Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-03
Clunie Opera House.

Mrs. James Brown-Potter, one of the
best advertised women on the stage to-day,
appeared last night as Pauline in +" The
Lady of Lyons" Mrs. Potter is a hand
some woman, tall, willowy, of strong, mu-
steal voice greatly repressed, with express
i've countenance and speaking eyes: but
both the latter she uses mechanically, so to
speak, and neither reflect the emotions of
the soul, nor simulate it with success. Mrs.
Potter interprets the character with what
will probably be called quiet intensity"
Certainly the sternest censors of acting
would never find cause to rebuke her de-
monstrativeness. Her style, probably the
result OF the stage teaching she had abroad,
is not that to which the American audi
ence is accustomed or with which it is in
sympathy. If it is pleaded that her method
is naturalness of manner, it is to be
said it is not true to the stand
ards by which the majority of our
people are accustomed to estimate
genuineness of feeling. There was lack of
warmth. of illumination, and, where most
needed, of the fire of indignation. The
perfection of the lady in the memorizing
and reading of her lines, and her strict at
tention to the business of the stage; the
severity of self-imposed discipline; the ex-
quisite nicely with which she measured
out every effect of pose and gesture-when
these are admitted, it remains to be said
that their absence in greatest part would be
well compensated for by some apparent
warmth evolved in the art of Stimulating
successfully the attrition of conflicting pas
sions. To be perfectly just TO Mrs. Potter,
it is to be said that her weakness is in her
inability 10 make her auditors forget Mrs.
Potter, If there had been less of the re-
fined Pauline, and more of the wronged
and loving, the passionate and disap-
pointed woman, Mrs. Potter would have
achieved something approaching success.
In short, one cannot rid oneself of the i'm
preston that in Mrs. Potter's acting we'll
drilled amateur is striving for favor that
constantly eludes the grasp. 1t is to be
noted that the lady did at times
manifest, like flashes of momentary light
the feeling of sensibility and spirit indi-
cative of true dramatic art quality it's not
for us to say that she will never attain high
place upon the stage-others with lesser
beginnings have won. and if kindly and
encouraging audiences are helps, she has
them. 1t is to be said that she won con-
siderable sincere applause, general and not
confined to any one portion of the house :;
that she was twice called before the cur
tain, and that her audience was attentive
and most generously disposed. Mr. Bellew,
the chief support, is an actor of ability, but
his style is foreign to popular taste. Aside
from Miss Brooks and Louis Baker the
support otherwise was confused and often
unintellfgible in utterance, and disappoint-
ing if not absolutely weak. The costumery
was rich, and on the part of Mrs Potter
and the gentlemen, historically correct,
strictlyso. In Romeo and Juliet" the play
for tonight, it is possible that the breath
ing passion of Shakespeares wondrous
poem will give Mrs. Potter opportunities
that she may be able to embrace, to do far
better dramatic work.