The morning times., 1896-05-03

large numbers. Some who saw it
were shocked. Some who were
- shocked took the FOOLS privilege OF
writing to the papers about it. They
displayed their ignorance. Olga smiled
an osculatory smile for the advertise
ment's sake, and things are quite as tbey
used 10 be- The performance of the las
civioas Sevtlan, which Miss Nethersole
gives, is said TO be disgustingiy erotic, and
charged with animal sensualtsm that axes
il disgustingiy real. II is said that moth
ing is left to the imagination of the audience
more than Carmen intended Jose should
guess for himself
People who haven't blushed in years
say they would rather not he found i'll
the presence OF ladies and "Carmen' at
the same time. i have read the comments OF
hcarly all the prominent critics who saw
the exhibition, and with unbrcken ufIan-
unity they condemn the Characterization
by MISS NctneESole as Il prostitution OF line
art and rare genius, and insist il is willful
ndiscretion to play the role with such
undisemsed realism. 1t certaiDly is crimi-
nal. this trailing OF exceptional and SlGn-
taucous genius like NetheTsole's in the
mre OF vCiuptuouS actuaiiSm, bartCring
on the carnaI curl CSity OF dlssoute
public. They sit at their iibidiDOuS feast
aud shame the woman wEo serves it. 1t
is hard 10 believe that the woman who can
Juliet and claim admiration and sympathy
for Camille even in the revelry OF the demi-
monde, would barter her reputation for
discretion for passing term OF revenue
So much censure is Miss NetAersoie's des-
sert for this IN iStakcn exploit, but the st.
Louis hOi-poloi go further ani place Olga .
friends in an attitude of defense. They
wrote long pink notes to say that Olga
must of necessity be morally bad and spir
itually lost or she could not impart such
moral intensity to the part. There's the
mistake SO many Ike. They confuse act
ing with being, whereas the suDlest ex-
preston OF the art dramatic Is the real
isl ic expression of something you are least.
Theory and example point the absurdity
OF the slur upon Miss NethersoIe. Dramatic
art is not the effect upon the player,
but upon the auditor. Stimulation is the
key OF it all-thc making real OF the arti-
ficial. Mansfield can murder on the stage
with a realistic detail that sends emotional
people into hysteria, but. barring q few
eccentricities, he is mild-iHaunered gen
teman.
Henry DiXey can makeup and act an
octogenerian TO the life. and old Jimmy
Lewis can play a boy in his teens While
Mrs. Kendall played wholesome domestic
women. she was aduiated as the matrOn
of the drama. and when she gave Paula
Tanqueray, the foolish public could not
discriminate ana branded Madgc. Wien
Amelic Rivcs published The Quick and the
Dead she was threatened with social
ostracism. till her foolish critics realized
that it was only a piece of rtifice. stephen
Crane. " no was not born at the time OF the
war writes in his twenty-first year an
astoniShingly minute and vividly accurate
description of u country youtl's impress
sons on going TO war and fighting his first
battle. He never saw W battle in his life.
The analysis of spiritual entity and the
separation of artistic stimulation from self
reproduction is too subtle for tile good
people Of st. Louis. who write letters to
the press. and in some eyes Miss NethersOle
will iTave 10 suffer for Carmen'S sin. her
n.rn ind discrafin q nd the rnaIisIn Of her art