New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-14
THE DRAMA--MUSIC.
MARY ANDERSON.


for the first time in America Hormone and Perdita In
"a Winters Tale,' would be welcomed with profound
good will by a sympathetic and admrng assemDlags.
Whatever difference OF critical judgment may exist
with reference to her faculties actress and her
rank in the dramatic profession land IT is comfort
to know that not all Of one mind on this sub
eco there Is disagreement whatever as TO her In
tercsting and charming personality her conspicuous
emnence and worth representative American, and
the admirable character Of her theatrical enterprise
The general cordially Of contemporary feeling In her
favor brought together great crowd. and one that
was equally remarkable for brilliancy OF mind and
arior of enthusiasm and tho welcome extended TO her
was essentially such tho public heart only gives to
cherished favorite Protracted plaudits hailed her,
upon her first entrance and in the course OF the night
she was recalled less than fourteen uneS
There s so much beauty in the comedy OF A VIM
ters Tale"so much thought, character, hurnor, phi
osophy sweetly feeling and loneliness OF poetic
languagehat tho public ought TO feel obliged 70 any
who successfully restores 1t 10 tho stago from
which It has been so long banished
Miss Anderson doubles the characters OF Hermions
and Perdita This had never beon done until IL
done by her. ana her Innovation, In this respect
at first met with grave dsapprovaL Tho momens
the subject Is examined, however, oil objection TO
this method Of procedure is dispelled. Hermone. as
a dramatic Parsonage, disappears In the middle OF
the third act Of shakcspeapes comedy, and comes
no moro until the end Of the piece, when she
cmcrges a statue. Her character has been en-.
tirey expressed and her part In tho action Of the
drama has been substantially fulfilled before she
disappears. There is no intermediate passion to b
wrought up to a climax, any intermediate mooo'
dramatically speaking TO b sustained. MiA
Anderson is able to act both 81 these parts. The
resemblance between mother AMI daughter heishtens
the effect OF illusion, In its impress equally upon
fancy and vision more thorough elucldation -
given than could possibly be provided In any other
81. al nd
powers Of this extraordinary actress are exercised,
to the increased benefit of the community. 1t was
a judcious and fencous choice that Miss Anderson
made when she selected these two characters, and
the fact that her impersonation OF them carried
practically dsused Shakespearean comedy through
a season of one hundred and fifty nights at the
Lyceum Theatre In London furnishes significant
Endorsement alike Of her wisdom and her ability.
She plays in a stage version Of the piece, In five
acts containing thirteen scenes, arranged by herself
The pastoral music has been furnished by Mr. Andrew
Levey, the professional music by Mr.. J. NJ Coward.
While Miss Anderson acting these two parts
In London the sum of critical opinion seemed to DO
that her performance Of Perdlta is better than her
performance of Hermione; but beneath this judgment
there was apparently, the impression that Hermone
Is character fraught with superlauvey great
passions, powers and qualities, such as arc only
to be apprehended by gigantic sagacity and conveyed
by herculean talents and skill Those vast attributes
giving Of their exisence-as Of something vagues
formidable and mostly elusive. But Ia reality
Hermione although stronger part for an actress
than Perdta, is neither complex, dubious nor ms
accessible and Miss Anderson, although more fascina-
Ing in Perdta, rises In Hermone, to noble heighs
Of tragic power-an excellence not possible for her,
nor for anybody, In the juvenile and slender
character.
In Hermionc is seen type Of the celestial nature
in woman-inHnite love, infinite charity, Infinite
patience Such a nature Is but it Is possible, 10
exists, and Shakespeare who depicted everything,
has not omitted to portray this To comprehend
iermione the observer must separate her, absolutely
and finally, from all association with the passions
self poised In the right and free nom
the disturbing force OF impulse and desire, sho
can await the justice time, she live, and sha
can live in the tranquil patience Of resignation Trus
majesty Of tho person is always dependent on repose
of the soul, and there be no cpose Of tho soul
without moral recttude and a far-reachng, compre-
hensive wise vision Of events. Miss Anderson em-
bodies Hermione In exact accordance with this IDEAL
The impersonaton is the perfect image OF true
majesty BY the expression Of her face and the
tones Of her voice. in single speech the actress
places beyond all question her complete grasp Of
the character, -
am not prone weeping, as our sex
Commonly are-the OF which vain dew
Perchance shall dry your pities-but have
That honorable grief lodged here, which bufns
Worse than tears drown
The conspicuous predominant, and coh'hcns
artistic beauty to be at once observed In Miss
Anderson's impersonation of Hermione Is her reaZar
ton Of the part in figure face presence, dcmeehof
and temperament She does not afiict her auditor
with the painful sense Of person struggling upward
toward an unattainable identity. She makes you
conscious Of the presence OF queen Ihis' oovousy'
IS the main thng-that the individuality SHAH %
| imperial not merely wearing royal attire but being
invested with the royal authenticity OF divine en-
dowment and conservation. This image MISS
Anderson embodies and therefore In cas
Hermlone the ideal Of Shakespeare is made
living thing-that glorious IDEAL in shaping WHICH
the great poet from the all that arc took something
good to make perfect woman" Toward Polxenes'
I'm the first scene her manner is wholly gracious
deicately playful, nnOcently kind and purely frank
Her Quiet archness, with the question. VIII you 60
vet}p strikes exactly tho right key Of Hermionos
mood With the baby Prince Mamillius her froho
and banter, affcctionate, FREQ and gay, are In tns
happiest vein of feeling and humor her simP"
dignity restraining both recruitment ana grief' IN te
f,cs % the Injurious reproaches Of Leontes entirely
| noble and right and the pathetic words, Il mover
wished to see you sorry, now trust shan' couiu
not be spoken with more depth ana ih'ohs'y u
,deved affection than arc felt in her composed yos
| tlcmulous voice The entrance, at tho Irai sooho'
made with the stateiness natural to queenly woman,
| and vet with an Undesirable touch OF pathos-uo
cold patience Of despair. The delivery OF hernnoncs
defensive speeches profoundly earnest and 'ouon-
| ing The simple cry Of the mothers breaking heAr'
and the action Of Yelling her face and iaing nAo on'
| dead. upon the announcement Of the PRINCES ae.a'
ara pcrfect denotemens of the collapse OF grief
| stricken woman The skill with which mo actress
| in tho monument scene-which is all rcposo ana no
anguage-contrives nevertheless TO invest Hermlons
with steady vitality Of action and to Undue the crisis
with a feverish air Of suspense Is In high degree
significant Of the personality Of genius for ul''
Hermione Shakespeare himself has provided the
sufficient summary and encomium:
| "Women will love her. that she Is . woman
| More worth than any man; men that she 10
| The rsrest Of all women
II is ono thing to that Miss Anderson Is pc''sf