Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-17
AGE OF THE ACTRESS
Women Instead Of Men Are the Stars Of
the Present Day.
SKETCH OF MADAME Dtsh'
story of the Life of nm Artist VINO
Has suddenly Come Into Fn"e-
salvIni and His New Pln! -o'"c'
Local Attractions.

This Is the Age Of the Actress. More
than ever before In the history Oh '"o
drama woman has taken the stage
The public Is far more wildly interes'eu
in actresses than in actors ana au'"o's
are instinctively giving their heiO''''
the preponderating part In 'heF pi"y
Even in England. where, under uii-
fe,ent system. the actor-manager Is omhi-
potent they are powerless against ''l'S
tendency. They all complainant Wno
deal in modern drama, at any ra'e-''a'
they cannot find really COMMANDING pd' 70
for themselves, but are oohseu I" AZ
as feeders" to their leading lacles' Inc
heroine (eympathetic or otherwise gives
ber name 10 at east half the FAMOUS
PLAYS Of the day In the lnterna''oi'''
armament the female stars nave Lar
outshone the male. Salvini, the eider' mas
retired: we hear nothing OF Nossi'
Coouelin. though undoubtedly an actor oi
the first order. ia, simply by reason oil MS
sex n star Of no more than second mag
ri,,,do Who are the leading figures oil
the theatrical armament at the present
time? -Four women beyond all question
Ada Rchan. Eleanora puse' sara be Ih-
bardt, and Rejane. No male peIioIi ny,
has held so large place III '"e puDiiO
n.o or indeed has done such remark
able work as these four ladies'. anu,
with ore exception be IL noted, all Oh
them come from abroad. How IS IL that
tho great English-spcaking actress lor
whom the time seems calling alOud Is
SO tardy in making her appedIdhCs
For be il from me TO underrate the
talent and charm OF the three most IA
nous actresses Of our time-Mis DAM
croft. Ellen Terry, and Fanny DAVeh-
mort. but the first only makes an oCCd-
eiorol reaDpcarance before q delighted
public: Miss Terry deyotes her unique
and fascinating personality almost en-
tirelv Ia the classic drama. and has not
for wears attempted any modern heroine:
while Miss Davenport. in the nature or
things. can scarcely be called the rising
hone Of the Anglo American stage. for
the rest. we have many able ana ne-
Ughtful leading ladies. but none wnom
we can hail with any confidence as the
"couinr actress" Where are we 10
look for an American Bernhard, Duse'
or even an American RelaneF hN-ry
now and then. In a TT or impatlehce'
perhaps. rather than Of genuine ana san
eiiine expectancy, the critics cry To-
herer' or 10. thoreW-but the star IL
too apt TO prove meteor. II may -
said that there are no great EnSlisl
narts for an actress 10 create; but, gwen
The actress the parts would very soon
follow And even II they did not there
Is an international repertory ready 10
her hand There are no or very Few
great Italian parts to create; but none
the less is Eleanora Duse one OF the
treat actresses OF the world dumas
Sardou. Ibsen, Sudermann, 10 say no
thing Of Shakespeare, are as much AT the
command Of an English as OF an ltal'ah
artist n,...o
II "a an open secret that Mr. Pinero
almost despaired OF finding an actress 70
create the really superb part IN the
modern English drama-"Paula ran
cuerd." to wit.-and that IL was by some
thing very like a fiuke that he al las'
stumbled on a lady who, seeming p'ri
for the character, embodied II 50 me
morally. At once the critics trumpeI
a new genius to the uttermost ehus o'
the earth. II yet remains for Mrs. fatTlcH
Campbell to measure herself against beI J.
hardt or Duse in one Of the semi-cldsslc
characters, Il | may call them So o'
the modern stage. she may pe-"HC
knows9-thp coming actress; but for the
present she mas llol dlliN'A' "i''
scarcely to be advancing. Only the othei
dav. again, Miss Olga Nethersole came Il
this country from England, somewhat
vociferously backed for the immortality
Stakes. No doubt, sho is ''in the runnlng
but as yet she cannot be SAID 70 p'
"romping in" 1t Is always possible OF
J course. that Mrs. Campbell. Miss Neither
sole. or some other actress as yet less
in evidence. may one day take us 10y
storm and go on, from strength t'
strength, rejoicing" But one does no
know in what direction to look with any
assurance Of faith. 1t is futile to assume
any inherent deficiency in histriOnic IN
/ stinct among the English-speaking poo
! pies. We have had great actresses in IN
past-some Of the greatest on record
and we shall doubtless have grea
actresses in the future; 1t Is only ina
for the present the conditions seem some
how 10 be opposed to the perfect develop
I ment of a talent