The morning call., 1893-10-22
Mrs. kendaI's Criticism.

NEW YORK, October 13.-Mrs. Kendall, the
English actress. doesn't like the way the critics
here have been treating her part in 1.-The Sec
ond Mrs. Tanqueray." 10 have the pedestal
upon which the American people have posed
her as the patron saint OF all virtue on the
stage suddenly sway beneath her feet under
this charge of appearing in an immoral play
and overacting the part of an immoral woman
is painful to her, says the New York Sun, as 1t
would be to any sensitive, proud woman.
u don't know how to answer your critics."
she said, In answer to the writer's questions
yesterday. "for am not allowed 10 see the
newspapers at ALL But am told that the peo-
pie here do NOT understand the play. Al least
they cannot understand 1t II they call II I'M
moral, for it teaches the strongest moral lesson
OF any play ever written.
II suppose it Is because your country Is so
new, so fresh, so innocent that the play strikes
you as bad. don't you know. OF course In our
older civilization, grown hardened In crime and
sin and sorrow, we know there Is sucn thing
as the mistress. We know that good men and
those not so good sometimes marry their mis-
tresses. We meet her In society because she Is
received everywhere as the mans wife.
II wonder sometimes if 1t is always so sweet
and childllke and beautiful here In America; |;
If your men are all so lcvely-rosebuds just
bursting into bloom and knowing no evil. You
have thing here called divorce that we don't
hear much about In England. think the
lawyers ought to understand Mr. Pinero's
play They must know that there Is some
times such thing as mistress in America, for
doesn't IL come up in your divorce courts?
"But about. Mr.. Pinero's play; the character
was written from living woman: My concep"
tion of the part was formed from living
woman. / know two Mrs. TanQuerays. They
are not my intimate friends. but they are men,
bers OF my social circle and meet them every
where 60. The play made perfect Juror In
London. where the Mrs. Tanquerays and the
Belle Billions are known and acknowledged.
"As for how l came to take the part, MIR.
PlnerO is great friend of my husbands and he
up your minds here in America that L am the
Mr.. Kendall, but il isn't true. or course Mr..
Kendall c0nsults me and asks my advice, but
he Is, as ne always has been, the man or the
house, and am no more independent and as
sertive than any OF your domestic wives that
do not earn their bread and butter before the
pubic. Mr. Kendall bought the play because
he liked it and liked it. and we both believed
that II taught the strongest moral lesson In the
strongest possible way.
"What is the moral lie sson? First, that retri-
Dutlve Justice at last OvertakeS and Furnishes
sin every time, and that repentance. however
sincere, will not help US ward off that punish
ment. IL Is In the very moment OF repentance
that punishment does overtake US. Tor then we
are prepared TO feel 1t most keenly. SO this
sinful but repentant woman asks the good
woman 10 kiss her, and with the
KISS and because Of her love her Ne.
mesis overtakes her. She sees that II
she would be good the only thing she can do to
make those she loves happy is to die. The ter
rible lesson that woman handed about from
indu to inau, dS Sne mas Deen. can never regain
her own sel-respect, even If she receive that
OF other people, Is plainly drawn.
"The other lesson is the Woe and wretched-
ness men bring upon so many innocent people
when they sin against women. IL your people
cannot understand the moral lesson in all this
am afraid they cannot understand the Bible.
"How do reconcile the fascination Of the
husband for such q woman? 1t Is the mosl
natural thing in the world. Here is man who
has been welded all his life to cold, severe
woman, who has never responded TO bis love.
Then al the critical time 10 a mans life
from 40 to 43, she dies and leaves him with
daughter precisely like herself. Ol
course he turns eagerly TO the opposite
extreme. He sees this warm-hearted, impul-
slve woman. He Is fascinated with her lively,
cheerful, 60 ahead ways. Her desire to be better
appeals TO the protective side OF his mans ma
ture. She must be helped toward better life
He Is too good a man to 1--we with her without
marrying her, aud he does marry her, Dut ne
does not and cannot make her other than sns
Is.
"Tbey tell me the reason why the people are
not pleased with me in my new role Is because
they will not accept woman who has playee
only sweet and winning women's parts In
character like Mrs. Tanqueray. Another
proof, perhaps, Of the beautiful childlikeneSs o
his new and fresh country.
II never have posed n tho only roSpect4ple