New-York tribune., 1885-02-08

Other differences between her earlier and her
present impersonations are to be noted; and, on
the whole, the earlier phase was the better Her e1-
perience has been that of most actresses who play
night after night for q long succession OF months'
aud to different audiences in different countries the
same part. The delineation becomes slghty
harder, slightly mechanical here and there INC
actress is impatient of the effects which Mt hrst sho
found sufficient for herself and for the public for
getting that the public changes nightly she 1ancies
that what has palled upon her may pail upon tnei'
and Overcharges her part. Nine. sarah pein
hardt whose immense experience and unequaieu
control over her methods might save her, II any
could be saved from this fault, Is at times an ex-
ample of it. / certainly prefer the Claire OF Mme'
Jane Hading as it was last spring In rari' " A'A
Claire of to-day in London.
But then the fact that 1t is In London must a'so
be taken into account. Descl6e excepted never
knew French actress-not Nine Sarah Bernharuo
herself-wbo was, or perhaps could be. quite tho
same actress in London as in Paris. The gun oe-
tween Paris and London is broad and deep. raiiS
audience is a trained audience to begin Will ,
critical. competent exactng; swift to discover anu
ptiless 70 condemn defect of power or relaxar
tion of effort or even n momentary caprice. Inc
company of spectators who fill a London theatre Is
a much less terrible assembly; makes LESS deinanu
on actress Is 1ar lilicrior W tno
quckness of perception; has a slower and duiler
appreciation alike of merits and OF fauits. iho
hint the suggestion, the almost invisible shades oi
expression in gesture or in countenance which
suffice for the Partisan audience, are lost. or nearly
lost on that of London. An actress feels this
knows almost by intuition, and soon learns iuily ny
experience that she must broaden her method mere
in order to produce the same effect which she gets
by simpler means at .home. The worst OF 1t Is that
in broadening she sometimes coarsens her acting.
All this, however, is little to the purpose in
presence Of the triumph Of Thursday night. From
the rising of the clrtain to the going down oil the
same, Nine. Hadng had her audience at her feet
it was an exceptionally good house. All the chief
critics a large proportion Of Frenchmen; good
number of Englishmen and women whose culture
is quite much continental as insuar; and group
of Americans not numerous, but of the best-these
together were quito enough to leavcn the whole
company. To most of them Nine. Hading was
stranger and on all of them the first impression was
decisive There Is nothing in the earlier scenes OF
q lie Maitre do FORCES to make much demand on
ClairSs resources, but the end of the first act is
critical Claires attitude to Dubidy as she offers
herself to him. and still her bearing as she IN
troduces the Due de Bgny. her falthess cousin, TO
the nan to whom she has just betrothed herself are
good tests Of capacity and were rendered with
truth and decision. The far more difncult scconn
act with her husband thought the most subtle in
art of all SO reserved, full Of distinction was ITS
treatment But suspect NJ. Damala who here for
the first time disclosed his wonderful power of ex-
plosive brutality, carried off the honors with the
majority of those present The third act, cuminat-
ing in the repulsioD of Ahends by Claire, was I'm
equal and the final scene too violent. The meo-
dramatic had got the upper hand OF the dramatic
But again in the fourth Nine. Hadng had resumed
complete mastery over herself and the long inter
view and parting between her and her husband as
he goes out to the duel was finished, pathetic,
true and admirable throughout After each act
Nine IIading was twice recalled amid such
applause and such signs of genuine feeling as
are not often 10 be witnessed in Lon
don theatre Next week Nine Hading Is TO
play Frou- From part in which she is. think I'M
known in Paris. She will have to play 1t in presence
of not a few who remember it's creator and of many
TO whom Nine. sarah Bernhardts brilliant lmper-
sonaton is familiar. Thus far. no direct COMPARE
son has been possible. Nobody has ever seen n
French Claire save in tho person Of Nine. Hading
herself In an English version IL In true, we have
had Mrs Kendall, who played an English Claire ad-
mirably. but in a style which offers, inevitably.
more opportunities for contrast than for comparison
with Nine Hading's Tho English stage has no
mora accomplishcd actress than Mrs Kendall. nor
could there Do n reader way of estimating the nm
likeness between French and English acting than
Nv visiting the ST. Jamess and Royalty theatres.
INT the student would do well to visit the 81.
.James's first. q. W. 81