The Evening critic., 1885-04-09
RHEA'S "CAMlLLE."
How 1t Compares With the Concep-
tions of other Actresses.

How 1t Compares with the Concep-
tions of other Actresses.
to see Rhea in Camille. 1t seems strange
that Rhes, being French woman, should
have no more abandon. Intense aud pa
thetic as she is at times, yet the transitions
are too tame. Camille tells us of herself
II am sick, nervous, impatient, fretfui,
reckless, or, If gay, gayety moro fearful
than tears" An impulsivc, subtle, grace.
full woman, full Of magnetism and perfect
abandon. Again, those who have read the
story know that Camille was "pale. with
deep, dark eyes and glossy black hair"
Rhea does not look Camille, for she wears
golden hair. Again, all the magnetic, fas-
cinatiDg situations with Armand that mako
Modjeska's Camille 60 pleasing are absent
in the Camille Of Rhes. Her costume in tho
first act is not in keeping with the charac-
ter 1t suggests, the quiet, domestic woman
alone.
The last act was by far more suggestive of
Camille, If VIC leave out the blonde hair.
Her dress was very graceful and the mako
up for the ravagos of consumption fine.
she looked very i'll, indeed-spiritual
ideal-purifed-ap she acted we'll.
saw Fanny Davenport in Camille when
she was stoutest in form The part never
suited her. and tho last act approached the
burlesque. Her costume was ugly, her hair
short and most unbecomingly arranged, and
to associate consumption with her was
simply farce. We lOnged for q magic
wand to there aud then change her into the
Iollicking Lady Gay Spdnker, which suits
her so well.
Clara Morris used to play Camille, and
well, too. Poor Matilda Heron Just be-
fore her death l met her in New York, and
in her wild, eccentric manner she told me
how Clara had unlawfully played Camille,
and all the trouble she had had
The play of Camille" was originally
translated and adapted from the play by
Alexandra Dumas entitled LA Dame Aux
Csmeas.p Miss Heron purchased the sole
right to the play 10 Paris, where she was
living. Coming back to America she do
tcrmined to make it one Of her star"
roles, and for the purpose of protection,
having the sole right to IL, she took out a
copyright in 1856 on a dramatic compost
tion or play, entitled Camille" in the
clerks office of the District Court for the
Southern District of Ohio. Therefore, as
she had complied with the law, her title to
the play-was good In 1873 she made a
transfer of all her rights to the play for the
consideration Of one dollar in lawful money
of the United States to w. Irving Bishop.
When Miss Heron was still owner of the
play, in 1873, and Clara Morris determined
TO play Camille" Miss Heron gave her
permission to play 1t one week at the
Union Square. The permission was never
renewed, but Clara continued to play it..
When Heron's agent went to Miss Morris
to collect the fees due for these perform
ances, the husband of Clara Morris was so
violent and made such threats that Miss
| Heron almost lost command over her very
excitable nature, and had friends not con-
trolled her there would have been serious
trouble. Camille" is one of the few plays
that has held its own for twenty years
and still keeps its hold upon the public,
each actress being DESTROYS TO test her tai
| ents in a part which so truly holds tho SYM
patty Of the audience.
ANNIE CoGGEsHALL.