The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-14
THE NEW STAR ACTRESSES.
THINGS THAT FOrR or THEM DID
LAST WEEK 10 DIVERT Us
Jose phinc Hall as a bold Hoyden' sarah Cowcn
Ie Noyne a. a Devoted Mother blanche
walsh as a Prosecuted Maiden ana Henri
eta Cro,man a. a Gaiiy Roguish siren.

-Four actresses made their first attempt last
week to shine as stars on IN" New nork stage.
They ranged from very dim to very bright, IN
ravs that have been described fully in THE
suns reviews Of the new plays in which they
were diyulgcd. But something further may
be written Of the particular Soene'tn when tl'S
strove hardest 10 win success. At least one
of these especial efforts was not commemorative
Josephine Hall. in an episode of The Military
Maid" wears the uniform of a French Army
Lieutenant. She i, making 1t possible for her
brother To see hi, sweetheart by assuming his
rank and duty In standing guard over tn"
ouarters of a titled prisoner. II had been tn"
custom for the prisoner to borrow the guard
clothes and thus gain temporary liberty. soon
after the woman hd~ gon" into service, an oil
flcer makes rruuisitiou for her zap and boots,
and she give hem To- him. II" returns win a
demand tor her coat. II is hulioucd closely
and gives uO iudicatiuu OF the garments beneath
n. SO when, after much protesting, tn' actress
obeys with an assumption OF outraged mod"-ty
the interest sought roris exactly that raised by
the shameful diSrobing exploits in some
Of the faTces two years ago. In this
case the inner silk garment disclosed Is 81 man
nish cut. and no further removal ~ costume
T. made. though Miss Hall ]gllncrs expires
sively at her trousers and SAYS she hopes Moth
AlAZ flnT AAhN nv "'uAo NNA wv f'F
tive n~astincss follows. The commanding Of
ncer OF the post discovers that u woman i
masquerading H. a man, puts her under ar
rest, and says She shall. instead of being com
signed to the post prison. pI~> the uighi WITH
his daughter. lie goes IN search ul ih" EiiI,
but before she appears th" brother takes TN"
place Of tho sister. The colonel, daughter
Is a subdued creature, too innocent to approx"
az the woman csCupade, yet welcoming Il
female companion. She dlscIos"~ these traits
T. the wondering Lieutenant. k--lug him re-
p~eatedly. caressing hs face, rrmarklng that
Il is rough for a girls. aud passing To- imprint
able comment on their lodging together.
Henrietta Crosman puts on a man clothes
for a venturesomc scene In Mistress Nell.
She is enacting a notorious creature. Nell Gwyn,
IN a representation Of that historic wanton's
liaison with Charles the Second. Neyerthe-
less, neither the play nor the actress gives
much offence, If any, even 20 the most SuS-
Ccptiblc puri-t. The moral degradation Of
Nell is 40 smoothly CLOSED over that her in
tlmacy with the King looks like "A seemly tri-
umph Of wit and beauty over a
gliIy gallant monarch. Not for r moment
does she behave ike a siren. This freedom
from all disrlly Of ewdncs- is due largely.
but not entirely. 10 tho adroit cleanliness nf
Mr.. Hazolton's text. II depends also on the
frankly roCui~h yet mover coQurttish manner
Of Miss Crosman'- Interpretation. Come
down. the King commands. as he stands under
NelI's balcony nj night. Com" up. she TO-
plies saucily. Com" down II you love mo "
he urges. Como M II you love mo" she
answers. L am too old TO climb. he pleads.
and scowls. Il am too young to take tho
downward way" she rotorts and smiles. The
dialogue is spoken so mcrrily that not until
the royal nronigate remarks aside, Give her
time and she'll TAIL" docs the encounter con-
yev any vickrdor significance than that Of
Romeo and Juliet in their garden ardor. Miss
Crosman'S exploit in m" doublet and boots
Of an Irish cavalier is similarly devoid Of i'm
modest suggestion. Mr.. HlIelton has the
authority Of Shakespeare in the absurd pre-
sumption that a mans Garh can readily hide
n woman's saV and mike her familiar %acQuaint-
ances fail ~ know her. The historians do
not intimate that Charles II, was 50 hlindly
infatuated with his mistress, that she could
take m her mask before him at q hlll and cross
swords with him without hiS recognizing her
beloved face That j. what happens in tho
third successful act Of "MiArcss Sell" The
Duchess or Portsmouth gives a masquerade
to which she Will not inyit" hcr rival in tn"
affections ot the King. So Nell assumes mas
Culine g4rb and goes unhiddeu 10 tho enter
tainment. There she prctouds 4 rapturous
admiration for the duchess. 0atters her in a
rich Irish hrogue with eloquent Irish hlaruey.
tax Is an impudeut embrace and kiss and gets
from her hpSidas some political papers Of vital
value. Va RoSalind or Viola over swagcared
moro attractiyelv M wom1ui,h mimicrv Of
manliness. But Nell GNvo carries her venture
further than shakespeare dlgnif"d heroina4
had the courage To. Sho undertakes 10
find out whether or M tho King loves her
-
IN tho presou,a Of tho puchcs- against asper-
sions To that end in m" assumed character
of the huov1nt voun , Iri-hn1u sh" declares
herself ? hn q rake who has won fayor- from
his Mliesty'- mistress. Charles proves his
loyalty to her hv angry resentment. and do
Clares the Sinsi"uc-, 81 his passion. she j.
elite at that, hut al once finds That hor victory
means a tight for m" King draws his sword
10 punish the trlducl c hrIgGlrt. She keeps
M a bold front for a moment and Grosses blades
with the monarch. Bur window Offers q wav
oi escape from or redioament. with the
cry Of To he'll wild ye,," sho dis ppc1rs in a
crash t clIs'.
sarah Cowcll IoMoynr's hc-t scene in The
Greatest Thing in the World Is altogether
womanly in tho sweetest and tcudereSt sense
OF that word She represents IN tni> play a
fond matrou with q son cursed by hcroitty
with a craving for alcohol. Mrs. IeMoyne
4, an clocutioui,t The cScrllc1cp of hey acting
consists altogether OF vocal expression Her
pose, and motion, az" often awkward. and
never mean much. But her u'tcrince j. clear,
fluent and reyclt'ory. Her method and prlc-
tice have bonn those Of a publ, reader, and.
~ the delivery Of BrowninC'S poetry has been
her specially, she has developed a clarifying
quality Of ~peroh Therefore, ~ the role
written for hcr by Mrs DcMillc and Mi-- Ford
contains no ohSclri'ie> 10 make plain, hut, j. a
simple, direct and Symp1thetir exposition of
what they declare to be- the greatest thing in
the world. a mothers love. tho task /. easy
for this gifted actress 10 perform effectively
IN her peculiar way. Sh" denotes maternal
devotion IN it., sadly appealing aspects. The
son Of whom she deserves to be proud makes
her ashamed lie love, her foadly. but
brings her 10 tho aclto,t Eri"t by his inabriety.
He has a responsive ~W'othcart, bat his wooing
become, an insult in IA" drunken avowal Of
his passion lie l. rich, but squandar- his
income, and FORCES a check TO raise mora money
to waste In proNiEacv. Mr.. I"Moynp's first
good opportunity In this social problem play
Ghc author, have written an excellent tenn
perance drama i afforded at u bali, whore