The herald., 1897-05-02

The past week hat been greatly
Frightened by the visit Of Otis Skinner
and his charming wife, Maud Durbin
with their company Of players. The peo-
ole who support the star are mostly stu
dents of dramatic art, with the exception
of Frederick Mosley, who is trained and
experienced actor Of the traditional
school.
Mr.. Skinner is an enthusiast In his pro-
fession and evidently gives great deal
of thought to matters outside OF his own
personations. This company all bear
to a greater or less degree the impress Oh
his influence, fact which may pe oe-
tected in their failings as we'll as In tneir
eood points. There Is evident reason 10
erpect from Mr.. SINNERS earnest ana
conscientious work the evolution Oh q
ron.7 dramatic company. 1t takes prac-
ticsA, experience to recognize and over
oo,~,4. whatever difficulties may be In the
NAV and from appearances the resui. ia
This instance may prove olstlnct oen-
eft to dramatic art.
The r,lays yesterday were 1.-THE Lazy
nf LYONS S" and Richard the Tnlro. VI
NJ Skinner's part in these perform
snces it is necessary to say. in brlel, tnat
b,e talent is made abundantly eVloent
snd that he is in the happy position OF
possessing more energy than is apso-
iutelv required to be distributed over the
whole performance. The lessons OF self
rontrol arrd subordinat ton of forces are
the good things for him to attain, added
to which may be mentioned the neces-
kary elimination of too strong tend
ency towards an affected mannerism IN
speech, chiefly involving the mlstreat-
ment of the vowel sounds.
Miss Truax is aclever young actress
and when she givee her natural voice full
play is she did last night as Queen Eliza
beth, shows that she has considerable
power and may perhaps become promi-
nent in her profession. Her Pauline was
a "pretty" performance with distinctly
nineteenth century atmosphere which
was emphasized by her coiffure and cos
tune.
OF Maud Durbin 1t can fairly be said
that her performance Of the Lady Anne
in Richard the Third" was a revela-
tion of her peculiar and striking fitness
for the character, as we'll as an evidence
of a new Interpretation of very puzzling
problem in the play. 1t has always ap-
peared incomprehensible that Lady
Anne, having such cogent reasons for
hating Gloster, should succumb in one
interview to his honeyed tongue and i'm
pudent advances. Miss Durbin affords
the explanation. She comes on the
scene, her slight figure draped in deep
black, relieved only by the white scarf
about her face, giving her nun
like appearance, but with face
of delicate and spirituelle beauty of a
dazzling kind. Her expression is that of
a timid bird, reused for a few moments
to a fiuttering anger, but quickly fall
ing under the hypnotic spell of the crafty
brute who, lowering close over her, ex-
erts his baleful influence upon her mind
and body with as great certainty as the
serpent fascinates his feathered prey.
Miss Durbin shows the effect of this in
fiuence in a singularly clever way, her
fixed expression and her slow responses
which are apparently dragged from
Lady Anne's lips revealing the influence
under which she labors. Richard is
Svangali, with this difference, that he
himself does not know the source of his
power over the helpless woman before
him. This manner of rendering the scene
between Lady Anne and her wooer de-
serves the credit of originality and en-
tirely settles difficulty that has puzzled
critics, commentators and actors alike.
Tho ct1,deufc IF Stamford mi.
versity presented the Junior Farce be-
fore large audience at Encina gymna
sium, on the 29th ultimo. The play, called
The Conversion of Uncle" was written
by W. H. Irwin, '9S. The plot turns on
the conversion of the Hon. Jason Tubbs
to friendly feeling toward football and
one of the best scenes is football pro-
posal scene. The acting of the students
is said to have been very good.
Here is what one critic has to say of
Yvette Guilbert: "Close to 9 o'clock
there was nger-than-common wait
after the last song-a ballad or some
thing by somebody in whom the audi
ence hadn't more than ordinary interest.
That meant by the eign of She who must
to approach. Sisnor Romili, short gen.
tleman who played the piano scurried
forth. One minute later long lady with
very red hair, figure as straight as one
Of your Uncle Samuels men down at
jefferson barracks, long, black gloves
that touched the elbows, and blue, bro
caded skirt there wasn't any bodice
worth mentioning) came forward. She
walked to the piano, far down the stage
right, whispered TO the ehort signor.
turned to left, coughed in very couyen-
tional way and went to center Her
easy, commanding walk seemed to saw:
I'm used to this sort Of thing and I don't
feel bit stuck up. I know I'm great.
but I'm not telling anybody about it,
When Signor Romili was ready to plav
he announced French song in French.
Then. between her teeth, with her head
thrown so far back that the audience
sighted on a line with chin and brow, the
singer displayed the most penetrating
thin voice 1 have ever heard. 1t wasn't
voice for one song, for it was not
changed in the twelve or fourteen num-
bers that followed it, Sometimes the
character of the tone changed-when the
mouth was opened-but most of the
voice came between lips that were al
most together. Yet every word, even the
many softly uttered ones, went forward
like scream of the wind"
Frau Sorma, the famous German ac-
tress, has been very favorably received