The Washington times., 1907-04-25
NETHERSOLE PLAYS
DRAGGING ADRIENNE
Audience Shows EnthuSi-
aSm for Actress Rather
Than Play.

Last night before a crowded and en-
thusiastic house. Miss Nethersole gave
the only performance, during her present
engagement, of 'Adrienne Lecouvreur'
the one novelty of her repertoire. The
enthusiasm. It seems TO me, was rather
for Miss NethersOIe's personal beauty
and charm. and for the real elegance OF
the production, than for the dramatic
quality of the play. The role is one
that, except in one or two climaxes,
gives Mss NethersOle slight oppOrJuni-
ties. and while her wonderful magnet
ism remains, one misses the co.oring and
intensity that one has come 10 expect
from her.
In the beautiful reading OF the tale of
the two pigeons, and in the recitation
i'm which she denounces the princess.
Miss NethersOle finds her only Oppor-
funities during the first four acts. The
last act is perhaps all opportunity, and
the deHrium which preCedes the final
collapse is rather more in Miss Neither
soIe's lire. But, tc be honest. though
she does it well. she is IAN uncoE-
scionabIe time dying" 1t is an old
fashioned tragedy, written in a day
when audiences liked their agony long
drawn out They don't nowadays. Miss
NetEersoIe has compressed it consid-
erably, but it would stand a lot more.
Its tempo Is slow. slow, slow The
world moves faster in these automobile
days.
After Miss Nethersole. the honors go
TO Julian Royce for a MichOnnet fun Of
sympathy and appreciation. Stevenson
gave a fairly good Prince de BOuill0n,
which would have been better but for
the obvious necessity OF keeping IN tune
with the rest of the cast. Miss Rosa
lind Ivan S Princess de BOuillon was
HOPELESS Frank Mills attractive ap-
perance and musical voice helped him
considerably in the role OF Maurice de
SAKE. but he was bit too elegant FOR
the bluff, soldierly character attributed
To him. The cosJumlng ana the stage
setting were magnificent
In the afternoon. Miss NethersOle gave
a magnificent performance of Camille,
the play in which she was first presented
To American audiences. The public has
known manv Candles" but il is doubt
full il it. at present, knows better one
than Miss NethersOle's- Her Marguerite
Gauthier is a wonderful study in the re-
demptiOn of a soul through loVe-even
more wonderful in that than in its
EhastIier aspect Of the devastation of
disease and its final death scene. It is
a finely tempered, beautifully undulated
piece of work, played with all Miss
NetheTsoleS intensity, and with more
tiian her usual restraint
As for the support. it is better in Ca
mile" than in anything else IL has done
her Frank Mills is at his best as
Armand Duval. He plays it with more
sympathy and spirit. with more vigOr
and better effect than anything he has
done. Stevenson had his best oppOr-
tunity of the week as Duval, ST., and
made the most of it. lie was welcomed
with a pleasant little ripple of applause,
which he fully earned by his fine, clear
cut work. Julian Royce is fully entitled
to share with these two the masculine
honors His de Jarville was capital
Mss Molly Pearson. as "NiChette, -
made the most of the one scene in which
she really does anything. the play was
staged and COstumed elegantly and elab-
orateIv. and with an attention TO detail
which distinguishes all Miss Nethersole's
productions.