The sun., 1903-12-06

In a word, Fay Davis is cerebral. Ih'
head rules--I am taking the word Sce re
bral" at its face valuation--and a graceful
we'll poised head II Is, its contours shapely
It's features arch and winning. One dimpl'
in a womans cheek-dents OF destiny
Hike to call them--is dangerous enou 81
to the average man; but when an actress
is able to turn upon you battalion o
dimples, then criticism wavers and tht
truth is not always put down upon the
blushing paper. However, Miss Fay's
dimples are not her chief charm. She ha'
a charmingly moduated voice and she
uses it cooingly with much effect.
Her julia is conventional az is the charac
ter, though Violet Vanbrugh lent ita certain
impl,lsive wildness missing in the Ameri-
cans performance. We shall not quar-
rel with the latter. She did all she could
l, for one, rejoice when this actress is moi
cast in roles requiring the deeper diapasor
of passion or rage. She is apt to become
shrill when she forces the note.
| ! have called dimples dents of destiny
What then is the symbol of Marie Tam
pests tip-tilted nose, that nose she de-
clared was her misfortune in life? 1t is an
audacious heaven-aspiring, piquant, little
pug-no use blinking facts, pug 1t is and
pug it remains though Paris calls it spirit
ueHe and retrousse I wonder If the nose
of Miss Tempest is not her destiny. That
| upward curve means self-assurance, and
hardihood has been characteristic OF her
career. Her nose is as truly Marie Tempest
as the fatal cleft in Julia Marlowe's poetic
chin. Her fascinating proboscis has pulled
Miss Tempest out of bed in the morning and
forced her to work at her piano, at her
singing, at her acting. An inexorable nose,
a tyrant nose. pug that is positively mas
terful il has been the rudder of the good
little bark Tempest and has steered her
through the sickly shadows Of Operetta
into the deeper waters Of comedy. After
such a nasal rhapsody there is nothing left
to do hut salute MSS Tempests feature
with, Three cheers for the Nosenmrie"
There was little change from the London
personnel of "The Marriage of Kitty" when
it was given here at the Hudson last week.
At the Criterion, London. Madame de
Semidno was played by Miss Granville,
and played extremely well. Ada Farrar,
of Gay Lord Quex" fame Is the Peruvian
widow in the New York production She
was very nervous the first night and over
accentuateda character, which at the very
least. verges on exaggeration. Miss Farrer
did not mend her nervousness by tearing
her pretty dress in fact there was q lot Of
dress ripping in this farce. 1t is played
with such rapidity- it would bore
that sometimes the people fall over their
feet. Invariably in London Miss Tempest
tore her dress when she rushed into her
l. ,s,,ht shn -
door on her trail and no doubt said "dam!'
in her prettiest Gaelic.
And. by the way, her French is of the best
both as to accent and gesture She should
have been born in France. but. not having
had much to say on the matter. she did
the next best thing-.she has much Celtic
in her veins. 1t manitests itself in every
twinkle of her eye, every moment Of her
mereurial body. Her laugh is the hit Of
the season--it ranges from a cultural
chuckle to an irresistible falsetto screech.
The comic opera stage has lost much
though it has gained Teutorio Marie in
FRITZ Schef-but the real thing, the boards
with footlights, and real men and women
on them. has added the name of Tempest
to its distinguished galaxy Of comedians.
by Miss Tempest In Act II. Ii called tout
Passe" and is composed by Rudolph Berger.
Another thing: Theatre audiences to-day
are musically cultivated, AID do not accept
oomplacently the piano strumming OF
yore When Miss Tempest sat down to
her miniature Steinwsy. nd:preluded with
facile technique and rich tone, she was
appauded before she had opened her
,:,
with every manifestation of delight You
felt that it was the last link that binds the
saucy Marie to her vocal past.
Upon the voice I shall not dwell. It
has deepened, darkened, and there is more
color in the lower register; but it has also
become porous in quality-there is no
other word. We. all cherish memories
of "The Tyrolean" and its one song, SO
let us drop the ungrateful role of larynx
expert and pass on to the play.
LA Passerele" was written by that bril-
liant young French dramatist, Francis de
Croisset, in collaboration with Madame
Fred Gresac His "Cherubin' has been
heard at the Comede Francaise, and met
with success, both there and in Brussels.
Much modified, 1t was Englished by Cosmo
SIOrUOn LennOA, WHO HAS, WVdOuS utCtW
performed his task with rare tact. 1t is
by no means 4traducing" as are most
adaptations. He has retained sufficient
of the original wickedness, while looping
away some rather strong lines in Act ii.
Mr.. Lennox, who is Miss Tempest's matri-
monial one-quarter, may be congratulated.
"The Marriage Of Kitty" ia hardly a
masterpiece. Its situations are cleverly con-
trved, and the authors have infused enough
vitality into the chief characters TO make
them acceptable. The silly ass, Sir Regi-
maid Belsize. is gentlemanly one--that is,
a modern gentleman. He vacillates be-
tween the two women--he parts his heart Il.
like his hair in the middle-and you really
can't blame him. Kitty is adorable; but
80 is the tall Peruvian-though embracing
her must be Trafalgar monumental sort
of an operation. She is undeniably hand
some. fine figure of a woman and the
foolish baronet should not be too harshly
judged for his waverings of flesh and spirit.
He might have sung. How happy could
I be with either, were tother dear
charmer away" The setting Of the mixup