ELLEN TERRY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2180, 19 June 1914, Page 8

ELLEN TERRY

FAMOUS ACTRESS IN WEEUSGW

f RtUMPtf ANf HER&iMES OF SHAftESP£A«E, In th<> aiitoin of .l'fe'r life, B-k's El'left Teity, tho ackiimv'lcdgtid Qliocn af tiro English stage when i.» the lull feaiitli of hor'hriifeiit poMtfs, caiieeived the idea, of touring the world on ft great ii'ifasioil—to (jfikfttrso to alidiciicps in distant tiowniflwities. vj.it tho (Mieato : cferm aaid s;p.ttr'feli : ii,g wit f the iTosviiig grace and noble dig'trity, .the tender passioil and .siipeib svaiiiaiililiass Wl: tho itteomjiaftibfc hei'oiiios of Sfiafesppat'e's the iita.it who, ai> Alacaiiiay it, "beggared, .posterity" % Ins' conimaiiding fjftiiiu.s, itiid' who gave, to tlio world, in a passing show, the greatest ■cb.isi.ihelrtary -tin hri- ; man nature that -.lias ever Weil . toil. "|le may have ;ft.ii.«yr>, very little ■Latin, and less Greek.,'" said the fajn.o'U's : askess. iii-tho :B6iij:se of Jjier Erst lecture t<i a. W.e.lli'Hgtflii audieHeo last evening., "btifc.hfi knew Ininiiiii ftgiiir.e." MisslVrry needs ito inttodiictibii. .Hef Versatile gifjjkis as an sictyftss, the iiitot : leetoal 'gift* wliJDb inn|« her em' of t ; !ie Miost brilliant students ot : Shakespfeafo that tho B.H#sh stage ,'has kitowii', the magite'tisin ot her voico and pSrsoualitTj and. the charm of her *mna«liu,ess>',i:o- ---; getiher with that fapneity 4&t tilftiko : pains that di.sth).gui's'hos tlie true artist,' i lent distiilction to Inn- tfHsftssian, gnj digliiri.ed and •eniiobfcd. tto fler . greatesb tritiißlifis w.e*e untoub.tediy : eoiuiceted' with that .artistic .partnership with the ilals Sir .lileii.ry Trvrog al the Lyceum wljich, cbni'mieiwing In 1878,. aiid eonyuubg for a 'ispacß ■Of yctwfs, /cewsfcituted i:ho most 'b-rillia.tt, period .of tlio :6nglis'h 6tage duiiwg. tire latter Jiaff .of the ivme■tepnth ceji-liifyi

. A flutter of expg.ctwioj' followed tho rising of the curtain. at tho G.rttni I Opera House for Miss Terry's appearance last .p.vrtiinji. Tim stage. appointments wer<* simple—a srna.li table, with fldivei'S;,. a reading.. desk and ia.mp j a : ®lrair, xi- piiitw, find as iiii effective bnck.gteiilKl, the rich heavy folds of tile dank green -cjirtaiiit. jfrpii- £>ho ni£, brigiu, and ; ivucimis, quick i.ctd wunwied ;in cp.rturn and niovomoni, simply dresses! in a iloviiyj . of cerise, and as slic' stood in ftp WfWt light and smiled iior aduiowio/lg.oniM'ts of. tto burst of Ytpnlauso which niectwi ■ iter appftiU'a'iiGtif (he years, rolled back, Bfld in that; instant flashed fl :p'ichiro iaf tho Kllen Terry .of the Lyceum triumphs. Then k!k? moved qfiiiekly across ti> tho .leading, desk and commmcrd her tliECCs.u.rSO oil "-'T'ri'uiiVpSisjti.. WpJncll. of Shakespeare." T-lie text of the Iceturowas _ conventional, academic, bin _ 'Jim jeatMag was warmed. by the <'iu.lws.lasm of H;o s|jea';er., whose Vs>tee : , t|i:W.(!gti iiot ! stifflrgi reached every- part of the atuiiborinill, tho nHieulatiai; ijf words being i.n itself a pleasure to listen to. . ' . , , As her subjects, Miss Terry selected the .nol'io -Jicatr'iCo ti'f 'flujidraniatiSt'ji "Much Ado About, ..Sotlltug, !f „ Rcisaltivd ("As You Mko It"), aud. Portia'' ("The 'Sfei'disirt '-of \^iriGe : ''' v ):j aiiti. .jllflstra'fc.d lior .remarks osr. Cdeli .by brief; interpretations of selected scenes, skilfully chosstt to present 16 tho audiciice ti'io ■ s.alioiit pluses and emotions of each, of liev ehuiacters. ■_ Beatrice was shown ■ m ji sjMti of brilliant raillery, it-y (iistlaijij. fi<s*t*y ihitHrrit^ion, : tdhilet. passion, the fittest study unquestionably he&K the passionate demand of Beatrice for .a champion to defend the. honour of 1 (cro, who.se ustiiie 'had been, sullied by ; ir.fainous calumnies. - ."A .demand,'' de-' ehtwiif tiro " ,: tfith? ; dm mat in . eloquence, *'w/iich wa.'s niadc ill tlio ■ : name, uot of -one woman, but of .Womanhood.'"* lk'.faliiul followed. " '."1 I'.nvij : Tio.vei played Rosalind/' said Mi« 6 : Terry, with a agrctlui sigh, •'but [ ■ may .ret—-some day," she uffied, «ii!t a, whimsical .gesture, Oi. Portia. Miss ; Terry had much to say. Slval>es.peai'.e > s heroines, such was tho elasticity of tho , playwright's studies., were cajiablc* of different Interpretations'. . "I. Hiy.-rell havo ti'ied six aiifereiiti 'ty-geSjrf pdi ! said Mis? Terry, ''but oi a.1.1, 1 prei'er ■ • dio delicate boiuity i;iu! rcfir.fliiieiit -u'f ; tho Uaiiau of the llenaiss.ar.rfc—a beaivtiW lady, beautii'uf surroundi.iigs, benutif'.il furniture, as a setting for beaut- . fill ideas, motives,, action!?, aiid speech," ' As tile illustrative study, Miss Tony ■ gave t.he lamoH'; ' Meicy Speech." jirobal).!y the line st piiu'o o!' passiuiia'o pleadinj; in the whole, of Sliakcspearean drama... ilttTied «itli deep emotion, : passiiinafe ;;cSiuro,. nud Kwnarkablo : riiiiiiciation, the stirdy created a PTo- : found .iniprcssioii, ant! evoked a groat ■burst of applaai>e. . .. Miss Terry's parly includes the well-.' : kni'ivf! nionolo'KU.n entertainer, Mr. :■ .jfrseph lihl»'lieoti, mlkiso previous visit ; to Wellington granted him a host of ridniirers. lie was heard in. hi<i inimitablo interpretnt ion's of "A Toor Old liitcheloi," ' DcMl-Ma.\-Cjie," The lusc on Stairs,''" and .'■'"'■■lii's ' First '..Lb'ng rioiisei"" Jliss Nijia Foibes is ,in . ■olvtertainiiii; ine'riiorKs ' of Miss Marfjaret Cooper. iSlia saiik. ' in an Jit-tractive light • vo.ieo "Until'' (Sanderson). /'.Gretna ! feeH'' ((ttiii#)., "Tinker, Tailo;:. Soldier, .Saitor," aiul other faiicifui ditties, witii a vi\ acitv of exprcssion tha't-. hnwio l!.»r a great lavourite. .Miss Forbes also. plaved ilic- incidental, intisio for Mi Jh,s Gl.wl\s M Dowcll . • v hose pieasr.ift cont riillo voice ft robbed of' ranch 'of its 'eliect by a colourless : nicthod of singinp;, ami an Johvaoiiii ilaeeklity oi' ieniiterninenr, s-nn;; Saint- . ' Pr.inteiens nu C.ommonee" ("Karnson anrf. Relilali"), "liOve, J Won Y<in" (Landor. lionald). and "Melissni'.de.'i Tl;e attendaivv of tilo ' pubiie \vns not I'ar^e. cei taini;. not ■ sfl jiiFge ,ts 'tliO 1 vnipoiiahee of tho oec's-' ; sto and '.lie quality oi the cnteriain'- ■ mcnt liH!riled. '' . ' Miss Terry'r. second lociure, fo bis. jjitcil tins evening;, wilk no fi' the subject of "Shabe.speaio's Pntheiic 14%r0-> ini-s." '