The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-10
COMMENT ON THE ACTORS.
WIHsoMENEss IN JULIA NARLoWB
AND INNIH RUSSELL.

~ ~ INV WV ASshH - ~ y hfNh abS /
the other In ''The salt OF the Earth --The
Gies over the Finsee or the Criterion Hnde-
pendent Theatre-Atmsd Hieh. Btruck Low.
Julia Marlowo's performance Of Rosaiind at
the Kniokerbocker was charming chiefly
through her " personal attractiveness. al
though her agreeable voice and the totally UNI
affected manner of her reading added to the
beauty Of the verse. Miss Mhrlowe 10 distinctly
feminine in her treatment of the scenes with
Orlando, in which her c~oquetry and banter arc
quito the same M they doubtless would have
boon had she kept on tho skirts of the first act.
The assumption Of masculine airs and manners
may DO, as some critics have said, only q tradi-
ton In the performance Of that role; but they
accomplish one purpose for the actress
who attempts the part whom sho brings
to 10 rather her strong personal charm
than any very deep talents. 1t gives a va
riety which, in tho merely agreeable ~satisfao-
ton Of eye and car. the long scenes do
not possess. Miss Marlowe 10 slighter in
figure than she was two years ago. and she has
never looked moro lovely since she first acted
hero than in the disguise Of Ganvmede. Her
costume was peculiar in the use Of q curiously
formed cloak. which fell down to her feet. all
about her. when It was not draped. 1t was like
. priest's vestment called q chasuble, and II
concealed her completely when It was not
held up, But that happened only once
tempt to conceal. from Orlando the stretch
of shapely thigh between tho. top Of her high
Ocular spa Mis- ihs Mean %ari % nSs s manner sr' va. Co oem aSSs Riy;
masculine. She no more minded ortGndcs
changed as frequently as she did. and there was
hGf { q pG he 'e ese. ai In n appa %anS e p Miss M aelioRs,
was. an ideal Rosaiind.' It would bo dificuit to
that moved with more plastic beauty. Ono
agreeable reflection in sitting under the spell Of
is still to be- enjoyed many seasons to come. She
is to-day as fresh. and girlish in appearance as
S MnsJ Ju Tist "'S at tho s Star Theatre sae "t tsn years 'n is Sso.
Annie Russell has the Same youthfulness of
look and manner which Miss Marlowe shows.
and 1t has made her the predestined actress for
q certain line of parts in the contemporary
drama, and in "The Salt OF the Earth at Wal
lacks she IN Just now ombodying another pnr-
trait in that charming series which began with
Esnerdldd and ended, for the time being, with
tho heroine of Joseph Arthur's Indiana play.
Miss Russell 10 Just now, In her polka dot frock
and sun bonnet, the same intensely magnetic,
interesting, and authoritative figure In our
stage life that she has always boon. Her art is
of a fragrant, delicate nature which, with all the
success that 1t has brought to her. will yet show
itself to the best advantage. Miss Russell has
SompioihCo WAbh boAhO etho oAh
tho fate which has assigned her always to rural.
youthful. demure, and rather self-effacing
heroines. Anybody who remembers some Of her
other performances can sympathize with her.
There was one creation Of hers which was az
u " iy'1 placedf in II. g. csrieton'S political
that unappreeisted drama. But it 10 remem:
bered by ali who saw it as q refreshingly original
delineation Of the high:bred,. high-spirited
American girl of ROciety. The DiOnanCy of her
comedy in THE Mysterious Mr.. Bugle" added
( S ipsr kSs to that Ssn wdS a , sSm 5srf sSio sRa 5 pFsVoSS . thst
than she can wear sunbonnets and sit on wells.
fences. or other rustic substitutes, for out-of-
door furniture. Barring the exquisite delicacy
of her art, there is the sympathetic quality Of
her personality. which, in spite Of the SINH
serts itself with a new note OF conception or
ace3mpiishm I'M II T. ~ were re-, necessary or de,
Of our actresses could do it 90 we'll. She ought to
be an ideal Gtiberte In. "Frou-Frou." and-but
SnetS a do not esw seem en- t To lie " within f her powers x .0'''
The Criterion died amid the laughter of
most of those who watched its last throes at
Hoyt's Theatre. and now there is a disposition
to dance R~leefully on the grave of tho poor
thing. This independent theatre" had aimed
30 high and struck so low that its only potent
appeal was for ridicule. Nevertheless, there
had been good intention at tho outset on the
part of a majority Of the projectors Of the en-
terprise. The scheme was to produce in a series
Of ton matinees such plays as would interest
and edify literary people. Hopelessly I'M
popular works. like those of Ibsen, were
to DO chosen for their excellence as
art. The question of merely entertaining value
for the multitude was to be put aside. The edu-
Gated taste of the considerable few was to be
gratihed. Nobody could object to 50 admirable
and help. But when the prospectus was pub.
lished 1t was 80 bumptious as to foreshadowa
gssc9: Theatrical managers were told without
that they were invariably, either ignorant or
ate in moral sense that they would reject any;
thing decent on the stage even II 1t were offered
% VI iae% might ifef hsre ass shs Gr8 the criterlo snp 20 re-.
sPF.ectful attention Vas promptly withdraw:
nevertheless made a respectable. start with
Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman," TO which IL
Enough for tolerance as a production BY a sordid
manager, still served the purpose Of Illustrating
t tas ihlnsqf aiiiaas 9a or 81 q t fas Plh iSmo ahsn fs@ een:
cerned in the direction. which was left mainly
in the hands Of disreputable fellows-mongrel
dogs that bark In the cutters between the the
atre and journalism, and bite at the respectable
heels of both professionalism these creatures
that nearly two months elapsed before, they
could agree upon the pieces for the final per.
was sufficiently amusing to have crowded the
theatre, II the public had but known that 1t was
| dependent Theatre proved ludicrous. In Its
inception It gave promise OF accomplishing
that kind waiting to be done. and the fate OF
the Criterion should not deter anybody with
dramatic ideals imbued with common sense
from Undertaking 1t. At. all events, nobody
would laugh at the denthbod OF q meritorious
failure. nor dance over its honored remains.
The play that caused Kathryn Kidders Seri-
GUS illness was called Loves at War; She had
expended much work and money in writing It
and preparing to enact the heroine. 1t was per-
formed In st. Louis. and failed SO utterly that 1t
was withdrawn after the second night. Miss
Kidder has a delicately nervous organization.
and the disappointment broke her down. She
announces that she will not return to the stage.
She WAS first introduced TO the public by tho
late Frank Mayo, who discovered her excep-
tional talent, and made her tho leading actress
Pitou's production Of Nine. Sans Gene and
gained . hrst-rate professional standing.
One of the American players who have dis
tinRuished themselves in Henry IryinQ's pro-