ELLEN TERRY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2198, 10 July 1914, Page 9

ELLEN TERRY

LARGE AUDIENCE ENTHUSIASTIC.

.'.' There:could l bo not , the slightest doubt that every normally-constituted' person present; in the Town Hall last evening deemedit.a high honour to hear England's greatest ."'actress,, Miss Ellen Terry, discourse on Shakespeare's heroines,' and ! thev'esteem and affection in 'which she is held; by .English audiences, , will -have its ;dear; reflection in their, hearts .and minds so long as' they are able to conjure:up the memory of her •luminously'intellectual personality. Not only "did Miss-Terry :"mako sweet .discourse" on tho' character and foibles of' many of'the Bard's female conjurations, but , she treated..the-large,,audience.'to samples of her liistrionic skill. Her discourse 'was-to have been, and was to some, extent, , ; bn; : Shakespeare's'heroines, but shehadthe idea of giving tho audience ' something to rriusß upon in. the l(#ere ; .of Shakespoare—the letters in his play's. 'In , giving readings oi such 'letters as:Hamlet's'lilies to Ophelia, the 'comic letter which fat arid fusty John ■ Falstaif addressed in duplicate- to Mis-, tresses "Page arid Ford (in; "The Merry. Wives"), and the letter :of Antonio Bae- ; sanio,;she dwelt, with, refreshing humour on the completeness with which Shakespeare: embodied the: character.of those'-.who- wrote■,'themV-.and tho spirit ■of the , age in which theyVwere written, adding a. delightfully .clever, touch as. to the-character; le'tters'sderive. from the handwriting/which.is'so fatally/destroy-, ed by cold print;' With delicious acumen she'lpbinted; out how love-letters of. all times': had.-. been.; the: same—they were just as 'stupid arid-beautiful whother written hy a genius/or .a boor—all began and ended with- the; -.eternally ; -sweet love/you!",; Even Hamlet had"become conventional- when,. ad-. theold epistle, was quoted in full to; .show-, it. . To shear Miss .Terry rcad. ; Shakespeafe is a- rare,treat--here is all the': music .of;, the .master, ; rhthymical in its appeal and command, without the slighteskattempt.'.to.'-"eloouto" m.;tho. manner so often'encountered in; aspirants to. histrionic noticed/She J Jy/clarifies the'-'tiniest, obscurity, of: a ■phrase.-iandibytho aid of her amazingly fine: voice.i/intpnation, ; and facial: es-. pression,': directs the dullest;to the most, perfect - She held inthrall the audienceiby.acting the scene between MacbethVand/Lady Macbeth,/ in; which ; .the.'latter;.spurs on her. hus-: band tlo murder King. Duncan,: and' her ■magnificent-lembtipnal-. powers.. .were/ ; splendidly' : illustrafcd - in >' scenes - from/ ■'\Rorrieo ■ in which iCapiilet "'attempted'' .to force the County:Paris\bn-tho.distress-: ful maiden; and finally the ; great potion scene, 'i where' Juliet '■■ b'ecorn'es - terrorised . by/'the.: ordeal'-sKe/is;about'. to ■ ■herself/'to.■H'vThe: ; charigiug.-- ; emotions ' .which the b'ereft'creature ; .tortures/her-, /self: with ■giye v a' ; rafo-opportunity' for: pure/histrionics, and rMiss Terry 'held the/'audience/enchained;? :■'Finally : sh«>; I completed her : dqminion.';l)y the■ beauty.' and depth":of'. her :; f pathos in. Ophelia's ■mad' scene from ,',' Hamlet-". :The actress, '■fired;the"audience'to.;'a /state of; great eiitlrusiasmV which ;tbok:-;the ,form of.'a , - .treble: recall : to/the accompaniment ..ofloud pd.contbuedap'plausei alternated, ;Srith'cheers; ; i;S!::/;.:■;-'.;■//-/■:■/'/ :^;7,

As for the rest of the programme (which filled in the first part), Mr. Joseph Blaschcck pioved what a perfect artist ho is in monologue in a budget of good things, which included "The Last Toast," "A Fallen Star," "0 Memory," "A Soliloquy on an Old Shoe," "An Old Swethcart of Mine," "If You Like," and "His First Long Trousers" In theso Mr. Blaschcck proved himself a master at character portrajal, and -nhether the mood was pathetic, comic, or dramatic, it was presented in porfect poiso and with that natural repose that proclaims the finished anst Miss Glad},s M'fJbwell 6ang several songs, and Miss Nina Foibes denoted m her songs at the piano how inexpressive an. expressive iace can. become.