The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-08
PROMISES WERE KEPT.
YET GLE COLLIER DE 10 RETNEv
nor 4 SUCCESS.
IL Was Hard on Potter-"The Sporting
Duchess" Did Not Come Up tn Expcc-
tation-Other Stage News.


that Cora Urquhart Potter is a woman
OF determination and nerve. Season
after season she braves a first night an-
dicnCo in New York. only to meet the
came fate at the hands of the critics.
And yet she has made money on the
stage, but even kindness cannot phhd
our eyes TO the fact that POtters imam
Cial success upon the boards is due more
10 what she once was in society tnah
10 eny recognized dramatic genius.
In commenting upon her recent .p-
pearsnco in New York. the sun says
Cora Urquhart Potter stood forth as
Queen Marie Antoinnettc at Days Ihe'
atrc Tuesday evening In Deconrceue
"Lc Collier &c la Refine" she was "a
satisfying sight. she wore the me ar
OF royalty and some still finer gowns.
one Of her embellishments Tor a mi J.
ute or two was an imitation OF the MS
torlc necklace which Marie longed Tor
which Cardinal de Rohan IMPOVERISHED
himself 10 buy for her. and Vhicn was
the object Of interest IN famous IN
triguo OF politics and passion
Mrs. Potter changed her dueenly cos
tunes half a dozen times, and perhaps
tho most delightful part Q. tne enter
ta.nment 10 feminine eyes was the show
which she made OF ladies' tas"'ohs al
the court Of Louis XVI.
Tho enormous hats and roluminous
akirts OF that period were hardly grace
ful. and Il is doubtful AZ Marie Antoin-
pette ever wore them with the pictur-
escue eject " hich he's impersonator con-
triyed 10 achieve with them airs. fot-
ter also dounsd. while appearing IN tie
separate character OF the queens couu-
terfeit. several coquottish toilets Of
startlingly gay and expansive kind. As
an Illustrator Of bygone styles of fash
icnable French dress, Mrs. Potter may
be declared spectacular.
And IL H. not wronging her to say so
before making any consideration of her
acting. in view OF the fact that she has
given much space IN her advertisements
10 promises OF lavishness IN costuming
for this play. Those promises were
faithfully kept
Besides Mrs Potters acting was not
as extraordinary as her dresses. she
made careful, intelligent effort 10 do
better than che had ever lone before.
and she succeeded in doing no worse.
E.ne became tOierabie artistic years
ago, and II does not seem likely that she
will mako any further advance in her
art
. Her faults OF elocuuon are 100 ingrain-
ed to be ctadicable. Her stilced manner
cannot be nmbered. There is no touch
Of nature, no tone Of true feeling, IN
artinciaIity. Nevertheless. she IS
charming woman, and she has never APP
pearod to better advantage than Low
II Days
But IL requires no other evidence than
is afforded 10y kyTle Bellew. who cnacts
Cardinal de ROhan IN company with
Ter. TO prove concusively that she pos
scsses no GENTS. observe his facility In
every sort OF dramatic expression, by
face. speech, or motion, and see how ~
tile she seems when compared with him.
The drama IS based on the elder Du-
mas novel of the same name and II
comes tc Us with the recommendation
of recent Partisan approval 1t Illus
trntes a. plot by which a woman closely
resembling Marie AntOinnette Was made
to impersOnate her. and thereby get from
a jeWeller the very valuable necklace
Cardinal de Rohan figures as an infat-
uated lover OF the queen.
Friends who defended her and enemies
who assailed her are introduced into this
nctiOnal version OF true story. Tho &C
ton is sluggish. the interest rises only
once or twice TO a dramauc pitch and
rot much OF entertaining value Is Gevel-
oped for American audiences II 10 not
difficult 10 understand why the piece
pleased the French people
We would be delighted With similar
depletion Of our colonial times. The rep
Tescntation at Days IS rich and night III
visual matters
Tho English translation by Charles
Henry Meltzer is in excellent diction.
10th as 10 scholarly and practical quail
ties. The characters number nearly for
~. ara the average OF then interpreta-
iion is good.
Alas. for the Sporting Duchess" Ike
many other adopted impoItations. it was
well meant. but critical New York is
hard o please. and unless there ~ crisi-
nal merit they nip In the qua. what
might otherwise bo, TO less critical crit
les a fair success Doubtlessly much
injustice is done. but / frankly admit
that the Gotham gauntlet is the only
purifier the elevated American stage now
has. che Herald says of the sporting
Duchess"
Poor Druriolanrsl
Ho seems 10 have taken himself quite
seriously when he wrote 1.-THE sporting
Irchess.'
l wondr what Cecil Raleigh and Hen
~ Hamilton thought of sir Augustus
Harris during all those hours Of frenzied
collaboration.
But thcn-did not Voltaire chucklo over
the gitcrary efforts OF Frederick the
Great
Did not the Photographic authorities
OF the day assure Maria Theresa mat no
one ever danced ballet with such
grace and agility as he did2
Aud wasn't Nero generally considered
tho greatest fiddler CT his time?
Greatness Is thrust upon all who can
surround themselves with a court of adj
mireis.
But a,es! Druriolanus IS comparatively
AL VI known quantity ia this country,
ard so bis Sporting Duchess in spite
o. her multludinous suite. her ma sn.i-
cent retinue OF servants. her enormous
stable OF thorouL Inbred horses. her re
spiondeut eowrs and her dazzling gew-
gaWs. was looked upon askance by an
audience that has never been known 70
be fypcrcritcal.
TIC Neriest tyro seems instinctively 20
Rave felt that the play was about as Ia
mentahle "a specimen y dramatic writ
nlg as had ever come beneath his notice.
1t was delightful OF course. 10 look
uIon Brackcnhurst Han, upon the downs
at Nation Forks the gay uniforms -
the hussars al the regimentai ball, the
London Tattersails'. and Nostyn's cot
tage on the Thames.
The people. however, who gathered III
az these places were such grossly cN-
orgerated caricatures and the story tney
toiu was such a venerable mixture OF
pstitude and mendacity. that interest or
s} npathy was quite out OF The cues
uNn. Given company Of actors trat Is
less skilful and "a stage setting such az
PEOPLE were accustomed 10. say only
decade since, ana Sir Augustus counter
ielt presentment OF the late Duchess OF
Mon'rOse would be laughed 10 scorn.