The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-26
WORCESTER THEATRE.
CATHERINE. 90

This is Miss RusselIs. first season in |
her stellar capacity, and it has been
an eminently triumphant one The &C |
tresss ability is already known to To-
cal theatregoers through the perform
ances she gave in bygone years of Els
meralda' and Elaine Her winsome
and gentle art and the exquisite sym
pathy that marks all her work sre en-
tirely familiar, and SO it will not be
news to the readers of this notice
when they learn that her performances
in Catherine" the new play in which
she will appear here ana which has
been the only play in which she has
appeared since she began her starring
career at the beginning of this season
are distinguished by these charming
qualities. There is, however, besides an
added dramatic strength to her work, a
revelation Of emotional intensity and
delicate expression of the stronger
passions that show wonderful deVel-
Cpment in the actress since the days
when she was famous as the most de-
lightful ingenue on the American stage
The many sided worth of Miss Rus
sells art was quickly discovered in
London last summer when the leading
of her performances and declared that
She was the only woman that had APP
peared on the English stage that was
capable of presenting in forceful and
agreeable way an analysis of a We
mans heart and feelings uLGer the diff
ferent conditions that sway the sex.
They christened Miss Russell "thc
English Duse," and an effort was made
by London managers to keep her there
during the present season, She was at
the time under contract to Charles
Frohman and of course put aside all
the fiattering offers that were made.
Her debut as a star was made in New
York last October at the Garrick thea
tire, when she appeared in NJ. Henri
JIavedan's playa Catherine" This
drama was written originally for the
Coincide Franchise theatre, Paris, and
was successfully produced there. 1t is
not one-part play, but is constructed
in the many charactered way that is
usual with all Coincide Franchise pro-
auctions; it offers opportunities to all
the players concerned in its presenta-
ton, and the smallest part has in a
measure as great a chance Of making
= hit as the leading role. 1t is a play
that calls for a strong cast, and as Mr..
Frohman has assembled in Miss Rus
sells company the finest support that
it was possible to secure among Ameri-
can players, it will be seen that with
Miss Russell in the title role there
could be no other result than splendid
and perfect performances.
The star and the play captured New
ork Immediately, and there was moth
ing but the most enthusiastic praise for
Miss Russell. her company and Cath
crime" itself. For 100 nights, Miss Rus
sell and Catherine" crowded the Gar
rick theatre to the doors. They We're
the dramatic sensation of the first halt
of the metropolitan season.
The fact that Miss Russell was all
that she had been previously in an art
1stic way, that she still showed the
same delightful ingenious characters
lies in her acting, that she was as Win
some and gentle and charming as ever
and that, besides, the actress was real
ly great in dramatic eXpression-all
these things We're noted and warmly
commented upon, and the triumph
which the popular little actress made
was genuinely overwhelming
There was extraordinary praise for
the company. too. Most of the critics
went SO far as to say that a better per-
formance could not have been given at
the Coincide Franchise itself. The
smoothness, strength and polish of the
representation and the delightful art
'stic temper that marked it 1t all points
were the talk of the town for the many
months that the play ran at the Gar
rick
Miss Russell comes to this city with
exactly the same production that was
50 successful in New York and Boston
In her company are Elsie de Wolfe
Frank Worthing, Mrs, lie Moyne. Mil
lie James w, J. lie Moyne J. G. Sa-
VILE and Vincent Serrano.