Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-07
Walter Reynolds, Juliet,


lFrcln the South Wales Echo.l
Such an actor could not fail to have gone
through some remarkable episodes in his ca
reer, and in one every amusing incident he
details some of the agony he underwent
while playing the part of Romeo to an Incl
pient, but very self-satisied Juliet. The
story will read best in his own words Whilst
in New Zealand 1 remember that 1 once
played Romeo to very tall and exceedingly
ambitious novice as Juliet. An old play
goer who witnessed the performance assured
me that he had only paid four shillings for
his seat, but he had received ten times the
value of his money. But to my Juliet. 1
have seen many ladies essay the role, and
have been the languishng Romeo to many
more, but I can confidently state that no ar
tiste, not even our own Mary, ever played
the part as this lady did. Hers was a Juliet
peculiarly her own, and there was an origi-
nality and freshness about her performance
that sent the audience into ecstasies. They
were particularly affected when their heroine
exclaimed in piteous accents, 'fOh, Womeo,
Womeo, wherefore art thou Womeo? But
the most refreshing departure from the con-
ventional in her playing of the role was the
way in which she clung to my poor neck at
the parting scene. She lowered good three
inches above me, and having in her excite
ment entirely forgotten the sublime lines of
the author, instead of bidding me farewell
and letting me be gone, she fastened herself
on to me and stuck there like leech, ex-
claiming, ooh, Womeo, Womeo," the whole
time and devouring me with her most un-
welcome love and kisses, from which 1 in
vain endeavored to escape. Finding this i'm
possible called aloud: 'tFor heavens sake
drop the CURTAIN, After this was accom-
plished, and while the audience was shouting
itself hoarse with delight, this aspiring Ra-
chel actually had the temerity to go before
the curtain and bow in the most satisfied
manner to the ironical applause of the audi
ence, which she accepted a compliment.
But would that this were all. In the later
scene, where Juliet takes the drug given her
by Frisr Lawrence, the poison did not assin-
ilate and she was frightfully realistic in her
direful agony, SO much so that youth in the
gods called out: ''By Gemini, that's grand
actin, amt it? Don't she seem to have a or
full pain in her inside?" To add to the beau
ties of the representation may say that the
stage furnishing for the tragedy WAS very
meagre. The bed Juliet had to lay on was
at least two feet short for such a long lady,
and as her pedal extremities were of the
most approved Chicago pattern, they pro-
jected with the most ludicrous effect into
space and greatly detracted from the dignity
of the scene. But last act of all! Do ever
really feel the part [ enacting! Well,
listen. l had got through my dying speech
and [ was very dead, and never more glad to
be a corpse since [ was born, when my Juliet
caused the greatest excitement by her most
impassioned acting. Having gradually
worked herself up to fine frenzy, she played
her dagger into her stay busk and fell thud
on my poor body, which caused my cadaver
lying so quietly awaiting the autopsy to give
out the most commonplace grunt. l have
always endeavored to be conscientious even
when playing a dead man a field of bat
tie, but here was ease where could not be
expected to command myself. The grunt
was forced from me against my will, and
when it is remembered that the lady stood
six feet high and weighed one hundred and
ninety pounds may be forgiven for my
helpless deviation from the artistic Unities