New-York tribune., 1909-10-10

Queen as Miss Ferguson does Miss Ferguson mas
insight She understands character and can por-
--av f. she has mastered so much Of the technique
that there is nothing raw crude IN her
portrayal. n her performance at the Hackett The
a-re there is no false note uncertain touch.
Miss Ferguson has the rare gift OF true pathos.
combined with the dainriest grace Of comedy Be
-s-eu these e--reues lies al the range Of wornau's
arr comedy And all this Miss Ferguson
cover with touch that IS almost magical. What
ever she does seems be done without effort. And
e- be only the result OF arduOus labor II is
tle effect that training gives TO talent Of high
order. Her art conceals the artiice by which the
audience Is moved 10 laughter, sympathy and ad-
r-ratior. The naruralness o. her tupersonation is
arts self
Where in these days did Miss Ferguson get this
-5alntag2 Her stage life has not been long, but Il
must have been lived with open eyes and ears.
This actress has imagination, she could not
give, as she does. entire probability 10 impossi-
be part She has observation, never could she
have so 6eftIy caught the myriad details which
make up the foreign note OF her representation she
has ear. she could not with such faith
fU-1ess 70 nature produce, she does perfectly
produce every accent, infection, emphasis OF the
character she depicts. In her the young Queen 81
Herzegovina actually lives, and TO Miss Ferguson's
remarkable talent IS due the fact that the royal
Parsonage actually lives IN Harlem In other words
10 one who has seen Miss Ferguson in Such
Ltre Queen" thinks OF her acting, but OF her natu-
ralness. Thus she passes the hardest test.
NJ Claiming Pollock is 70 be congratulated He
Knows q good play when ne sees others than his
own lie Is q very capable critic OF acting. He is
going 20 be. doubt, very able playwright But
l.ayWrlghts are sadly hanpered by persons having
authority IN theatres one almost suspects that Mr.
Pollock did not have quite free hand after he had
written such Little Queen" There are passages
and persons IN Il so thoroughly drenched with the
conventions oS the stage sacred 10 the box Office that
Il is difficult reconcile them with the really good
i1llgs which accompany them and which are rrueF
l. nature M Pollock Is 70 be congratulated be-
cause of Miss FergUson's association with his play
Il is something 70 have provided such a part for
such artist And il must be satisfaction when
s-c artist as Miss Ferguson carries 10 success
AZ Undertaking which playwright s hopes were
base--
Almost by habit every one calls such Little
Queen an improbable play OF course II is i'm
PROBABLE but il is more 50 than the Zendaesque
aud Gralstarkish productions which have pleased
H-l-tudes these dozen years or more. An exiled
sovereign might iuhabit d Harlem fat II young
man from Chicago might marry q Balkan queen.
Anna Victoria OF Herzegovina might have brought
Her crown bonnet box through the New York
customs, but she would not have escaped the GUS
tens duties nor the publicity. A king IN exile might
E-1 employment Ia the New York Office Of q pork
packer lat the least sikely that he would
c. 50 Ez-ed sovereigus landing impoverished IN
Aew York Vou.G not he many minutes in finding
many mansions open 10 them. and many hnanclers
reacy 10 aid them If there were ghost Of chance
o- returning ~ the usurped. thrones. But
y r Pollock had stopped 10 consider all the prob
abilities there would have been play, and Elsie
Ferguson would uoJ haE7 been revealed 10 theatre
E'srs. Therefore Il is in order 10 thank Mr.. pol
lock
Turning Zeuda or Graustark upside down and tn
aloe ou-. and shaking the contents into a Harlem
'a' and downtown Office is perhaps good a
W. a. another L. make a fairy" play But while
4s-ng 10 make real queen and a real king II
klol-d have been Just a. easy have made real
business man instead 81 the cartcatlre which Mr..
Fe-4ock has draHn in A69lDh L4uiEan. The stage
Aas great deal a. learn about great business men
6Ae eminent politicians Even SO late az the latter
Peff - The eighteenth century Suylock sup
Bpsec % be- e. come character. and his imperson-
siors UoTe rcd wigs T. may take another century
Deiore playWrights sId actors realize that their
Conventional captains Of industry and finance
are about ike The real thing the comic red
NisseQ SEylOck like 1.-The Jew that Shakespeare
'feH- There Is chance for some playwright $
set unknown, % leap away from the stupid
FeA-ons 20 The stage reveal 70 the public types
u American mer with which the stage is still
OHacqlaluted
D-i ~ Miss Ferguson again. this young woman
= lie most refreshing personality Ou the Sew Y0rk
1-ase to-day n may be said Of her day that
-'s LAS genius. u Is sufficient say that she
-as TALENT - a markaby hieh order. rare in
t-s--i3, variety and power that Aer Ike the
|eil poraTT stage IS uot readily recalled. even II
- i.Ac exists there She is fair, graceful ia form
1-s movement; her face Is charming and expires
.ls' her voice musical. and capable of tie strong
81 ah Vel as the most delicate expression; she has