The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-05

Mrs Potter Fails in Washing tOn-Her FASH
ionable Friends Do Not Go to See Her Act.
Washington Special
The much-lauded Mrs James Brown Potter is
playing at the National theater this week, but
her season has been SO far failure socially and
dramatically. Mrs. Potter's old friends and ad-
mirers have not come to her support as it was
expected they would, and have thus demon
strated the selHshness of society. Tonight is
the third evening of the season. and Mrs. Whit
ney has not been at the theater. On Mon
day evening, the first appearance of Mrs. Potter
ball was given at the country club house by
Mrs. Scott Townsend, which drew away from
the theater all of the members of the set to
which the actress belonged last win
upon o the atsesdance during the rest
of the week Mrs. Townsend was formerly one
of Mrs. Potter's most intimate friends, and such
z competition was not expected from that source.
Mrs. Whitney, who brought Mrs. Potter out,
preferred to dance with Mrs. Townsend than to
give her protege the ENCOURAGEMENT of her ap-
pearance at the theater, but she bought box
and filed it with friends who not invited
the ball. 1t is true that Mrs. Whitney called
upon Mrs. Potter on the day of her arrival and
invited her to assist her regular reception
this afternoon, which fact being announced
crowded the parlors of the Secretary of the Ma
w with all sorts ard conditions of men and wo-
men, who had q curiosity to a society actress
off the stage. The beauty of Mrs. Potter and
her grace cannot but be acknowledged, an
the play in which she appears here,
called Loyal Love" gives her opportunity to
display both to the greatest advantage. 1t is
translation of q pretty, romantic Spanish drama
in which the prince imperial marries country
girl and sticks to her regardless OF the royal
wrath of his father and the iutrigues of his ene-
mics. Mrs. Potter has a purer, refined
beauty than Langtry. has less Of the animal
and more of the lady in her composition, and in
her artistic drapines furnishes as charming
picture could be imagined. She is as statu-
esque Mary Anderson. and has the
classic features and graceful poses that give the
Kentucky girl her claim. Her costumes, too,
superb. They are simple, classic and beau
tiful, and the stnge settings are, of course,
ranged for their display.
But Mrs. Potter simply walks the part. The
acting is done by Mr.. Kyrle Beliew, who APP
pears as her husband, and Mr. Henry Lee, who
takes the part of Gonzales, the villain of the
play. Her conception of the character she
takes is that of simple country girl, absorbed in
her love and ignorant of everything else. She
looks it and acts it, but she cannot read the
lines. Her voice is pitched upon too high key.
and she recites in a plaintive tone that becomes
tiresome and painful. About half the time she
ID before the eyes of her audience she lying
in the of Mr.. Bellsw. which is doubt
very agreeable to him, and when the curtain
goes down the final act their lips are pressed
together in kiss that il pretty long and ardent
even for the stage. That kiss 10 apt to become
rs famous as the Abbott affair, concerning
which so much was said in the newspapers
some years ago.