The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-10-16
THE TRANsGREssOR."

|
he positively has people depending on
his investigations is uneasy and OPP
pressed Occasions often arise when he
wishes that he had never been born.
| This is one OF them. Miss Nethersoe
has been very largely doomed as the
coming actress, the Bernhard of the
| future Sarah forgive IT'D, the great
dramatic novelty--and so on. She comes
| forward with the star-mark branded on
her orehead-branded there by ill-ad-
vised admirers. and under those circum-
stances 1t is always difficult to shine.
| The stars in the heavens above would
grow pale beneath such obstacles.
Miss Nethersole made her first appear
ance in America at Palmer's Theatre
last nigt in play by A. w. Cattle. en-
titled THE Transgressor." She was
| fearfully nervous, poor little lady--so
nervous at first that she transposed
words, but she overcame this sensation
| later on, and gave n tolerably fair dis
| play of what she can do. She Is nice
| looking-not pretty-with features on
| which the placidity of Mrs. Kendall,
Helen Dauvray and Jane Hading seems
to be the most striking characteristic.
She Is slight and small, but she is not
sinuous or graceful Her appearance, in
fact, is most eminently commonplace
not that this matters very much.
Stars can triumph over physical facts,
and beautiful women are sometimes
LUMINOSITY stupid.
| The young actress was called upon to
play the part of n girl who has married
| a silver-haired gentleman. She loves
| him fcrvently, and believes that at the
| time of their marriage he was a widow
| er. 1t Is discovered, however, that Eric
| Langley's wife lives She is hopelessly
insane, and has been in that condition
| twenty years. A railway accident
robbed her of her reason. Eric seems to
| be a most uncanny person. For two
decades he had not even looked upon his
| wife, because when she went insane she
| gave a horrible laugh, and that fright
ened him. Sylvia has a big scene when
she learns how she has been deceived,
but she clings 20 Eric, and at the end of
the play a telegram Is received bearing
the news of the wife's death.
How did Miss Nethersole interpret
these episodes? In the first two acts,
where she is supposed to be fascinating,
ingenious, girlish and natural. she over
irritatingly, she gurgled, she kissed-and
with what large, noisy, smacking kisses
she overwhelmed them all!-she threw
herself about the stage and she clawed
at the air. Such simple phrases as
"Will you have a cup of tea?" or Some
more cake?" were uttered by her in the
most theatrical way. There was not
vestige of ease or repose In her man
a Cor
her big scene 1t was a perpetual strug-
gle for effect-a case of stage manager
needed very badly The programme de-
clared that Miss Nethersole supervised
the production herself. She should in.
stantly secure an assistant.
The big scene came in due course
Mind, we had suspended all Judgment
until this scene arrived. We We're still
disposed to adore Miss Nethersole. We
made all necessary allowances for her
timidity, due to the ordeal through
which she was passing. Alas! in the
third act Miss Nethersole was absolute
ly crude, She had one or two quiet, ad
mirable moments, instants OF pictur
esque theatricalism, but they were few
and far between. She ranted; she tor,
her hair land poor Wilton Lackaye's a
WELD; she pulled down her eyes until
they Japanesed themselves; she extend
ed her mouth: she clutched at every
body. and she chewed up the scenery.
Miss Nethersole has dramatic instinct
of course; she has temperament, as we'll
but at present her ability has not ma
tured. She Is not ripe enough TO star
She would be valuable leading lady
and a good stage manager would be o
Infinite service to her. At least, that 4
= what her performance last night sug
> gested. In other plays, she may develop
, other personal advantages. 1t would b.
i absurd to condemn her irrevocably. be
. cause she failed in play that is simpl.
u beneath contempt.
= 1t Is a positive duty, however. to ad
that there are leading ladies here VIII
n would have done infinitely better. With
!, out seeing Miss Nethersole again. dis
). tInctly assert that she Is not to be con
pared with either Julia Arthur or Mir
ME Seligman. Miss Arthur, who electr
l. fed an audience in such a villainou
9 affair as The Black Mask" would hay
- made THE Transgressor" tolerabl'
r. Miss Nethersole moreover, Is not a
Z good an artist as Mrs. Bernard Beer,
!. She Is younger, comelier, more pleasing
L but she is unable to score the fine point
.e that poor Mrs. Bernard Beere succeede
in realizing.
Mrs Bowers was the best member
the supporting company She did r,
"a markably well with a bad part, and sh
& could teach the young actress a thing
o two Grant Stewart was effective in III
n role OF a clergyman-an excellent part
ana Mr.. Lackaye was soulful as n
~ silly husband OF the dcmented lady. -,
where did Mr.. Lackaye get his evenir
,r clothes? Where dil he raise that whit
d walstcoat, that seemed to be buttons
under his chin? II made him look Ike
master OF ceremonies at an east-sl
ball. j. II. Barnes was unimpressive an
r, weak, but e NJ. Holland did good de-
with a few lines.
- The way OF THE Transgressor''
l. hard. There's no doubt about that.
ALAN DALE.