Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-08
EFFIE ELLSLER AS ROSALIND.

II some foreign artist of waning reputation
| In her own country had come to our shores
| loudly heralded by not altogether disnter-
ested press as the greatest genius Of her
! time, and had offered such a Camille and
| such a Rosalind as Miss Ellsler presented
| yesterday, the play houses would not have
contained the people who would have focked
to see and hear her. To attempt in one day
two roles so diverse as those of Dumas sickly
heroine and the sweetest creation in woman
kind of the bard of Avon is what most
great actresses would not do. To achieve
success in each, under most trying circum-
stances, before cold and Indifferent audiences; !;
to win for Camille the sympathy which her
woes no longer gain readily from the latter
day public; and to present a Rosalind in
every way acceptable in the light of tradition
and invested with new quality by the win
ming personality of the star; all this is
something that most actresses. great CT
small. could not do, and in accomplishing it
Miss Elsler who has only lately re-entered
the field of the legitimate. after a long ex-
cursion into the byways of society drama,
has established herself in position of great
prominence.
This latest Of long and uneven line of
Camilles may have been thought too cold
at times. when a spark of passion might
have electrified the house. She may have
been more uniformly sad than she should
be and less volatile and light-hearted. Com
PARSONS might be made to the characteriza-
tlons of other artists who have emphasized
the frivolous side Of Camile's nature. The
part, with its unhealthy. spacious, pathetic
appeal for sympathy, is not one TO which
Miss Ellsler Is temperamentally suited. That
she achieved so great degree Of artistic
success in it is the more to her credit. With
the nature OF Rosalind she is more at home.
although 10 see her In doub!et and hose
seems as strange as the heroine seemed to
herself when she first put on "a swashing
and martial outside" Miss Elsler quite fills
the eye as the love-lorn maid whose quest
befell in Arden's leafy shade;' her voice In
tho intelligent reading Of her lines is music
TO the ear, and her performance as a whole
is studious and well rounded. One has seen
many Rosalinds, some very good indeed.
1t is too much to say that M.ss Ellsler Is the
best of the II, but there are abundant ele-
ments of strength in her Interpretation of
the role, which VIII gain in power as the
years go on. One hopes that she will not
become discouraged by reason OF any ap-
parent lack OF appreciation, but Will persevere
in the way she has begun, trusting TO time
and her own merits to set her right.
Mr. Blinn is manly and graceful Orlando
and an agreeable but somewhat colorIess
Armand Mr.. Weston was out of the cast Of
Camille" but appeared to distinct advan-
tage In the evening as Touchstone; and Mr.. !
John A. Elslsr to see whom in any part is
now, as always, pleasure, played old Duval |
at the matinee and was an excellent Adam |
at night.
Mr.. Baker was a dignifed Oliver, Mr.. I
James an impressive but somewhat robus- |
tous Jaques. and Miss Lestina q mature
Audrey. Miss Dauncourt made an entirely !
pleasant impression as the arch and teasing .
Celia.
Miss Eislsrs costumes are of such beauty !
as to impress even the men in the audience,
who. however, could not describe them II |
they tried