The evening world., 1889-10-08
n KENDALS.

The methods of most of our actors and
actresses of to-day are mildly but not div
agreeably favored with gentle claptrapisms
that are fondly designated stage licenses, in the
same way that stupid rhymeetcrs are allowed to-
peryert the truth for the sake of what they call
poetic license. We have grown accustomed 10
these little ella rtrapi' ms. In fact, we rather
like them, horrible though we cannot help nc-
counting them. Ecls like being skinned. they
say. though tho process IL hardly fnsclnatinE,
and we can accustom ourSclves TO anything.
II Ia only in the presence OF con.ummate
artists. like the Kenials. who appeared for the
first time at the Fifth Aycnuo Theatre last night,
that We realize how absolutely possible IL il to
be free from the ~faintest suspicion of stage
claptrnp isn and yet delight an audience. by
dint Of art arts self Is banished." Long before
% o'clock last night | had forgotten that 1
was at the theatre; WAS blis2fully unconscious
that the scene before mo was canvas painted:
that the ladies' and gentlemen were actors and
actresses and that every man and woman had
been through tho snme performance before.
The very perfection of noturalnesR. the supreme
embodiment OF truth made known by the meth
ODDS of Mr.. and Mrs. Kendall led to this result.
Such artists az these teach iiH TO understand
what we have read about the mission of the
stage, the grand object of the drama. We float
about the theatres during the tumult OF the
season and wonder how 1t If that sensible mon
have written 20 much about such distortions of
Observation-Disclosures as we are frequently called
upon to look at. The fevered mclodramn with
out one single touch of truth, the raging eNtrcv-
aRanza peoplcd with impossible idiots, uncon-
traBted by one atom of sense, and the stilted
comedy written FOR the star-they teach nothing,
appeal to nothing but the fancy OF the moment,
simply because the little flavor of truth il lost.
Mr.. and Mrs. Kendall are a lesson. They may
be criticised because they decline to stoop to
even that little deception called idealization,
" 1t is pelmitted to cnnoble, elevate and poetize
the truth, 1" says HousSnyc. But in this statement
HoussRye appears 10 acknowledge that truth is
not potential or strons enough to stand unvar-
nishcd.
Mrs. Kendall will remind Americans slightly
and at times, of Miss Ada Rchan and MR..
Agnes Booth. Her refinement and finish, how
ever. have not yet been attained by the Rchan,
while the Booth has never reached her
greatness. because she is utterly lacking in Mrs.
KeHdLls magnetism.
Mrs. Kendall is fascinating in her every mood.
Yet she appeals to the intelligence and rot to
the senses. Her husband IL equally convincing
by his rampant demureness-iR | may uHe the
eXpression-under all circumstances. There il
the veneer about tho work of both these artists
that CoQuelin showed us. Their effort is to show
true pictures of real life. Staginess / Dramatic
business The terms sound absurd.
And my friends, the stars, won't you drop
into the Fifth Avenue some time and get an idea
OF How to be artistic. though n star p You
should see Mrs. Kendall subordinate herself to
her support. The centre of the stage? Why,
bless your souls, sho doesn't know what it
means. She makes her first appearance mod
estly and goes To- the side; the members of the
company pass before her all the time; she in in
the backRrourd-no grouping, no posing, no
claptrapism.
"A Scrap of Paper" ia a dainty. Ingenious
little trihe, by no means new to fhis city. Lester
Wallack played it; 40 did Helen Dauvray. 1t il
exquisitely impossible and ~palpably unreal, but
as clever rs Sardou could make il.
Mrs. Kendal's portraits hardly do her Justice.
They cannot, of course, reveal the mobility of
her features and tho grace OF her movements,
and it is in these that her charms Is to be found.
l liked her best in the little pink-sprayed gown
worn in the second act. The velvet and diamond
costume was very elaborate and lovely. but the
| gown was more to my taste. / can sympathi2e
with n gown, but not with q costume.
I. N. Wenmnn. J. l.. Dodson and Seymour
Hicks were the best members Of the Kendals
company, but the organization was evenly bal
anced and good. The reception accorded to
these artists must have made them happy. They
are too charming to be anythlng but home birds.
and when they do stray from their native shores
they deserve all the welcome that kindly. reas-
surfing American hospitality can give.
ALAN DALE.