The Washington herald., 1910-07-24
MIDSUMMER THEATRICALS

| lines Of the role as 70 bring the part within the
scope Of her ability; but even then she presented
naive American girl a considerable fragility and
not an Italian girl who has come suddenly into
a WOman's love faught with heartbgeaking warmth
and depth Of tragic rathos.
| Miss Robson similarly eontrasted with Mics Gal
/ land. and presented viTacious modern girl Of
considerable intelligent feeling, bat withal not the
tender, langIorons Italian girl which Miss Gsllsnd
INFUSED with such ardent v.aity and genuine poetic
purity Miss AIarlowe. however. while presenting
much Of the full sensIous beauty Of Miss Arthur
much Of the poetlc emotion Of Miss Galland
greater. richer charm than Miss Adams ksener.
more lndleiOls intellieenca than Miss Robson,
achieves as great illusion Of Erlish youth: above
ALL she far surpasses any other present-day Juliet
in the marvellous beauty Of tone and accentustion
with which she delivers her lines. Surely she is our
greatest juliet
Technique Miss Marlowe certainly pos
sesses. think she and Miss Arthur may
be said to be the best among the five
so sec down, with Miss Adams, on account
OF her sweetness and ever-present charm.
as third in rank Miss Ganand always
seemed to me 10 be a beautiful amateur,
rote, and who had too much arehness and
artificial ROBUSTNESS TO be at all appeal
ing as Juliet Neither was Miss Robson
an especially deep Juliet
OF the sixth one whom I have named.
Miss Nethersole. who appeared in Wash
ington as Juliet, in the first flush Of her
youthful triumphs, and when she was
regarded as quite the most wonderful
emotional actress who had come out Of
England. may be said that she was
Juliet in at least one important particu-
lar. She was a passionate. f1ercely-lov-
ing Juliet a true daughter OF the South.
She was almost an italian Carmen. Be
meath her quivering eyelids. cast down
demuTely in girlish modesty, there dwelt
the CLEAN OF passion, the animal love,
by which, If her subsequent actions may
be taken as q proof, the hfteen-year-old
Juliet was devoured.
Miss Nethersoles Juliet was like no
other one within recollection in this re-
spect. Perhaps to some tails aspect of
the character is unpleasant. but to my
mind it is eminently proper. Neither Miss
Marlowe nor Miss Arthur. much less Miss
Adams, Miss Robson or Miss Galland,
have ever played certain passages OF
Juliet's character in this way She drew
Romeo 10 her in mad abandonment. an
almost tigerish embrace. She was fifteen.
Juliet. but under Itahan skies love ripens
apace. and no actress who tries TO make
Juliet purely an intellectual exposition OF
technique can hope 10 bear away the
palm. II one could roll the personalities
| of several actresses into one, and from
them model a Juliet according to Shake
speare, what would be more probable
than one should choose the lustrous
beauty Of Julia Arthur, than whom
there never was a more beautiful woman
on our stage. with her dignity and her
womanly grace, predominant in certain
Juliet passages. the splendid technique
Of Miss Marlowe. with her rich and ex-
quisite voice. and the sensuousness and
abandon of the youthful Olga Nethersole
of a decade ago.
The author OF the quotation above
printed is right. Miss Marlowe is our
greatest Juliet At least she is the great
est one that remains to US. But there is
to-day no ideal Juliet. since the char
acter IS too complex for its embodiment
in a single personality.
Maude Adams was pathetic. erumpled-
up armful OF loveliness; Miss Marlowe Is
a sweet, womanly and deeply loyinA
juliet; Miss Robson was indeed merely
an intellectual Juliet; Miss Arthur. beau
tiful and deeply emotional Juliet: Miss
Gelland, a rather amateurish. self-con-
scious Juliet, and Miss Nethersole. a
warm. impulsive dangerous daughter OF
italy' w.o.