New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-09

ogrnm, In Tho Way We Live; Sllens,
In Needles and Pins; Annie Austin,
In Love on Clutches; Catherine, In
Madame Sans-Gcne," and Queen Eliz-
abeth. in MARY Stuart"
Never Was interviewed.
Outside Of the theatre Ada Rehan
imposed an impossible barrier between
herself and the public. "She was never
interviewed" was suggested by a dra-
matte critic as an appropriate epitaph
for her For years she spent her sum
mers In ssclusion In her cottage on the
Cumberland shore Of the Irish Sea. sur
rounded by her books. her relics and
her pets. II Ia safe TO say that many
times she walked unrecogniIed In Cen
trail Park on her way to her homo In
Ninety-third Street
In estimating her as Q woman and an
actress William Winter said:
ada Rehan was passionate lover
Of beauty. and she could discern, and
cordially admire. the beauty OF other
women, a happiness somewhat unusual
with her sex She could be conven-
tionsl. having learned how to be SOL
but the conventional was not her nat
ural wsy--for htr temperament had IN
1t something Of the romantic quality OF
tho ideal gypsy. Her physical beauty
was Of the kind that appears In por-
traits OF women by Romney and by
Gainsborough--am ple. opulent. and be-
witching; and II was enriched by the
enchantment Of superb animal spirits.
She had gray-blue eyes and brown hair
(Which became prclnaturely gray, and
she had the trenulous sensibility OF
= Il
mu-ic or the lit Of an old ballad would
bring the tears into her eyes.
Profoundly Ambitious.
ada Rehan was profoundly ambi-
tious 70 excel in her art and TO that ART
she gave her life. The predominant
Characteristic OF her acting was buoy
ant glee, which rippled over depth OF
warm, sensuous feeling, and animated
an afilucnt and incessant variety OF
spirited. flexible. cumulative movement.
II possessed many other attribute 3
for the actress could be stately, forcIole,
satlrical. violent, arch, h.ppant and de-
mure; but its special allurement was
blending of sweetness and Joy. Sne
always aroused the eager interest oil
her audience and impaired TO IL sense
Of comfort and pleasure; but the am
plest and most direct revelations OF her
mind and temperament were made IN
such characters as Rosalind. Lady Tea
I'll, and Peggy Thrift. Her delivery OF
Kossllnd's speech about womsns ca
price, hsr whsedling talk TO Sir Peter
/ raLle, her quarrel with hun and her
Gemeanor OF bland. tenure innocence
and of sweet simplicity playing over
latent roguery in Peggy Thrfts love
scene and letter scene were perfect and
irresistible.
Each OF her achievements had
clear design and symmetrical FORM
and her acting, II closely scrutinlzed,
Was seen TO have been studied; yet Il
always seemed spontaneous. her hand
some. Ingenious, winning countenance
informed it with sympathy. while her
voice copous. tender and wonderfully
musical filled IL with emotion, speak
ing always from the heart She was
intrinsicaly a guileless and noble per-
son, and the structure of her acting
with all i;s drolleries of careless frollc,
sportive coquetry and tantalizlng ca
prlce-was reared upon the tsss OF a
strong, self-contained. womanlike,
lovely nature.
The most completely finished and au-
thoritative OF her graver impersona-
lions was Knowles's Julia. and her
favorite woman In Shakespeare was
Portia Her best performance was that
of Rosalird Her most obviously eff
fec,ive and poUular performance was
that Of Katharine. She acted more
than one hundred and seventy parts
OF record. and many others not record
ed OF the characters in Shakespeare
she impersonated Beatrice, Blanca
Celia. Cordeia Desdemona. Helena,
Julia, Katharine. Lady Anne, Miranda
Mrs. Ford, Olivia, Ophelia. Portia
Prince Edward the Princess of France
Queen Elizabeth. Queen OF France
Rosalind, Ursula and Viola"