. the Russians.
She did not like Now York, for, as she
expressed it, il was infested with dudes
"a breed of cattle for which she has the
most profound contempt 81 like West
ern men and their bluil. open ways, but
l cannot stand the iinaicking aiiectation
of the dudes" said Mile. Rhea, with
considerable warmth. Speaking of her
recent trip in the South, she complained
that the railroad travel was very poor,
and paid n high compliment to the COM
fort and speed OF the Union Pacific and
Central Pacific. Mile Rhea opens to-
night in "Adrienne, " and plays Camille,
and Lady Teazle through the week