New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-30
scRIRRLING ACTORS

Friendly counsel is seldom urgently needed as
Il is by actors VINO disposed to rush into print.
for writing is art that few Of them possess
ana, as rule the most that they accomplish
when they write IS the presentment Of a standard
by which their mental calibre can be judged. This
is sometimes unfortunate. Mrs, Carter for ex-
ample, not content with her great success I'm the
character Of Adrea, suddenly energies as a com
mentator on her acting. Mention is made Of
the noble primary emotions Of the wonderful bar
barian princess Why barbarian seeing that
she possesses all the civilized virtues and that
she is supposed TO be dwelling in the neighborhood
Of Italy, about the fifth century Of the Christian
era. You may feel" exclaims the actress that
Adrea IS hard, vicious and cruel" OF course you
may II You wish-but she is depicted a blind
girl Of an exceptionally exalted. sweet. lovely
nature. stricken into frenzy by cruel and terrible
injustice and outrageous n-treatment. This fact
presently seems dawn the haphazard writer.
for she declares that her hard vicious and
cruel heroine is "a trusting, loving woman. ten
der, earnest and true" This paradox being
established the eager actress ascends to a
loftier Observation-Disclosures MY own opinion
that TO play Adrea the satisfaction
Of intelligent American audience is no
less achievement than to act Lady Macbeth
Perhaps But if Mrs. Carter ever plays Lady
Macbeth (as she intimaes that she expects to do.
she will. probably ascertain that there is broad,
substantial difference between a modernized form
q ancient Greek drama and the most imaginative
fabric Of poetic tragedy. Lady Macbeth is the
action.-the moving impulse and spirit OF the most
colossal work Of Imagination in our language
and the acting Of it requires method totally dis
tnct from that which has been manifested in the
Adreas Zazas and DuBarTys of the passing hour.
All young actresses Of talent" says Mrs Carter,
'aim enact Lady Macbeth, and will pass over the
Juliets. the Beatrces. the Rosslinds, and the Por
tas in their eagerness 10 get 20 old Duncans castle
and set Macbeth al his bloody work" There was
epidemic of that kind about thirty years ago,
when several young female performers land some
old ones) were heard 10 vOciferate each in turn.
'InarTn OF purpose Give NE the dagger; but il
died out, and. in fact, there has been cOntinu-
ousy. consistently, tremendously. and concIusively
great performance Of Lady Macbeth since the DAYS
OF Charlotte Cushman, who. as an actress Of trag-
edy lowered. n personal grandeur and pro
fesslOnal power above all the actresses Of the
present day. Mrs. Carter. however. has shown
distinct tragic power and faculty. and, OF all the
female performers now before this public. she
seems, by stature. temperament and force the
best qualified 70 undertake that great part. No
doubt she will correct her present. apparent. i'm
preston that II IS 'old Duucan's castle 10 which
the actress O. Lady Macbeth must repair. and will
perceive that Macbeth had meditated the murder
Of the king. and practically determined on IT, be-
fore ever his wife mbIbed the idea Of that crime
The subject Is worth study. w W