New-York tribune., 1909-10-10

the gifts which some day will enable her TO play
Fortia or Beatrice and she has somehow acquired
the training that viii direct these gifts most
accomplished ends There is point to which she
may not in the highest paths OF comedy The
spirit OF Intelligence the gift sympathy the air
OF distinction, refinement. and charm are
hers and all her qualities are under command
She has studied her art or she could not do what
she does. no matter what her natural qualities and
powers may be. But she has not been overturned;
there Is a freshness. a spontaneity in her which,
II she have good sense. time viii spoil. Care
funess in details is essential but let her guard
against celebrating detail too much Something
less OF the exquisite broken English of the Little
Queen would be better than something more for IL
would be more easily understood by the more dis
tant auditors. II just shade too difficult to fol-
low at some moments particularly the first act
But how far from stagness she is, from everything
suggested by the epithet 'theatrical' May she be
always sot Let her course be to forget praise give
herself 10 hard work cultivate variety never be
overZealous to play the same part in precisely the
same way every night, and she VIII have much
distinction as is good for any woman TO bear.
If Hedwig Reicher. now that she speaks English
could 6e seen in a real play. she would have all
New York. nay, all the playgong public of Amer
icl, st her feet. But the mistaken Judgment which
often hings obstacles in the paths artists in
stead Of Strengthening and smoothing the way has
made the course cruelty difficult for this extraor-
diuary actress. Extraordinary she is, indeed, but
TO appear IN amaleurish melodrama packed
with revolutionary preachments. and intoxicating
the sanctity OF the bomb 1t is pitiful that Hedwig
Reicher should be thrown away upon such stuff
an old-fashioned meodrama OF Russian revolution
AIRY life four acts OF turgid herOcs that went out
OF style many years ago When this play is not
tiresone It is ridiculous There a few passages
in which the actors EFT It out Of deadly duness and
mock heroics and give # moments OF real interest
HedHlg Recher, however is interesting in every
of7r- hos a11a7b be- he N
derson Of the German stage" Probably the person
who did had never seen Mary Anderson VINO
had no fire. no passion, no electrical moments.
S~edwig RelCher IS almost great Perhaps in
well constructed Iay, freed from the weaUyins and
ancient arti6cialites OF 'On the Eve she might
prove herself really a great actress. AS 1t is she
comes nearer 20 greatness than any other English
speaking actress to-day. Her play, though IS OF
the stage STACEY to the last degree, and when 10
this distressing quality is added the playwright's
effort glorify bOmb-throwing prophet IS re-
quired 10 forete the doom of the melancholy
melodrama which has come to town. The fact
that the plot IS founded on "a real incident in
Russian Iife." OF upon any number Of real Incl
dents does not IN any way alter the case. Even
producing manager might know. If the German
actress did not. that a country in which three
/ Presidents were assassinated in less than forty
years cannot have its sympathies touched by any
theatrical attempt 10 throw halo around political
assassination, when the victim is scoundrelly
chief Of Russian police Theatrical judgment ought
! az least, TO know that lady, however beautiful
| and accomplished. loses the sympathy Of long
suffering American audiences when Immediately
! after a murder, at which she has however grace
fully and tenderly assisted" she poses with the
| cry Onward, onwardr' the slow fall Of the
| final curtain. OF Hedwig Reicher's art and
strange, even wondrous. personality. too little has
] been said. The public has yet 10 know her. She
| IS likely 10 become one Of the most eminent dra-
matte artists in this part OF the world. She has
vet do IN order to vanQuish the difficulties
of foreign tongue Her speech is stiu foreign
| bv
! sooner she appears in play worthy her excep-
t3nal gifts and powers the better for herself and
1 for the public. She is exceptional in beauty and
in perception. IN voice IN IN graceful
/ ness; exceptional by nature and by training. Her
| eyes. her face, capable OF expressing every
! thought and every shade Of feeling. There is not
young star on to-day's stage who would not learn
| something about expression by watching her and
| listening the infinite modulations her voice.
| Forbes-RobeEtson is actor Of the first rank
| among moderus. Although the play in which he
| now is has such quality, it should be seen
/ on his account Forbes-Robertson is an artist
| through and through. His life has been lived in
| the world OF art. lie spent his youth in its at