Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-26
A NEW JULIET.

Miss Gale Makes Triumphant First APP
pearance in Shakespeare's Tragedy.
A new Juliet, and one that the world is likely
to hear more of hereafter. graced the Duquesne
Theater yesterday afternoon. Miss Gale es-
sayed the heroine's role in Shakespeare's trag-
edy then for the first time. Her success was
unequivocal, and it will surprise us IL Miss
Gales Juliet does not prove in time, after she
has grown used to the character and overcome
the nervousness which hindered her in few
places yesterday, the most nicely proportioned,
intellectual and yet passionate embodiment OF
the character that this generation and country
has known. 1t is an advance upon her pre-
vious work, for the reason that the character
calls for the full display of those very qualities
and powers which Miss Gale has partially un-
covered as OpheliG principally. This Juliet
is out Of the common if for but one
reason, namely, that the actor has
shown US that Ronleo's sweetheart
has a mind of no mean order, and
soul more lovely than her fair face. The tempta-
tion to lay undue stress upon the physical
charm of juliet to rely upon the passionate
phrases ofthe balcony scene. to trust to the pic
turesque tableaux, is too great for most Juliets.
Take away from the average Juliet the calcium
moonlight, the delicious draperies and beauty
of face and limb, and what charm and power is
left Is not hers but Shakespeare's. This is not
the case with Miss Gales Juliet 1t would be a
living and moving picture of love, sorrow and
heroism, of a woman, tender, passionate and
brave, without the pictorial adjuncts. The cal
ciums can be relegated to the rear in the con-
sideration of Miss Gales work. She can be
credited with beauty, with a figure and car
riage in which dignity and youthful lissomness
unite, with voice powerful enough. though
hoarseness marred it a little yesterday, and
flryr Lodi ~ oil hot
can hardly tail to please. But, then, very few
women attempt Juliet nowadays unless they
have most of these qualifications. Miss Gale
made her audience thrill and weep, and after
the final fall of the curtain shout enthusiastic
cally in her honor. 1t was a cold audience too;
rural and irresponsive. She did this because
she comprehended the character very thorough
ly, and was able to translate Shakespeare's
creation into flesh and blood. 1t is not neces-
sary now to take Miss Gales performance in
detail. The tenderness which characterized her
in the earlier passages of the play did not re-
veal anything with which her previous por-
trayals of Shakespearean roles had not made
us familiar. 1t was in the tragic heights Of the
solloquy and in the outbursts of passion in the
later scenes that Miss Gales triumph was
complete and surprising. The nervousness
which had been noticeable in the lighter scenes
had disappeared when the opportunities for
pathos arrived As fine piece of art as any
was her stimulation of the variant emotions
which the nurses recital of 1ybdtPs death
evoked, beginning with the blank despair at
the bare idea OF Romeo's death, depicted in
staring eyes, quiverlng nostril, open mouth
and clenched hands, and ending in unconcealed
joy at the assurance of Romeo's safety. A
wonderfully expressive face is hers at all times.
and it is backed with a mind evidently alert
and cultivated.
The performance as whole was good; Mr..
Barrett's Romeo, a warm, vigorous, and thor.
oughly artistic performance, from which his
juniors could learn much. Mr.. Hanley, Mr..
Lane, and Mr.. Rogers were also worthy of
high praise. The scenery, which was both good
and bad, did not work smoothly. Jutiers
dresses were lovely. The black velvet walking
dress, especially when contrasted with a GRIM
son cloak, was perhaps the most becoming, al
though the robe de mutt, so the women said,
was picture in itself.