NANCE O'NELL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7013, 31 January 1901, Page 2

NANCE O'NELL.

■ — ~ — ♦. — ; — r~" . " This morning.- 'the.. box plans will be opened at Milner and Thompson's, and family . tickets will be available for the visit here of Miss Nance O' Neil. The inaugural production of Miss O'Neil's season on Monday next, Luderman's famous dramai " Magda," will be staged for the first time in Christchurch. " Magda/j known throughout, Germany as " Heimat, ' has been as much canvassed and discussed in Europe as. " A Doll's House," and. similarly, has been .played in every language. Of Miss O'Neil's interpretation of " Magda " a prominent "Melbourne critic says: — "Let it at once be said that Miss Nance O'Neil's first appearance was a veritable triumplu Gifted with a presence and a voice, a face and figure, ( sufficient in themselves to enable their possessor, given only moderate intelligence, to take high rank on the stage, she has, in addition, that faculty for realising acharac-. ter which, in the actor, is genius. Free from the faintest suspicion of staginess, she is the kind of actress that is born, not made. It may be suggested that the part of "Magda" suits her, but dt must be remembered that it is on© which has. taxed all the resources of Sara Bernhardt and Eleanore Duse, and overtaxed those of Mrs Patrick Cambpell in London, and Mrs Minnie Maddem Fiske in America. It calls for the display of a very wide.. range" of emotions — tenderness and contempt, revolt and playfulness, the despairing and the melting mood, imperious, scorn of the world at her feet, and passionate devotion. . The unstudied ease with which Miss O'Neil passed from one mood to another, pourtraying each/ with admdra'ble force, yet without an unnatural gesture or a strained intonation, held her audience spell-bound, and convinced them that they were privileged to witness. -the work of genius, and the like of whom had not been seen since Sara Bemhartlt visited these colonies."