The Sun. — 1845-12-30 (London, England)

THEATRE. Romeo and Juliet was produced at this theatre last evening for the purpose of introducing Miss Susan Cushman (sister of the Miss Cushman, who acted the part of Romeo), to an English audience. Had we not, many a time and ofr, been delighted—delighted is not the word—carried away—by the acting of Miss Cushman in Shaksperian characters, we should have hailed Miss Susan Cushman as the greatest actress of the day. True, she is as yet unformed— true she has some of the technicalities of the stage yet to learn--yet, her Juliet, taken as a whole, is more true to Shakspere than any Juliet within our remembrance. There is no conventionality about— she takes the text of her author, and gives us her own interpretation of it; and genius interpreting genius can never be far wrong. Her genius is essentially tragic. In the earlier scenes there was, perhaps, a want of that abandon which tutored actresses throw into the part, and which is, after all, conventional ; but when the girl becomes the woman, an impassioned, loving, self-sacrificing woman, Miss Susan Cushman was very great. The balcony scene was given with an intensity which we should look for in vain in other actresses. It was evident that she loved—loved earnestly ; her whole soul was in love with Romeo ; and this intensity was kept up throughout. Her acting in the scene in which the nurse tells her of the result of her interview with Romeo was very fine. There was no trickery about it. It was evident that her love for Romeo absorbed every other passion ; and instead of showing herself off as a comic actress (which is too often the case with debutante Juliets), she made no effort to disguise her impatience. Love was the all-absorbing passion of her soul. The scene in which Friar Laurence gives her poison was magnificently given. She hung upon him, and seemed greedily to devour his words as though they were the words of life and death. Horror, at the part she was called upon to act, was depicted in her every look, her every action, and when at last her love absorbing and overcoming every other passion "screws her courage to the sticking place," she was magnificent. The soliloquy before taking the draught was very fine, and her look and action, as her imagination conjures up before her the frightful visions of the charnel-house, was thrilling. There was a dead stillness throughout the house, which was crowded, and there was not one of that vast assemblage who did not feel with her and for her. Taken as a whole, Miss Susan Cushman's debut is the most deservedly successful which we have witnessed for years. There is an impassioned intensity about her acting which carries the spectator along with her, and almost paralyses criticism. But what shall we say of Miss Cushman's Romeo ? Many a time and oft has Romeo been murdered, but never, since the youthful days of Charles Kemble, has Romeo been acted on the English stage until last night. It was a bold attempt for a lady, even for Miss Cushman, to attempt the part of Romeo, but faint heart never yet won favour, and the bold attempt succeeded. Would that this gifted lady could infuse some of her spirit into our actors, who eschew Romeo as an uphill part. It is their own cold blood that makes it an uphill part. They lack " that quick spirit ;" that intensity, that passion, that pathos which is required to bring out all the beauties of the character. These did Miss Cushman infuse into the part. Ay and there was no lack of manly bearing and daring courage ; she was the very Romeo that Shakspere drew. So true is it that genius is of no sex, that none would have discovered she was a woman. Her wooing was overpowering. Her passion, when, condemned to banishment, she learns the doom in Friar Laurence's cell, was irresistible ay, as irresistible as the terrible earnestness of her attacks of the fiery Tybalt and the courtly Paris. The Misses Cushman were called for at the conclusion of the tragedy, and greeted with rapturous and well-deserved plaudits. The nurse of Mrs. Glover, and the Friar Laurence of Mr. Stuart, were both admirable. We cannot say as much for the Mercutio of Mr. Holl ; the Mercutio of Shakspere was a finished gentleman. T R.  - ,