New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-25

pend surprises. This was some time
paradox, but now the time gives it proof
Sometimes the best surprise is rather long in
coming and this time it was, but it always
comes. II came, and brought the second best
surprise with ii. The first was the Perdita Of
Miss Caroline Cheney Hills and the second was
the scene Of the shepherds merrymakng. IN
which she appeared This Perdita was en-
chanting. She made the audience answer
Amen to all the praises that the other char
acters bestowed on her, and that is a thing not
too common on any Stage. She was beautiful of
face and figure, graceful in every movement and
attitude, and sympathetic in action and speech.
while she did everything with naturalness and
ease which showed that she not taught
Many Of the actors in these plays make ii sadly
plain that they are taught
The scene in which she first appeared was an
uncommonly beautiful one. 1t was, Of course,
the long scene Of the festival Of the sheep
shearing. Stage managers insist on turning TO
Dresden. rather than to Bpotia, for their mod
els Of shepherdesses and this is not the place
to question the wisdom Of that choice. II IS
doubtless not to be desired that Perdita should
be set in too uncouth d frame and the spec
tator willingly submits to her friends looking
pretty as they like. \ few pretty shepherd
esses might be no or, alter marvel IN Bohemia
than a seacoast 1t might be. too. that real
Bohemia lads and lasses would prefer dance
with rather more bounce in it than the one in
this production But these students Of Smith
can do a dance that is pretty enough when
they please, and this time they pleased, and the
dance charming large part Of the story
is told in this scene: il contains many persons,
much is done and much is said. After the fes
tival there is much anxious parley among diff
ferent persons with different purposes. and the
action ends, but for AutolycUs. rather gravely.
In this performance Of il, after the action
over. a group Of the merrymakers again crossed
the stage, singing, walking slowly. as if return
ing from the frolic little tired with it, but still
happy. 1t was a pretty touch. which restored
the pastoral feeling. almost lost through the
severe talk Of ToliXenes and Camille, the foolery
Of Autolycas and the fright Of the old and the
young Shepherd and it bound the long and
varied scene together into more effective
whole
1t is not to be supposed that there was moth
ing worthy Of favor ,arli,r in the play than
this Mamillius Miss Mary Dean Adams had
lived his little life, had tossed his ball merriiy
and artfstcaHy. and had been pierced by the
bolt Of Apollo; Paulina Miss Carolyn Howe
Read had defended the queen and dared the
ageously; Ambiguous Miss Emily Grace Cheney,
me best Of the men in the play had been torn
TO pieces by the bear and Hermione Miss Har-
ret Chalmers Bliss had borne her trial with
brave and quiet dignity
Miss Cha mers did best when most was re-
quired Of her She was but mildly satisfying
at the beginning. but in the trial scene she was
far better and at the end. in the statue scene.
she was more than satisfactory Her descent
from the pedestal and her first speech, after her
long silence. where d false step a false note
would have been peculiarly distressing. were
accomplished with perfect grace and beauty OF
motion and Of utterance.
The men in the cast did not win the dstnc-
ton that they have done in some previous years
little part; LeCntes had thankless and an i'm
possible task There nobody who achieved
what Miss Blanchard achieved a year ago with
Dc CHERRY, or Miss Comstock two years ago with
the Prince Of Morocco This is no reproach
for those performances were among the sur
Irists of those years and the surprise Of this
year was Peldita The character parasitic
two shepherds and Autolycus-were done we'll
hut for being little overdone.
The Winters Tale" was worthy addition
20 the series Of which it is so far the latest
There were things about it which viii remain
among the pleasant memories Of those who saw
it, and this IS no small tribute to any play, no
matter where acted or by whom.
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