The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-03-24


glorious close. 1t has been, as a whole,
a season of good things: that IS. Of
more bOuntifuI sprinkling Of good things
than the average. In another month it
will have passed into local theatrical
history but that final month is 10 be
signalized by some real events. First
of them is Ellen Terry's engagement
which opens tomorrow night, what is
in all probability, though it IS not so
announced. her farewell engagement
And in this connection / cannot for
bear reprintfng William Winters tribute
10 Ellen Terry. Mr.. Winter is the dra-
matte critic Of the New York Tribune.
and not at all given TO bursts Of boyish
enthusiasm. YET, ar the time of Miss
Terry's recent engagement in New
York in the same plays that she IS 10
~do here next week, he wrote:
THE actress is great. but the woman
is greater than the actress, and in the
final analysis Of Miss Terry's acting it
will be found that her enchantment IS
that of a unique personality. only To
name the characters that she has MADE
. her Own-the characters in which she Is
not only unrivaIed but unapprOachable-
Is 10 point directly 10 this conclusion
Those characters are OPhelia7 Portia'
Beatrice, Wills Olivia and Goethe 5
Margaret She has played many other
parts and given great pleasure by the
playing of them and revealed rare quail
tiles Of nature and fine faculties Of art
in each and every one of these, and IN
others OF slighJer fabric and narrower
import her acting has often AFFORDED. II
not invariably the ground for unQuaiihed
applause. at least the means OF enjoy
ment and always the occasion or
thoughtful study; but her revelation OF
personality, in a natural embodiment OF
ideal vomanhood, has never been so
ample. as in those five characters Just
mentioned
she possesses "A marvelously blithe
spirit. and. in some Of her moods she
,-aye1s in the eluberance of frivolous
humor. with persons of extreme sensl-
1,iIitv that trait-an almost hystericai
propensity for mirth as a rellet 10 the
strain of serious feeling-is not unusual;
but. ultimately. she Is woman OF
passionate heart, of profound tender
ness. and Of a most ardentiy poeuc
IMAGINATION. Nature has been more
kind TO her-more profuse III the iil,7i
.lit,y of good gifJs-than TO any other
has endowed her with a commanding
- ,,-,,7sovno figure. q stately head. man
lied with golden hair; a countenance OF
,,ir,,ant charm and exquisite mobility:
Tho gray ewes Of genius, through which
800 nure and noble soul looks
frankly into the face Of all the world
,-o.a1 organs Of exceptional power a
voice of delicious cadences and melting
of
,,ral grace of action, and II IN the
svternal equipment It has placed a worn-
ans heart 10 feel. a woman's uneTrlhs
Sr+,,5+for 70 perceive. the gipsy's freedom
% snirit that breaks away from all con
,,a-+,ov and the poets kinship with
,,at,,re in everything that is grand anu
beautiful
..F5ar acting has revealed her as more
g-tri+ than a mind: as one VINO
~sscbee conclusions instantly, by al
-.9,st{o, and not by analysis; as Won
5arf,,I. complex creature Of nerves ana
t,r,,,,,1ses. wayward IN fancy. strange
go cratic. vet lovely with simplicity
81 always at last-sUrviving every
-ytcissi+ude-the authentic image OF good
ness and truth.
Not improbably the actress believes
that she has carefully and oetuy Fe'-
soned her way 10 every erect OF III
snfrarion that she produced in The mao
scene OF OpheIia. in Margarets ecstasy
of love and in Olivia's unspeakably pa
tbetic surrender: but such effects as
those are not planned, they happen IKE
some of Shakespeare own happlest
lines. they rise out Of thoughts in
terror sphere" (as Emerson calls it, ana
they lean, fulI-statured, into an immof-
ralitv of beauty. Her embodiments OF
Peatrlce and Portia were more the
creatures of design, yet into them also
The unpremeditated allurement OF her
enchanting womanhOOd found its way
and the wild heart of Beatrice evoked
n tender sympathy, and the moral
grandeur OF Portia-warmed win hu-
-,ap rassion-entranced the feelings as
Tnuch as it impressed the mind. Portla'
on the stake. had always been diadacuc
and oratoriCal until Miss Ellen Terry
D1syed the part, Iiberating all its
,,iouant sweetness. alluring loveliness
ana passionate ardor; since which time
II has been acted as lover. not as a
preacher.
more to hen than to anyone else the
stage of today owes the benefits accru-
ing from the growth OF natural style
Of acting-a style which does not sacri-
fee the .deal, nor degrade poetry to the
level of prose. This style has been
caught up and initiated in every direc-
tion-a thing. however intrinsically de-
sIdable. that never would have hap
pened but for the magical achievement
of her personality, Affecting actors no
less Than auditors and making her-to
use line from an old poet. Mistress
or arts, and hearts, and everything,
This view might be enforced by par
ticular examination Of each of Miss
ITerry's representative embodiments, but
that process-whIch would require q
volume-is impraCtiCabIe here. Her act
ing is, OF course, irregular and uneven
the underwoods full OF bramble roses
not the trim garden with its rows OF
tulips and beds of moss. but it is ali the
more potent for that reason.
Her first performance in America
.tOctober 80, 1850 was that of Queen Hen
rietta Maria, in Wills beautiful play
OF s'Charles !, and the dominion thai