The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-24
rs JAMEs DROWN POTTER.

was one OF the great sensations OF last sea-
son. She had been prominent In New York
society, and had made some success in ANA
teur thcatricals. She had given her time and
her talents TO the furtherance Of charitable
enterprises, and had won favor on that ac-
count. She was constantly in the public
prints, md II was, therefore, q very easy and
natural step for her to the professional stage,
the praises Of her social friends stimulating
her aspiration to wider and more important
achievement. She il now before the
public with the advantage OF having aroused
the popular desire 10 see her. This insures
her large albeit critical audiences. II she
meets expectation then Is her position i'm
medlately established, and her future full of
the brightest promise. II a person have q
mind to make a flying leap from the bottom
to the top rung Of the ladder, there is no
law to prevent and frequent precedent OF
successful endeavor to encourage such a
venture. But II the venture fail, dreadful
is the fall. Mrs. Potter has essayed II.
Last night she came before an assemblagc
inclined to treat her kindly and IL did so,
for the applause was liberal. The
play selected for the evening
was Just the one play among
thousand that ought not TO have been
chosen. II dealt with phase Of life Of
three centuries ago. II was in blank verse,
too. and the temerity which, at this late
period In the nineteenth century, sets before
the American public new dramatic con-
triyance In so old dress strikes one with
kind Of awe. loyal Love" Is story Of
CASTLE and Aragon, and its characters are a
weak king, an Iago OF q prime minister, a
love-struck prince, q jailcr and girl whose
pathway runs through thorny places. The
scenes are throne rooms, palace corridors,
yine-enbowered cottages and prisons Gloom
envelopes the whole Of 1t. The public
taste certainly runs not In this direction, yet
every young woman who thinks Thespls has
called her TO the footlights makes some such
choice OF play rs this. "Fazio, I" "Evadne,"
'Romeo and Juliet'-plays with incidents
that curdle the blood-these seem TO have a
strange and uncanny fascination for the
fledglings. The boy at school Is satisfied with
nothing short Of "Spartacus TO the Gladia-
tors" for his first defamation, and young
females with their souls yearning for the
mantlcs Of Rachel and Cushman invariably
show tho same singular disposition. Mrs.
Potter had the discretion 10 choose play
that was new to the stage, but failed TO escape
the usual fatality. Common sense should
have dictated 10 her managers that
'Loyal Love- was not the plly in
which the public would care
a. .,n1r Inr H.. A. 4,
lie. The wise thing for her to have done
would have been the undertaking of the
very same performances in which she gained
her reputation rs an amateur. But here we
have her handicapped by stilted verses and
n molodramatic environment which long ago
were abandoned TO the burlesquers. The
failure OF Tennyson himself 10 re-establish
the blank-verse drama should have been suf-
foient warning 10 this new aspirant for dra-
matte honors.
But what OF her capscity7 Mrs Potter
has 1.-the figure. a pretty face OF regular
lincaments, chestnut-brown hair and elo-
qucnt eyes Of the hazel hue. Her voice Is
clear aud reaches far without much effort
She has complete sclf-possession and a
knowledge OF the business OF the stage. She
poses admirably and gives 10 her
work something OF picturesque attractive
ness But beyond this Interpretation
there Is but little. OF facial mobility she
has none, but 20 few actors or actresses In
this day give evidence Of trimming In this re-
spcct that criticism on this score might be
accounted ungcnerous. Her elocution Is
monotonous In the regular rise aud fall Of
her words. II suggests q pendulum move
mcnt In the employment OF her hands
and In other detail Of that character she
shows that her technical education has not
been neglected. but that, on the contrary,
she has studied French actors. She Is very
far from being crude. We are rather In.
clined 10 the view that her talents have rc-
ocivcd the utmost polish Of which they are
capable, and that she Is now rs she will ever
be. It. therefore, becomes n question
whether or not Mrs. Potter has
the higher gifts OF emotional power with
out which all else Ia inconsoquontial. Mary
Anderson, whom first she appeared ON the
stage was as awkward In movement and un-
skilled In technique as Il was possible 20
conceive In an actress having n con-
yic,ion that she could act Hut these
defects wcro forgiven In considcra-
ton Of her vigor and the un-
mistalablc truth Of her apprchcnslons. The
Ere was there and It was simply question
OF direction. We do not wish 10 be under
stood a. saying that Mn. Potter Is devoid Of
tho sympathetic quality. She has II 10 q
certain degree. II Is 20 rarely the case that
IN amateur thcairicals any one Il found pos
scssipg this quality In the slightest that
when Il Is discovered even family In one,
the posscs.or Il sure 20 find Il exaggerated In
the estimation Of his or her friends We
believe this 20 have been the case with Mrs.
Potter, aud. accordingly, when she Is thrust
into comparison with actos whom the pub
lie has accepted. II Is seen for the ilrst time
how really little Of there was Her artistic
cultivation has been entirely discreet In It's
processes. She has had good models and has
been apprcciative. In all outward sem.
blanccs and In those thing, which can be
taught, she must be considered as unusu-
ally well accomplished; but she lacks
the supcrlaiiyc essentials She fails 10 touch
the chords In the hearts Of hearers and wake
their sympathetic responses. Mrs. Potter Is
not In her noyitiatc. II she were. We might
be asked 10 suspend judgment ON the con-
trary she has had rarc advantages for rigor-
aus schooling and her work demonstrates
thai she has been an apt pupil. There
fore We have nothing 10 do but to decide
whether or not she has the right 10 the sta.
ton she seeks 10 occupy. We do not think