Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-19
BOOK TABLE.
NEW PUBLICATiONs-MANI BOOKS
FOR LITTLE MGNEY.
National Series-California
by Royce-Etc.

American dramatic critics. Not only Is his
ability recognized as that OF calm Judge
and discriminating observer, but his
scholarly finish is accepted as model of
grace and beauty. While his integrity is
untouched. lie enjoys the reputation of
being as honest in expression as he is capa-
bic, ana as unapproachable as he IS refined
in taste and tone in judgment Mr.. Winter
has Just added to the poems and dramatic
criticisms from his gifted pen monograph,
in parchment covers, from the press of Geo.
]. Coombes, New York, entitled THE
Stage Life of Mary Anderson" the Ameri
can artist, whose birthplace is Sacramento.
1t is critical consideration OF the genius
of that gifted lady, as manifested in the
several roles she has assumed. Keeping in
view the fact that Mr.. Winter, of the New
| York Tribune, is the foremost among
experienced critics in America and that
| his Judgment is esteemed by artists
and public alike as an unfailing guide to
excellence or the avoidance of the medi-
OGRE, the estimate of Mary Anderson's
ability by him will be all the more force
| full In the preface Mr.. Winter says: The
| present writer whose continual occupation
| il has been for the last twenty-five years to
record, and describe, and discuss the pro-
| fessional proceedings of actors, is aware of
| having steadily endeavored to ilnpart to his
| theatrical commentaries a warmth of SYM
| pathy, an earnestness OF thought, and IL
delity of portraiture which eventually
might make them helpful to augment, in
the element of perpetUity, the fame of the
actors portrayed" In view of the fact that
Miss Anderson was bitterly criticised by
some in California, not to say vulgarly as
well as upiustly, and the public advised
| that she was by no means among the
| foremost of artists, but altogether a poor
actress, and unworthy the praise that
has been accorded her by the Eastern
and English public the estimate
| of Mr.. Winter possesses special inter
est, and all the more 50 that while he
approves her, writes her down as a genius
4 and a remarkable actress, he finds in her
methods that which evokes his disapprovaI.
The volume of 145 pages cannot be summed
up in few words; we can but cite here and
there the testimony from this witness, to
indicate the character of the book, whose
Judgment is so approved at the East His
review, made up largely Of his writings in
the Tribune since 1871, covers the whole
period of her development as an artist
and of which Winter has been close
observer. He declared in 1877 that " she
is Parthenia by natural sympathy, and in
the ideal she embodied there was not a
flaw" Later he wrote: ." She is refresh
ment to the theater, and she comes upon
this tired period like a strain of rich
music in the middle of the night" OF hel
Lady Mcbeth in 1877, he said: at is I'M.
certain and initiative. but full of magma
ton and power" OF her Juliet in 1877, he
wrote: 1T is no more OF one piece
viewed as an ideal, than her execution
is of one piece. viewed as mechanism
Emotion she assumed and did not feel and
it was hence inteImittent-it was a per
Torrance full of splendid faults. As Evadnt
her pathcs was perfect her Blanca wa.
little more than experimental Bat ne
said also in 1880, OF all three characters
that it is only technical criticism to con
Germ oneself with specific methods the
vital point is advancement. She is al
undeveloped genius, and is destined to
great future on the stage OF her Juliet
laIer on he wrote, that it is deficient II
passion she wins as q beauty $
her worss are growing in symmetry, blu
neither in unity nor splendor tn,
word is not yet spoken which is to GIVE
her soul its entire freedom" So he foun6
her with great physical force, 10 lack il
spiritual intensity. Later, of her Blanc,
he declared, that she grasped the full sense
of Bianca's trials and condition, and pro
jected her spirit into a consonan
misery. The capacity to 60 this is tn,
main thing, because it Is q gift o
nature For an actress only five
seasons on the stage, she has alread,
achieved results that are almost without
parallel in the history of acting In 1881
as Ion, she was fortunate beyond promis,
or anticipation, = the impersona-
ton had a splendid glow of Imagination
it was ethereal and exalted, and in its de
nOtements of capacity and unexp,ored re-
source it was very eloquent In 1882 he
reckoned her Juliet, however as an ideal
it may fall short OF what is accepted by
the best thought of critical litera-
ture as Shakespeare's conception, . .
an achievement of estimab'e import.
She lacked volume in the passion of Juliet
but the quality was the rigbtquality" Hel
Berthe drew out his warm commendation
and he noted her rapid improvement as q
great artist. In 1888, of her Pauline
he said: she thrilled by the sin.
cerity and firm and well-veiled art with
which she advanced from pride) to the
other exigence of the character, and like.
wise depicted the passion of Love-" Thi.
performance greatly impressed him will
Miss Andersons genius and power, which
he prophesed would be pre-emiuent in the
tragic, and added the general truth With
the impoverished mental state Of that spec
tator who looks at q dramatic performance
merely to ascertain whether the performer
is strictly accurate and consistentin method
it is impossible to sympathize. Life j.
short; to prowl around with g
microscope and tape measure is to sadder
it beyond endurance" Later he said that
!, she invested Ophelia with an irresistible
charm. So on, Winter watches the unfold
ing of this woman's power and wonderful
genius, and after examining all the evil
dences of her career in England up to DC
tober, 1885, and her return to America, he
gives her the full benefit of his critical
but not ELUSIVE praise. Of hel
Rosal1nd, so much debated, he de-
clares that no previous artist in
our stage annals hes indicated what thi:
one makes the vital and dominant fact
that underneath her mischief, her pretty
swagger, her nimble satire and her silver
playfulness, Rosalind is an affectionate
and passionate woman as deep-hearted a:
Juliet, though different in temperament
and mentality; as fond and ciinging as
Viola an as constant as lmogen." In
short, he found her impersonation - a
work of art Luminous with the authentic
fire of genius" OF her Galatea, he said
at is the dream OF a poet turned from
marble into flesh and blood. Il presented
at the outset but few and trivial blemishes
and these have disappeared; it j,
a delight to the faculty of taste and JOY to
the sense of sweet and gentle humor, while
to the love of beauty it is supreme con.
tentment." Her passionate yehemence in
one place, and pathos in another, excite
his profoundest admiration. Referring &c
the charge that her acting is cold in
dicative of one deficient in sensi-
bility, he says it is difficult to see
how one can entertain such en-
opinion in the presence of such perform
ance as this. As Clarice, in " Comedy and
1 Tragedy she displayed Overwhelming
tragic power In a final review of her
3 Pauline and Juliet, he says that in 1882 she
vas the best Juliet on the American stage,
in 1885 she had wonderfully progressed, all
formality had disappeared, and only THEM
tuition OF genius could have accom- plished
tie effect of the result she attained. Her
achievement is that of true greatness in
the ar 10 which she has devoted her life
ASS whole the work is a careful study OF
the development of the artist. and a final
verdict that she is queen In dramatic ar,
and genius of greatest brilliancy. and he
comEsss his book to the public as an
elrnest and reverent testimonial to the
lofty character and shining career of an ex-