The times., 1898-12-04

as some OF them do, %, she can't possibly
act-she is too handsome A player Is
quick to feel such a mental attitude
there is a subtle rapport between the two
sides of the footlights. l love to recall
Peg Woffington-I think she would be
even greater in our own time, for In her,
beauty and genius were allied Like per-
feet music unto noble words.'"
After Miss Russell, hear Miss Julia Ar
thur, young. very beautiful, reckoned a
genius, and enormously successful For a
person SO gifted she is singularly judicial.
Asked to choose between beauty and
genius, she said: II must qualify what
i have to say. Talent. skill even. are SO
often paraded as genius. the term. which
SO few merit, has almost lost its distinc-
ton. Happy the woman to whom nature
gives two such great gifts, II forced TO
choose only one of them, would unhesi-
tatingly declare for genius. There are
many reasons for such a choice-one
alone would suffice. Beauty does not
last"
Still, as always, much might be said
on the other side the querist interposed.
Miss Arthur would not have 1t SO. 1.-THE
geniuses are so few she persisted
Beauties are plenty"
You must admit, though, that beauty,
or even singularity. seems to draw au-
diences equally as well as genius. Re-
member Yvette Guilbert, who had only
singularity. otero. Anna Held and the
rest"
''Of course, they coined money! Miss
Arthur broke In. There will always be
audiences easily charmed by beauty, or
swayed by curiosity as to the latest sem
sation on the boards. In many cases, too,
the spell of beauty has disarmed the crit
les. Still I contend that the increment of
genius both in fame and money is greater
and better worth having. ] am not will
ing to believe-indeed my own observa-
ton contradicts it-that the public of our
time is ready to reward beauty, and let
genius starye in a garrett In the man,
1 think the public cannot be charged with
neglecting anybody whose art has proved
its worthiness. Its ear is quickly atten-
tive to the ring of true metal; once that
is heard there is a quick and growing
echo of applause"
Now about Cushman and Mary Ander-
son" the querist began. Miss Arthur cut
1t short. Beauty may embellish wo-
man; art makes an actress she said.
Yes, we might have a feminine Cyrano
The dramatist brave enough to create her
will find, certainly, an artistic brave
enough to realize her. Remember Char
lotte Cushman; she is most viyidly re-
| membered as Meg Merrilles. She made
fame and money by 1t; yet few actresses
ever disfigured themselves more than she
did to fulfill her own conception of the
Scotch sibyl. And Mary Anderson, des-
pite the full splendor OF her youthful
| beauty, was willing to be, for the sake OF
art, the disheveled hag of Derncleugh
Both were in their own way great; had
rather have been Cushman, because hers
! was the truest greatness. ,
1t was a somewhat singular echoine
when Janauschek. the only Janausc chek
| sitting in her cramped dressing room
| with the patter of the vaudeville fee,
| coming to her ear, said unhesitatingly
II would rather have been Charlotte
| Cushman. As to success on the stage
! though, neither beauty nor brains is need
| ed. A woman has only to make herself
i sufficiently notorious and she will find d
manager to exploit her, paying pub it
| clamorous to see the exploitation. No.
| with little nod and half shrug. II dc
| not say that cynically. Things theatriC
! are in state of transition. The old or.
| der has passed. The new is not yet fix.
| ed"
You knew Miss Cushman, perhaps.
suggested the querist. Janauschek nod
| ded. "Yes-she was a great woman
much greater than Mary Anderson. Thi.
| / say In all Kindness to Nine. Navarro
who would, fancy. be among the first t.
| agree with me. Nine. Navarro Is a very
| beautiful and very lovely woman, a.
| well as a good actress. Cushman wa.
great. We played together once-or rath
er on the same stage. 1t was at the Wal
nut Street in Philadelphia. Miss Cush
man had in hand benefit for an old ac
tor-a Mr.. Fredericks. She sent to know
II would help her-of course 1 was glat
to do it. She played Meg Merrilies"
She paused and sat silent until th
question came: did you play a Shake
spearian part at the beneft?"
| 20, no-Deborah-which your stage ha
rechristened Leah the Forsaken.' sh
said. ~ met Miss Cushman after tn
play@we had the same hotel She wa
more than agreeable. Though she was /;
big woman, square and angular, she CAV
the impression of grace. Hers was a dis
tinguished plainness. utterly remove,
from commonplace ugliness. In fact, ha,
she been a man, she might have bee
called handsome. You know she mad
up as an almost ideal Romeo.'
How of Cyrano-could she have playe
that part? And shall we ever have a hid
eous heroine?" the inquirer propounded
Madame laughed and lifted her shoulders
don't know-Cushman might hav
played Cyrano, she said. 1T is quit
possible, too, that we shall have befor
long the hideous heroine. who depend
wholly on psychic fascinations. Fascina
ton she must have or be no heroine. Ger
tainly she will be. when she arrives,
more creditable figure than the heroin
who depends on her dressing, or even he
whose reliance is her undressing
For stage success" said Mrs. Jessi
Bartlett-Davis. beauty and brains ar
both excellent things. But not the. onl
things-take my word for that I eve
incline to say not the main things Their
is something yet more essential-what,
do not know. neither does anybody elss
II anybody could find out big fortun
lies ready to his hand
"Where?" asked the inquirer.
"All over the theatric world" said Mr..
Bartlett-Davis. For example, Dur com
5si 1sl4