The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-04
TREE COMELY ACTRESSES.
IA, Wallis, MISS ELLIOT, AND
1i IRIS BUsBY ENCO URAoEP.

-.Are Rather clever IN Three Curreut
1heySA Tendency to Fairness IN Two
=, Dramas-Certnin Aspersious Cas-,
-. the Hypnotism or Prof. Fsrri.,
-.u,s an example OF the adequate doing OF
.sirg, in "Th Squire of Danes " which IL
n.. interesting. The smallest role In the
~ ~. .,c.pt those Of the two servants. Ia one Of
y. h.., acted, because nothing IL left out that
~ maize II effective. The part Of Elsie is in
y~n,ecant and unnecessary, and II affords TO
a,a.. wallis no opportunity TO exhibit any ex-
...o,dInsry quality, but the personation con-
80. . radical Ingredient Of artistic success in
~. .ompletcness of detail. The child Elsie Ia in
- IN a vein Of particularly idIotio schoolgirl
NANCE. with Lord Etstdce Chct,dnd. or, as the
...r, shows, with Lord Eustdce's beard. Her
.om.nts OF pronounced admiration in the fret
-, .muse the audience; Miss " allis's imitation
o,mild burlesqueof childishness entertains peo-
Al. when she suddenly moves her stool TO get
h.,vsen his lordship and Zoe NuoOctson, who Ia at
N, plsno. everybody laughs; when Elste is sent
A. had and attempts TO bid Chetldnd good might
and bursts into q ludiorous crying At many per-
am, applaud. The excellence of tho PERFORM
snee, however. is not in these msnnuvres, but
IN the fact that tho actress keeps herself con-
tinuously and uninterruptedly in character.
Her face has the right expression and her ges-
tures and gait the right action. even when she
10 virtually doing nothing. In the last act the
correctness and restraint Of Miss wallis's acting
more noticeable, and brings. this slight sketch
into harmony with the comedy tone OF the play.
With whom Charles Frohman has surrounded
John Drew display a skIl In keeping in the
right key. as It were; which tmparts to this
which gradually increases to the very end OF
the action.
The public 10 TOO apt to regard q beautiful
actress merely as \ stage exhibit, and occasion
ally . manager aids in this injustice 10 q tai
ented and Woodworking woman by utilizing her
comeliness In advertising the cast of a produc-
ton. This 10 legitimate, perhaps, as feminine
loyeliness is attractive in q play, and Is partic-
ularly fitting whom It helps the scheme of the
dramatist In drawing q fascinating and engag-
ing characters; but emphasizing the personal
charm Of an actress often delays public recoRni-
ton Of her moro lasting and sterling qualities
q an artist. Besides Maxine Elliot, who has
safely passed the mere beauty stage Of her ca
reer, and whose good acting in "A House of
Cards has established her professional
s%T,hll in men sSa . A%S Hq sss S sas d done oie Ssr
work before. but has been best known for
sis.t Ei IF o Sssq nish w aoion, rs in i ssra sMs SHnsrss' ito to
stead of an %ingenue, or a suffering heroine. she
appears as e sort 1f juvenile is. society advs9tu,
honorable family, and has an enviabie social
position; but her father e very poor, and she,
Mad Madame me- and Of pia.esla's fathee4s. he he' sp zee Hg
comes utterly and hopelessly enamored of the
beautiful Pr,scalG. At the very beginning of
the part Of the dramatist the audience feels
that this sweet and seemingly innocent girl Is
IHSfsa' e T fhiisii mpre sso ns Is een sassId BY "a M hss Y Besby g.
acting. She moves and speaks like an ordinary
society girl Of the American rather than the
English tyne. q trife blase, cool, Unconditional.
ping the line of maid emily demeanor. she makes
Migrant or even we'll. pronounced manifestation
which Miss Busbs Would scarcely have been
thought capable. Thu revelation of possibili-
Is partly q surprise and partly an explanation.
sodaintily has the actress suggested the dividing
character. In the last act, carefully following
the course indicated BY the dramatist. she be:
, ,,sps the n fs,sshSod re OF hsr ~ life m In asr rom eyes =, and nd
tragic expedients, and while maintaining al
ways the outward calm and TIE air Of limo
again and really puzzle the. audience. As . foil
t9 Rose Ccshlan's personation. and as an aid to
ment of suspense In his play, Amy Busby Is an
important factor.
Tho modern development of the war drama
presents . peculiar theatrical phase of the same
spirit of fairness as seems to be leading. In the
political world. to q general resort to arbitra-
ton. Sutton Vane's Humanity" q melo-
drama which has Just returned to the New
York stage at the Academy Of Music, deals with
the South Africa war OF q decade or moro ago;
but. although written for the English stage. and
depicting British horoism and British victory. 1t
represents also the sterling manly qualities of
the Beers. Tho sympathy or the audience is
enlisted on the side of the English hero and
heroine. but enmity is not encouraged toward
tho Beers. but toward q rascally fellow who Is
true TO neither side. Villainy in the abstract
or rather in the concrete form of q single
man. and not yillainy as stampinG one
against which the hostility Of the audience
+ .t excited stt This lis 10 true rue also Hse Of The
the crime OF a nation is presented only SO far as
Is necessary to the story. and the active and i'm
rected toward one man. who is a spy and a con-
person. The g~entlemanly instincts
p pefm I'M St 10 Be 9SS noWs' h OF s1s SP PSs : r sv ARE
pathy with the Cubans is called forth. In tho
aramas dealing with our own civil war this
and y is the selfish rogue. who could never be a
hero In any cause. that Is held up to the scorn
old story Of the villain, of the play c~entring in
himself all that Is sinful and abominable, what
dramatis persona. This is 2 commendable fea-
ture OF all warlike and political plays. Those
that neglect It invite failure.
While the courts are d~allying with the topic
q hypnotism as an excuse for responsibility,
the wonders of the science arc displayed several
times . day by Prof. Ferris at Huber's Museum
In Fourteenth street. The Professor is q tall.
severe-looking young man with deep set eyes,
ana an unblemished frock coat In modestly
explaining his powers he INDUCES in sweeping.
iong-armed gestures that are awe inspiring,
"hiio his fingers move continually as II he were
trying to out" some damned spots" with
washing soda-s Altogether, the Professors man
ner Is as wierd as his calling. Having explained
with a becoming absence of presumption that
there is but little time left for his hearers to buy
ucAels for the stage performance. the
sa'ant passes on to a pithy explanation
OF hypnotic suggestion that for long, hard
words beats out Rider Haggard's vocabulary.
uthe call for subjects" there is at first no
shswer, even the three men that stand so close
soout me platform steps that none can get by
snem 10 not at once respond. But soon there Is
movement toward the stage from several parts
~ tne crowd. at which the three men step brisk.