New-York tribune., 1910-01-30
THE PLAYG0ER
Billie Burke 0s She IL and az
She Might Be.

II VIII be q thoE.zzn1 pfxiez e sEIs- bile
EE-ke Il 70 De EpofIez by he- sudden Etsr-
<ozn ELxs RGrke hzx nztgrzI glfts fhs.
are besz0ged too rzrCEy On zctrczzez who
sz< "a Oh me chzaEsfuf Ez-erz q coussy,
f1< these s1yrs are & Danger q ciEn-f<oo-
-zs se-z = being p-@e1 rco fxs- I'D
TOO <z-- II AlaSCscza pzzzaz for -F1s1-E
thlcr.- fOr -gstrLZ t1ere- al rS1o hsT
srZ 2 st-e loes not pzEse r. hsr E-tSr eszae
for s1ccsE- Z xii - E7sd- f cyz-zs. tx.
fbe Is alr=a6T Fzccezsful- See c-zxE t@e
rz5lIc- Bv- that - TIE a-o-1 TisE- TCv1l
Sc rex ME- BGrze-s Dozs@sztCz. 1T WIN
youfh Dzsoes 5E5Ec .aycr 81 pszE = -
kss M E.szn . tztz ezc-v erszuzze gz2s
r,gEe- . preacrye snc ceveiDp to ci---ms
and gowers Eaich nz:Ere hzs -aire1 Upcn
her.
crnzce- Miss Burke a. soe Ezs E-en
RE pszye1 r1th TOHo DreT r. NJ We
-so.e EEo azE he- c-ET o. the GrE- z-e>>t
& fkzt rsseoe oid mt ses he- zt her 5es&
Rslse Bu-kc = not 3 sDoc 81 niEft ac-
tresa- She is IKE EEIe1 Terry 81 t-at re-
rp4-1 she Is Eke EIcn Te-ry "a ctheT
resyects-E1Iea Terry IT BILLIE Burke'z age.
whsaeFer TIT Is. LLk=. eVca n unHkeaezz.
!. you VIII Ts1f EIIe3 Tarry Il her youth
hsd acv.se-s zho knsg Ehat acting Is,
zsBe Billie Bgrkc appears % hare I'D s1ch
sd-zntzs,e Gse ness5g cSzchcz. orlTLng IN
fesshnlTue; fhe neeSs II D shown bcE-
ehe scts tO5 Tnuch with EeT ne-Tez; 2le
s. tr,o little rsldef her oya cS1troi.
Billie Barke has q lovely yoscs. which
sne - Eso.ilrg as fast a. snc csa- And
nov - the rirne - s-uGy Its use srd pres
er-atfo, zhe Faov1s nov u sEseak. a. vel.
but too ofren Ehe forzets thIs accomplish
rzleaf when some business of the stage is
pressing. YOU may not thlnk Il, but SIZE
has pataog. 10 other young actress thzt
one thinks of On excel, 4 any czn equal
Ter gift Il pathetic expression. but the
power 70 use Il vii gIln sWsy i she neg
Iects It's cultivation II tenderness she
could - without q rival 4 she chose TO
cultivate her faculty for expressing tender
ness. Through the sJsence ~ guiding
hznc she u running heealeEs.y along the
road 70 shsrpness. hardness. AZ Arg Dot
rhe has shreH1gh moments but AaugilaHl'g
Mrs. Dot had none.
Billie Burke gag born for nigh COMEDY.
but she f. fcbogganing down t'e hiI 70
farce Her archneEs is lnirnitable, but when
she is moved % anger OF resentment she
becomes peppery-red peppery-instead of
being forcsful and iTnTrcasiye. Naturally
q person u exquisite grace, Ene has taken
on g 5erky movement and q ulinclng gait
which 80 not belong ~ any paTt in which
she has appeared. Her ciction S. a. times
perfect: she can. if she will. make !t per-
feet a. ali times. She iE the most tanta-
Hing of actresses. because che can ID 70
much and yet falls far short II her ability
70 fulfI her promise. Her greatest need
Sc repose. Nevertheless. she has the art
Of listening. Of acting without words, of
following lntently The business Of me scene.
But she is TOO much given 10 motion; she
s. too full of animation when she should
be quiet. Despite all this, Ehe ig best IN
her quiet naosnentE- Ehe IL creature Of
psrsdoxes, contradictions unexpectedness.
And there again she reminds one Of Ellen
Terry when that natchieas arts: mas
young.
IN voice. in figure. IN beauty and grace
and gsyety II nature Billie Burke f. nearer
the Ellen Terry of n-any-alas, 70 many
years ago than any other young actress
Of our time. She can say things now as
cniy Ellen Terry cOlld say them then. DO
cniy what the Ellen OF the Eweet ;wenties
could do. Why. then, does she not say and
DO more of them Because she has been
rushed to1 early in,o EtardoIn. and 10
one, 80 far as the evidence goes. IL near
her 10 say nay, 10 caution her In this. 10
s3aS4EL LisfJH lI&Ag 70 ray not Only GOIl I,
but this is the way" suitIng the word to
fhe action and the action 10 the word. and
bringing out the best that 80 IN this fasci-
mating. amazingly gifted girl. Billie Burke
is worth eli the pains that can be taken
20 develop her from a manner growing
novice into an artist OF great skill. II she
were 10 play FIVE years With Forbes Robert
son she would become the most delightful
conecienne OF this generation. But she
must consent 70 be trained. cut, polished.
Esle is q glorious diamond in the rough.
But who shall harness a star to the
breaking machine? Has Billie Burke the
desire TO become the most brilliant comedi-
enDe Of her time? Or. having the desire,
has she the VIII 70 work hard enough?
The system under which she was hoIstcd
suddenly among the stars IS the chief
spOiler Of talent-eyen Of genius, II genius
there be. Miss Burke may think the sys-
TEN has made her. bat IL is really unInak-
Ing her. She brought 10 New York three
year, ago. a rare and radiant nature so
richly endowed that one marvelled again
~hy the gods are 50 partial IN their favor:
fhe returns with no gain ia art, no en-
rfchment OF her powers, no evidence that
experience has brought government and
restraint. And yet no one else can do
what she can do. IL she will learn She has
everything In her favor-yoUth, lovellness,
brains, the spirit of comedy, the powers Of
expression Against these are set q sud
den fortune, an excess Of public favor ana
syftem which makes her a reigning star
before she has learned obedience to a most
e citing craft. Nothing fails like SUCCESS.
lure rsaoe Billie Burke bewitchin II
now the iady's turn to compensate nature
with entra anciag art. There is only one
p@rBon who car do for Miss Billie Burke
what needs 20 be done. and that person
Is Billie Burke herself VIII applause
make her deaf 10 counsel? The hope is