New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-12
THE DRAMA-MUSIO
MISS ANDERSON AS LrLIET


in a magnificent scenic dress, and with careful and
generally adequate Of its characters and although
the representation OF was imDeded by delays the gen
eral drift Of it TO create natural and pathetic H.
fusion. The effort has been made IN this reyya-and
has entirely succccdcd-to display the beginning
the progress and the fulGlment OF tragcd
experience in human life, amid surrounding,
that are truthful element OF fact IN the dramatic
story and the time harmonious with the exalted
spirit-nOw vOuptuOus and romantic, now passionate
tragic and terrible. but always trenuOus with vague
menace and impending daHger,by which that story (,
enwrapt. An old civilization, the repOsc OF massive
towers the soldity aud picturesque beauty OF time
worn buildings the strength and peace Of aged and
messy trees, the cool gloom and awful splcndOr Of
ancient churches the mystery and silence OF dark cahe
dra crypts, tie climate OF the South the gInuerns
glory of moonlit summer nights-a these need NJ
in shakcspearcs scheme, background to the story
of Romeo and juliet" For such background
his text makes ample provision. But the play is DO,
treated correctly when IL is treated as
pageant. Just as a man should not DO sub
ordinate to his apparel, play should not be subor
dnate 10 its attire The and right way is let the
scenery grow out OF the drama aud crystaze around
This law has been respected in the present shskespesD
revival; and therefore, although the establishment Il
elaborate, the result OF 1t Is natural The tragedy has
not been produced merely to show how well scenic
artist can paint how skfallY stage machInst
work his wires but 1t has been brought forward for the
~
has simply been provided with such illustration
might help to make the spectator forget that he is look
ing at fiction. and thus render moro real to his imas
nation and his heart poetic picture. at onca
beautiful and terrible Of the passion and agony Of
human life that is sipwrecKed by human love- There
are seventeen distinct They were painted from
sketches made in Verona. Tho most and the best u
them were produced by O'Conor, Halves Craven aud
Bruce Smith. Several Of the paintings are worthy OF
permanent place In the archives OF art The
| public square and the churchyard, by O'Conor,
the grove OF sycamOres, by Craven, and the
Friars cell by Bruce Smith, will be remembered
as perfect works for tho that they serveaud
something more. 1t may be said, indeed-and 1t
could ruthfuy be said before, with reference TO any
vya that has been made Of Romeo ana Julet,'-that
whoever looks upon the scenes which have been pro
ylded by Miss Anderson for this production has looked
upon Verona ITSELF has listened to the rnsng OF leaves
IN the scented air OF the Southern night and heard the
nightingale sing in tho distant dusky Italian woods
II often must have been observed that Shakespeare
cxpcnds his ocuIl force far more avishy upon the
study and analysis OF man than upon the study and
analysis OF woman. HtDitet, Lear. NdcJch, OheH0,
Iago Bri,toS CasSiuS, COri0i1HUs, mWocE' Fdistog-
each Of these elaborate, comprehensive, profound
aud completed study There is scarcely ono OF Shake.
,pcarcs women who, IN close comparison with either OF
these men, seems much more than sketch. HnoJ'm
CcoDaT0 and EOsdHd are, perhaps, the most spreln-
cay depicted of all his heroInes. JUttL drawn with
]
rcscutaye situations seems rather 10 be outlined ana
suggested than actually and uiuutely portrayed. In
beautiful and amentablo Image OF passionate oeYo
ton an still more passionate sorrow, the poets
| object seems to have been TO declare, once
| Tor all what true womln's heart feels and suffers
when it loves al loses its love such al utternce he
must have tet voud bc essential part OF his anthem
Tic and celestial message the human uce. lie gave
it, however before he had attained 10 complete mas
tcly himself his literary implements and before
yet conquest of the entire domain OF human thought
aud feeling had been accomplished. He was only twen
ty-scveu when Lie first touched this subject ana a.
though lie returned upon it in later years, his work was
Tot relieved Of that Gord strain, that artificial use Of
rymed lines. that skci ch-Ihe treatment OF character
aud that slight vacucness OF general significance which
are the indications OF his umatnrity. His tragedy Oh
Romeo and Juliet is, undoubtedly, most powerful
noble eloquent exposition OF passion and misery; but
somewhat unlike the greater tragedies OF his perfect
MATURITY il does not entirely aud profoundly display
the character thro the emotion. When he came TO DE-
net Lady Hacb,h and cleopatra lie could show human
passions mcXucably blended with the diversified az
tributes Of definite human personality. lie did not DO
this with JiieL When tins afflicted woman Is separated
from her passion aud misery she fades actual
IDENTITY into the realm OF conjecture when FIRST
presented in the play she is SIMPLY beautiful sfb
sweet innocent arlle's. o1cden whose heart has not
yer been awakened and whose nnhd and Tl, oontnted
| In the physical JOY OF blooming youthful life. arc
merely pleased aud pass Throughout the whoe
OF her first scene which IS short one. Sic only
/ speaks about fifty words. II Is only when her eyes
have looked INTO the eyes Of Acrito ana her lo'tla'
leaped TO Lis that she becomes a woman ILdccd' anu
| begins 20 reveal In her words aud Ia conduct the
attributes Of individual nature. iet, even then,
IN the line OF treatment that Shakespeare chose to O.-
low there remains much scope the actress Of JUd
to reinforce the character with her own PERSONALITY
Miss Anderson has observed AMI has completely iul'
! fll,d this oppor;unc condition. BY tie splendid az
hucnce OF her nature, 10y the extraordinary cor
rcspondenco existing between herself ana the snake
spcarcau doal, ana by finished and beautiful art
| through which her impetuous feeling Is guided win
urm Intellectual purpose, and made all The more a,cJ
Ilg by rcpoSe. she has impaired to J"ei an ld'dHli
life OF definite amt delightful character A. well as tenn
pest OK emotion and the dark and dosoate grAnceHr' Oh
! tragic death
Three January. when Mss Anderson ll''
enacted J,t in this capital she hat become tie best
Jct on the American stage; ami as such sue WI" 'n'N
described and chtra terilcd in tns column Sue Is more
than chat Her performance at that tine "i' ll1N
in stage convention. lgnctc and noble "a IoNeL"'o VI
spirit touched with the slImor Of wo!ul passion 'd
traueht Nilh q tremendous energy Of So cere purpose
! In the scenes with R0D,o she madc JUsd tender "h0
simple The love that she denoted WIS rot tue ANNA
love that IL and destroys Ha; sensual Trey 81
tie be =, which much Of contemporary criticism "S
kin ly cred to be the only aud Seadlre dT'
cle) but the love that hsl.ows and chcri,hcs, All
/ would give all TO procure the los'~s
! SION and tho happiness cf its object. Her deSo'
latioa ID that supreme moment when, after he laf
parting with the arse, the poor doomed girl enters into
her bleak and tragic solitude, WAS instinct with sU-
| lime palhOs. Her frenzy IN the climax Of the potion
scene anu or.utter rccesscss of psssonat" misery n
the eide thrilling and piteous. and they w'''
EXPRESSED with welcousdercd art. Her pertorn'Ac'
OF it last ,ht followed the precise lines which ATe
thus suggested; bur in 4 strange aud subtle way wh"'
it is much morc easy feel han 1t is to iescrO' ms
actress has converted what formerly piece Of 81 -
art INTO 4 vital and burning reality oil POSITIVE human
! lie. Her mechanism is widely different I'o"
what il used to be- All formally has "i''
appeared. The first entrance 81 JW'| N
she puts aside tho curtain and stands ia the stairway
arch IS the easy natural disclosure Of the simple s.n
| amid her accustomed domestic surroundings. Ihl' I~
Il INC