Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-23
BAREFOOTED COUNTESS
DANCING IS IMMATURE
Ambitions of Young Russian Out
run Her Accomplishments
in TerpSichorean Art


Youth Is GLORIOUS, and youth is ambi-
tious But sometimes youth is over
confident. Hence, youths ambition out
runs youths accomplishment. So one
should judge youth remembering bthese
things.
In her youth and her ambitions, the
Countess Thamara de SWirsky, who
presented her barefoot dances yester-
day afternoon at the Auditorium. is
glorious. But her ambition has out
run her accomplishment. She attempts
too much. With the coming of years
will come accomplishment. Her danc-
ing Is promising, but immature.
When we saw Maud Allan last spring
we saw a consummate artist. She Is
the embodiment Of grace and rhythmic
motion. When we saw the Countess de
Swirsky yesterday we saw, in many
respects, a copy of Maud Allan. Copies
of masterpieces are always unsatisfac-
tory. The un0ulation of Maud Allan's s
body as she hoated from posture to
posture was exquisitely beautiful. Her
muscles seemed to ripple. Especially
was this noticeable in her hands and
arms, for her movements seemed to be-
sin at her very finger tips and end like
a tiny wave in her body. But the
countess lacks to a large degree the
mastery of muscular motion. Her pos
lures are we'll conceived, but are not
sustained. Her movements about the
stage are not exquisite, but forced ana
at times stiff. She seems unable to
keen her various and simultaneous
movements of hands, feet and body in
tune, as it were. Her accents are not
symmetrical, hence there IS little
rhythm in her dancing. 1t Is this lack
which makes some of her dances seem
awkward.
In the dances where the countess ex-
pressed the reckless abandon of youth,
especially the two final movements of
"Pizzicato" and the "Bacchanap' of
Glazounoff, she pleased greatest. The
third movement of the Peer Gynt suite,
"Dans le Chateau du roi de Montague,
scored because the countess gave full
play to her youth. But in the other two
movements she suffered a rather harsh
comparison with Maud Allan.
Sincere applause was given de Swirs-
ky for her piano playing during La
Tanagra." She is a mistress of the
pianoforte If not of the Terpsichorean
art.
One thing about the piano solo
Jared. 1t seemed hardly fitting to
behold an advertising card swinging
from the side of the piano. Such a
glaring sight is anything but pleasing
to the, artistic eye.
Under the direction of Henry Ohl-
meyer the orchestra rendered several
selections which pleased. Best of all,
the musicians played harmoniously
with the dancer.
Countess de swirsky' will give her
final performance at the Auditorium
Friday afternoon. A new program
will lbe presented. 5. q.
what Every Woman Wants." a
one-act play by Mrs. Samuel Travers
Clover and Luella Comfy, which was
given it's initial professional produc-
ton at the Orpheum yesterday, has an
excellent theme, was acted well and
staged sumptuously, but 1t is too
"talky.". BY this is not meant that
the speeches inhibit action. Rather
are they too long and numerous on a
single subject. This is particularly
true of the opening scene, wherein the
housemaid and the married woman ex-
plain that what every woman wants
is love, a husband and child. The
playlet could be shortened at least
five minutes by the elimination of
others, making them more pointed,
without in the least harming the play.
Another cut which should be made is
the final scene between the housemaid
and her husband wha has deserted her.
The final curtain speech is put off too
long, Tor the Tag line SnOulu Der
"Wen, there goes my job" with a
tableau between husband and wife.
"What Every Woman Wants" is
far above the average of vaudeville
sketches. 1t really is a tabloid drama.
If the writer's make few changes
which have been suggested, there is
no reason why this newest playlet
should not have long life. The vau-
deville stage needs such plays as
what Every Woman Wants." for
they tend towards the general uplift
of variety.
Lillian Burkhart. Cleo Madison and
Stanley Twist enacted the playlet yes
terday in a most satisfactory manner,
Miss Burkhart as the housemaid Phil
lips, Miss Madison as the unhappy
wife and Mr.. Twist as Jim Phillips,
the deserting husband This is the
first time that a play written by local
dramatists and presented by local
players has been presented on a Los
Angeles stage. s. ..
With such acts as Franklyn Ardell
and company, Roland Carter and his