Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-20
MAUDE ADAMS ANALYZED.
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complications. First she Will and then
she won't. Now she win be Lady Bah
bic until the end Of time, now she will
be the minister's wife in the manse.
She is this. that and the other In so
many seconds. She is variety she Is
change, she Is contrast, she Is EN-
bodied comedy. This is not acting; Il
Is quicksilver running wild, II Is
comedy at its point OF perfection, COM
edy OF the finest caliber
With only two actresses with whose
art ain familiar could | compare Misc
Maude Adams, and she should take Il
as a compliment. She reminds me OF
the great Mrs. Kelley, now dead and
gone, In her happlest moments, and Of
the one superb coincidence that Ameri-
ca has, unhappily, never seen, Marie
Bancroft.
Maude Adams has the qualntness Of
the one the adroltness and alertnees OF
the other But apart from all COMPARE
son she Is eth Maude Adams. with her
strange and almost weird personality
In many respects unlike any actress
have ever seen.
When look at her and note her tones
and moods and changes / think Of La
Petite Fadette, of George Sand: / re-
gard her as faun. or dryad, or
fairy nymph Of the woods and streams.
She is at one moment the German IN
dine. at another the Shakespearan
Ariel In modern attire. She should
never play juliet. or attempt the trag-
edy Of love; she should be Ariel or
Puck. or some delightful eprte or
wrath from Shakespeare's falryand.
When did an actress Of such slight
physical form possess 80 much power?
When did little body, so frail, give
out such splendid force? When did
tiny creature like this pour out such
volumes Of magnificent tones OF voice?
Maude Adams is at once a contradic-
ton and q surprise. She is electric she
Is magnetic, she is convincing. She Is
like most clever women, "varlum ct
mutabile semper;" she Is everything by
turns and nothing long; she Is 20 the
student OF acting a rare pleasure and a
supreme delight she awakens into life
and movement the dullest audience In
the world; she speaks by expression.
and we can understand her by the play
of her features without utterlng a
word.
Briefly, then, never saw Maude
Adams until last Tuesday In my life,
but think she must be very remark
able artist for never before have | been
able TO SIT out The Little Minister with
out going to sleep, and sleep Is
stranger TO me In the playhouse, | am
happy 10 say.
The Lady Babble Of Maude Adams IL
TO me revelation, but should like TO
see her In some character where her
humor is more accumulated, where her
variety has greater play, where her
power Is more pronounced. Maude
Adams, with her unique methods. her
laughing eyes, and her flashes OF COM
edy, ought 10 be the Mrs Abingdon OF
the future. How Sherldan--what
Lady Teazle she would bel-and Gold
smith and Farquhar would have well
coined herl Her comedy seems too rare
and fine for modern times. II is Of the
old school. II requires an educated pal
ate. We like 10 taste II as we do fine
old Madeira-tp handle II like exquisite
lace or remnant Of choice brocade.
We do not get nowadays the flavor Of
such art as is given US by Maude
Adams. ! want 60 see her again In
some part where she can assert herself
as a queen OF comedy, with humor and
pathos in direct contrast, because / am
content TO put up with the elders and
the Scotch lingo for the acting OF that
delightful Lady Babbie.
CLEMENT SCOTT.