New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-12
THE DRAMA-MUS[C
MODLESKA

hnemcnt Her grace OF demeanor her dignity Of a.
pect her meiodous voice, her nexbility of action.
hey prOprlety Of gesture and her exacitudc and SIN
certify Of impersonaOn remain Unchanged In the
performance OF Rosand that she gave last night there
was the same clear purpose and the same precision
ahc competence OF execution that long since made
her admirable among the for most actors Of time.
The embodiment Is Joyous n spirit symmct tc,! -
FORM and flexible anc Ya.Rlns in expression. and
every way It Is wo-thg Of this proficient and cl-
pcrienccd actress. Nine. Modeskas fondncss for the
part and her deep sympathy with IT are manifest in
every act and word. No understands IL better
and no one probably, could lescant on it with
minute knowledge Of rs attributes and its drift.
The only qucs uOnable quality present in her ideal
OF it is gIylo acknowledgement rs appertains to
Viola but is completely foreign 70 Roaiiud. This
trait, however is probably either tempcramcntal
traditional. The notion that Rosalind must be Hinged
with autumnal sadness and buricnod with mystical
unrest In order that she may be manifested as pocti
cal, Is one OF the rsguidhs egaccs of ancient dra-
matte criticism, and almost every actress nhcrS IL.
But this questionable quality not prominently
present in Nine. M0djeskas performance. The only
obvious derimen to her expression of ROsalind IS
vocal one and that exists whenever she is speak
ing English blank verso-the unavoidable habit that Is
OF foreign cadence in the enunciation This TO be
sure. is not very important since much OF the text Of
Rosaind is written in prose; and. furthermore de
livery and elOcuon, in the art Of acting, are the
l
quality is the second and not the first essential in
play. All qualifications OF encOmium set aside, Nine
Modjeska gives an embodiment OF ROSalind that Is
impressive, lovabe, and full OF instructive meaning
S.ch the embodiment she gave last night ana
it pleased a small audience at the Union Square
Theatre and it received with favor that some
times warmed into enthusiasm.
1t is not in the character of Rosalnd, however, and
It is not in comedy, that the distinctive superiority OF
Nine Modcskas acting becomes conspuously ap
parent The attude-mcntal, spiritual and ply sIcal
that budding womanhood naturally and Involuntary
occupies toward life and the world canno; lie success
fully assumed however well it may be indicated, by
gray maturity and bleak experience II Is an old say
ing indeed that actress must be fifty before she can
play Juliet, who is only fifteen; but like many other
Old sayings. that IS often misappled Time and
experience mature, for al Of Us, Whatever faculties We
may happen TO possess: but they deprive rs Of many
things. and among other things that they take away IS
a certain eCstacy OF emotion that j, the privilege dAd
glory Of youth and that i, especially Characteristic %!
Shakcspcares R0,aind and In parable from her. No
Of at can supply this when once 1t has d"rsrt
tI 4, absence q it denotes itself in many suSls
wa Inc. Nodjeska ncrprcts young EO,alind wisely
eiua- but she creates no cnchantmcnt Of Illusion She
a serious actress. moreover. and all the current OF
nature SETS toward tragedy and those emotions that
are kindred with ii. The soft, dark eyes, the mounhl
cOuntcnancc the exalted look. Tie rcm0r Of The voice
The whole latent spirit Of the Ic;~onaliy concur in the
truth. We all know that Nine. Mylicsha is great
alfress. Some o. Us knew It when she first Appeared
here fifteen years ago and d'l not walt 10 say -
until the whole Enyi>h-Spcakng theatrical public had
found ont the fact But It would not have been seen
so quickly iet much, had she confined herself 10
parts like Rosalind
Mr. Ben Rogers whose ripe scholarship and
artistic skill IL has often been pleasant duty praise.
gave a touching performance Of Adam; and John Lane
assumed with marked aolity the som5Fc, iuminant,
sadly merry personality OF the Whimsical Jaques. \
somewhat indefinite and performance Of Orlando
was given by Mr. T. Il. Thalbers, new actor here bur
one whose grace Of bcang, breadth Of gesture, refine
ment Of mind and ease Of speech would make avonc
if he wee often Among the auxiliary impcrsona
tons that of CORN. by Mr. Robert PcytOn Carter was
alone notable for exceptional worth. few bits Of fresh
stage business now and then diversified the Tepre'enta
ton. The climate OF Arden shown TO permit abun
dance OF dead autumn leaves In else Of
spring flowers in autumn. Mr. beaumont smith, a.
stage manager, has rare ideas of nature and II ma
be suggested also that his views Of Tombstone arc espe
daily eccentic That character has hitherto been con
sdered dry and dro, but MI Beaumont smith rides HI
stalking horse as II he were in the circus
The company now fd by Nine ModIcs'a comprise
John 4. Lane. Benjamin Il. Rogers beaumont smith,
Howard KYLE Henri dc Lus>an. GEORGE Iszicon. julie
Clusetti, Wad-worth HaTls, Robert T. Cartc- W. \
shaw Delaney I.arclay, r. i. Thabcfs. kaie Mech
Mrs Beaumont smith, Helen Jones and Edith Meek.
a part in which she has often been seen. and AWAY
has been admired She nov a version 81 schiller
historical play that made by the lat" Levi, VIM
field. feeble writer. bat person skilled IN tail HN-
and upho,tefy-and th, version is reported 70 ho
notable for "li-toucaI accuracy >urh a pIcitn'c
can only be viewed a, comic III pee that pc,e"-
May STUART but little les tAin IN angel nom
mfo, uation tlt sends The public q coutcmpat Nine
Moole,ha As the snoblcd Oueen Of >cot, WHAT |9H.t
he thought. for example, on an tHIh'lIh,hl Oh ~
historic pci,0nase that should present hrr ~ sn
actually wa. the day when She went 10 her death
Here is the description oil ne uiofluh"c "'mil'
written by an cyc-wtnc, Of that memorable scene IN
tIay We O. Of - being Of stature tail and boia
corpulen round should req, her face fate ana broad
auiornc on her head she had a dr,,-inge o.
lawnc edged with bone lace. pomandr citynr an, |
q payre Of beads AZ her F.il%' Mi,, t,d 80 her |
with bone lace Here We have the genuine iruti3
and it needless 10 say that Tie genuine ai'Ge 81
Mary Stuart WHITTIER moral or physical, "oniu never
ON WetncSdav Nine. lrodjcska Will enact Lana the
Counties RonIine. in new play hereafter desc b''i
On Thursday lie viii assume Imogcn, in shaEe'lelre
herself as Beatricc I'm "Much Ado Abpnt Nothing
on saturday afternoon she Will portray thc cohsnp
tive o. Camille, and on SATURDAY hsh' |
Mary STUART will be repeated. go - -
The cast with which " As You Like It' was repre-
scented last night is as follows:
Orlando. ...............T D. ThaIlelg
Tahished Howard KY.
Adam BENJAMIN g. Eoecfo
Jague, Dubois .nry r. Vincent
Lebeau ,, a1 on
syt ius...-. 1,, T. ldnr
CORN. Robert ieyon Cart, Carter
Ce "iiai', ''' ~ Mrs Beaumont smith
P PTSGss Jones
"THE COUNTIES RoUDINE'