The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-24
Miss Blanche Walsh.

Miss Blanche Walsh.
In spite Of the fact that Miss Walsh
AYERS that theater-goers like so much 10
see Clyde Fitch's nauseous drama The
Straight Road that the play shows a
profit each week, the better class OF thea
ter-goers viii hardly find this aspect of
the case justification for the production
and the playing of such a drama. Such
a play is not only an insult TO the intel
ligence of audiences. but it is a gross
violation OF good taste. Looking stead
lily fo- the best IN such play one might.
perhaps, md the glimmering of al
moral. but the Jewel of morality is so
tiny and the ocean Of coarseness and vul-
garity through which one must wade to
reach IL is so rank and foul. that the end
does not begin 10 justify the means.
Even fine acting could not make such
play acceptable, and It cannot be said
that the acting OF The Straight Road
was startling IN its excellence. From
the work of the star herself down 20 the
humblest member Of her company the
acting was as tawdry and as meretri-
cious as the play.
Walsh changed her bill 10 The Kreutzer
Sonata" a play that has been seen to
much better advantage in this city
notably In the Bertha Kalish production
and at its best The Kreutzer Sonata"
is not a drama OF hlgh-class, even II II
is a drama Of considerable power
The truth about Miss Blanche Walch IS
that she has not fulfilled, as an actress,
the promise of her earlier years. She
has been on the stage a good many years
now. Born on January L. 1873, the daugh-
ter Of Fatty" Walsh. at one time war
den Of the Tombs. and d well-known
character Of the famous Sixth ward, she
was educated in the pubic schools. Her
first public performance was IN June.
1887, at benefit at the old Windsor Thea
ter Her biographer says: Miss Walsh
played DesdemOna, and the occasion was
in many respects a memorable one. for
the whole East Side was interested in
the debut OF Fatty Walshs girl as an
actress"
! OF her career in Marie wainwright's
company It IS not necessary to speak save
to mention that her Elizabeth in Amy
RObsart' when Miss Walsh was only
/ nineteen was spoken OF as a really re-
| markable performance. II was character
/ lied by a dignity majestic and regal. and
beauty Of face and figure that certainly
never belonged to the original of the
/ character. She went under the manage
ment Of Charles Frohman for a time.
after which. in 1885. she Joined Nat Good
win, playing the heroines in many OF hts
successful plays. Then came a season
Of summer stock In Washington. She was
for time with the Herald Square stock
company. and then became leading worn
/ an of the Manhattan Beach stock COM
pany, OF Denver. a position she held at
the time OF the death Of Fanny Davenport
whom she succeeded in the Sardou
drama, touring as co-star with Melbourne
| Mcdowell.
| As a star on her own account Miss
Walsh seems to have trended steadily
away from the picturesque and romantic
drama in which she displayed qualities
as an actress that promised 10 carry her
far. and she has gone off after strange
and unclean gods. What she calls the
artistic triumph OF her career" was
scored In the part OF Maslova, the play
| adapted-and adapted badly-from Toll
stofs Resurrection Most people who
saw 1t will remember it for the horror of
the degradation of Maslova In the pris
on scene-so grewsomely hideous and re-
pulsive in its realism that il was mistaken
for art Since then Miss Walsh plavsd
the heroine IN THE Woman in the Case
another artistic" bit CT character-acting.
and another step leading toward The
! Straight Road" the elimination, let us
/ hope, Of this sort OF drama.
! Unless the early promise OF Miss
| Walsh's artistic career was utterly false
there IS absolutely no Justification for
such an abuse OF her talents as is evil
denced in such plays as The Straight
Road" Surely there IS enough in life
that Is sweet, wholesome. and uplifting
/ TO make II unnecessary to delve into the
| gutter for dramatic subjects. Nothing
| justifles Il. 1t is absurd TO think that
Miss Walsh does not play such parts
from choice. She occupies a weIl-won no.
sition on the American stage that allows
her commanding voice as to what plays
she shall produce, and one can hardly
| think without pity of abilities such as
hers, combined with fine presence and a
good voice, being so wasted and mis-
used.