Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-08

When the curtain went up last IueS-
day night at Days there was no longer
any occasion to speculate as to the ex-
tent Mr.. Days extrayagancies would
lead him in his production of Romeo
and Juliet" with Mrs. Potter as winsome
Juliet and Mr.. Bellew as Romeo. Mr..
DAILY is noted for his eXtravagances in
stage settings and costumes, and his rep
utation in this line has been strength
ened by the representation of Shake
speares tragedy the past week.
Mrs. Potter's Juliet is said to come
nearer our ideal than has been seen in
years. She is sweeD and gracious, and
in the scene where she takes the drug,
and in the final act where she kills her
self, there are opportunities to judge of
herl exquisite art that has come to her by
hard study. Mr.. DAILY has been putting
her through severe dramatic training,
and he cannot possibly feel anything but
qualification at the result.
Mrs. Potter retains all the enthusiasm
OF her early stage career, and it is not
matter of surprise t at by her sweet per-
sonality that is as potent as the eXquis-
fte beauty of her face, she has given to
the stage an idealized Juliet.
When Mrs. Potter first appeared under
MIR. Days management he realized that
there was a great future for her, and he
is leaving no stone unturned to verify his
struggles. The world has been against
her in many things, but after all the
world forgives everything except failure.
Mr.. Bellows work Is receiving a great
deal of favorable comment. Romantic
roles are strictly in his line He is an ac-
tor of marked ability and there is finish
about his work that is the very essence
of art.
New York is Duse mad. Her represent
Dot Of tIfanf do llntA tti-
umph. l saw a little sketch recently of
Duse, which said, among other things,
that you looked at her because you could
not take your eyes off that face, which,
aside from its amazing mobility, is
marvel. Her hair is a dead, beautiful
black. Her eyes are very large and above
them arch narrow but distinct eyebrows.
Her nose is small, but its line is fine. Her
mouth is most fascinating. Her skin is
very dark and very pale and very clear,
and in her eyes and about her mouth
there is an expression of melancholy
which, from the beginning to the end of
the play, never leaves for an instant. 1t
+ touches her gayest laugh with sadness.
1t tlnges her love with sombreness, and
On Camille 1t deepens into a look of de-
spair and of wretchedness, which speaks
of anguish, as no raving, no hacking
cough, no wild screams could possibly
Nspeak.
Only once during the whole play did
tones. She found those sufficient to ex-
press the profoundest emotions, as is the
case in life. But when she was dying,
and her maid came to break the news of
her lovers arrival, and she said what the
maid hardly dared to say, her shrill
scream of Armand! All, Armand"
pierced the heart of everyone in the audi
ence.
Everything she did was worthy of
study and comment From the way she
tied together a bouquet of flowers, as she
was telling of her happiness, to the last
long expiration of breath with which her
face changed to the semblance of death,
she was perfect. But the most superb
scene of all was when she made ready to
leave her ideal happiness with Armand
after she had promised his father to send
hi away. There was no one who was
nc. moved by the crushed and desolate
pose of her figure; and there were few
who could resist the low pitiful cry
when she turned and fell down by the
couch and burst into sobbing that shook
her whole frame Yet she made no sound
louder than mother makes when she
takes the body of her dying child into her
arms and begins to mourn over it.
1.-THE Prisoner of Zenda" will probably
remain at the Lyceum for the rest of the
season. James K. Hackett and Isabelle
Irving have the leading roles. Hackett
seems to have gotten all of the plums by
one shake of the tree. Four years ago he