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

out palaver without bush-bea ting, with
| out unnecessary verbiage. That is what
everybody wants to-day. The unfor-
| tuLate dramatic critic who feels that
he positively has people depending on
| his Investigations Is uneasy and OPP
pressed. Occasions often arise when no
wishes that he had never been born.
| This is one Of them. Miss Nethersolc
has been very largely doomed az tho
| coming actress, the Bernhard of the
| future Sarah forgive itD, the great
| dramatic novelty--and so on. She comes
| forward with the star-mark branded on
| her forehead-branded there by ill-ad
vised admirers, and under those circum
| stances IL 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 a 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 tolerably fair dis
play OF what she can do. She is nice
looking-not pretty-with features on
Helen Dauvray and Jane Hadlng 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 girl who has married
u silverhaired gentleman. She loves
him fervently, 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 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 big scene when
she learns how she has been deceived,
but she clings % Eric, and at the end of
the play a telegram is received bearing
the news of the wife's death
How did Miss Nethersoe interpret
these episodes? In the first two acts
where she IL supposed to be fascinating
ingenious, girlish and natural, she over
acted most lamentably. She laughed
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
a vestlge of ease or repose in her man
ner, She did not save herself up for
her big scene. 1t was a perpetual strug-
gle for effect-a case of stage manager
needed very badly. The programme de-
J 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 ST. pended all judgment
until this scene arrived. We were 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-
4 mirable moments, instants of pictur-
esque theatricalism, but they were few
and far between. She ranted: she tore
her hair land poor Wilton Lackaye's, al
Weld: she pulled down her eyes unit
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 good stage manager would be Of
infinite service to her. At least. that 1,
: what her performance last night sug
gested. In other plays, she may develoI
:, other personal advantages. 1t would b'
d absurd to condemn her irrevocably, be
. cause she failed in a play that is simply
d 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 Nethersolc again, / dis
}. tinctly assert that she is not to be com
pared with either Julia Arthur or Min
! ME Seligman. Miss Arthur, who electri
!. fed an audience in such a villainou
g AFFAIR as The Black Mask" would hav
- made THE Transgres'or'' tolerable
RI Miss Nethersole moreover, is not a
! good an artist as Mrs Bernard BeerC
4, She is younger. comelier, more pleasing
but she is unable 10 score the fine point
'e that poor Mrs. Bernard Beere succeede
in realizing.
Mrs Bowers was the best member q
the supporting company, She did re
ia markedly well with a bad part, and sh
5, could teach the young actress thing O
o two. Grant Stewart was effective in tn
II role OF "A clergyman--an excellent part
ana Mr.. Lackaye was soulful as tn
y silly husband OF the demented lady. Bu
where did Mr.. Lackaye get his evenin
n clathesP Where dii he raise that whit
l. waistcoat, that seemed to be buttone
under his cAin? Ii made him look like
master of ceremonies at an east-sid
ball J. II. Barnes was unimpressive an
r, weak, but f. NJ. Holland did a good dea
with q few lines.
Il The way OF "The Transgressor''
l. hard. There's no doubt about that
ALAN DALE.
A.. L