New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-03
THE DRAMA

ADA REHAN AS SHAKESPEARE'S JULIA.
The thing that is perfectly we'll done seems ALL
ways easy to do The finer the quality OF art tho
more spontaneous appeat to be IS method. Miss
Rehans mpersonaton Of Shakespeares Julia, now
in its first days. is nevertheless definite in design.
distinct in form. flexible in movement. and sus-
tanned with such exquisite repose and grace that
already II is marked with OF second
nature" and she seems TO have given IL thousand
times. That completeness Of Identification however.
s for every thoughtful observer the close denote
OF her genius. her intuition. her conscientious
study. her facility Of constructive art. and her
versatile executive power. The fine issue. as
Shakespeare himself observed is the sign OF the
spirit that Is finely touched AS fact. aside from
all seeming a performance OF Shakespelre's julia
which imparts 70 her a clear and ovey distinction
among hi. herones be easy matter. The
character. like every other character In The TWO
Gentlemen OF Verona" is only a sketch. The per-
former OF It must fll 1t out must sharpen is lines
deepen It's tin,s make 1t substantial, and invest II
with allurement; and all this with aid Of action
ana with only limited resources OF situation. Ian
guage. and picture. Julia has literally nothing 10
do-and yet Miss Rehan. without being in the least
intrusive. has filled the whole play with her pres
Not single detail is overwrought The part
is never thrust into undue prominence. TX
anything the pitch is sounded low Certainly the
spirit In which the part Is acted Is that which not
advances but retires. And yet the effect is that OF
spacious and splendid nature-of opuent woman
hood beauty and truth. delicious, enchanting
personality pervading the piece. is all that the OBJ
server feels No stronger proof OF Miss Rehan's
superiority as an could be afforded than her
present performance OF Shakespeares Julia She
has OF course acted in greater characters and acted
supremacy we'll; but IL those greater characters
there wider opportunities. II is more difficult 10
succeed with Julia than with Rosalind.
The success OF Miss Rehan In Julia, furthermore
may prompt reflection upon her brilliant achieve
f,t,a
the observer may be usefully reminded that the
American public has need TO look abroad for It's
Shakespearlan actress. Miss Rehan has acted
Katharine. In "The Tanning OF the Shrew. and
has acted II with such fire and briluancy. such IN
domitable power and such enchanting grace OF
womanhood that the part is now exclusively her
ownso that in theatrical history her name VIII he
closely identified with Katharine as that OF Ade
laide Nelson with Juliet that OF Ellen Terry
with Beatrice Prior to her time, The Tanning o.
the Shrew" when p.ayed at all. was played AS a
noisy farce. for the sake Of Petrucho. Miss Rehan
restored it to the stage as a comedy Nor did she
pause there Her representation OF Rosalind IN
las You Like ia striking contrast 10 hath'
interpreted that character as essentially ana
deciously human and separated II, at once ana
finally, so far the present generation OF play
goers Is concerned from all the old scholastic
theories OF a vague and Cloudy abstraction. As
Viola In Tie Twelfth Night."-a character as
essentially delicate and elusive as RosaIlnd IS
strong and brant,-she revealed yet another SIDE
OF her nature, weaving with spontaneous grace the
gentle spell OF wstful melancholy ingenious glee
and soft allurement Seldom in stage experience
has II been reserved for one and the same actress
to victorious In presenting characters so es'
sentially unlike those three OF the women OF
Shakespeare. 1t vii. be remembered Also that she
has impersonated the frolicsome Mrs. Ford IN
The Merry Wives OF Windsor" the sparkling
Princess. OF Loves Iabor's Lost" and the pas
slonate, gentle, for.orn Helena, OF "A Midsummer
Nights Dream.'-the latter. surely. one OF the
most exactng OF all Shakespeare's heroines. be-
cause she must be made, as Miss Rehan made her
sympathetic and winning. while at the same time
she is depicted as the victim OF bitter seltconiict
under the stress OF amatory infatuation. To have
made each OF those figures distinct, TO have IN
terpreted each character, making II no less charm
Ing than clear. and to have spoken the Lovely
language OF Shakespeare in tones that were sooih-
ing to hear and that precious 10 remember |"
have been a blessing that will always be cherished
Everybody who cares for dramatic art ought 10
see Ada Rehan in THE Two Gentlemen OF Verona
and ought to think upon what she mas done io'
the maintenance OF poetry. beauty, ana h's"
standard OF taste upon the American stage ihe'e
are many merits In Mr.. Days sumptuous re'i'".
OF Shakespeare's neglected comedy but the eh'e'
CORY OF 1t is Miss Rehank performance or ra'hei
her purely poetic personality. which anma'es VEG
comedy and fuses all Its scattered charms INV Wv
ideal Of womanliks loveuess and grace