University of Virginia Library

MRS. WHEATLEY.

The clever and facetious author of “Sayings and
Doings,” in one of his admirable tales, makes a
country manager remark, that “in the theatrical
profession heroines and sentimental young ladies
are as plentiful as blackberries, but that a good old
woman is invaluable; and all who are tolerably
conversant with the affairs of the stage, very well
know, that in one respect, at least, the order of nature
is reversed, and that a fine old woman is more
desirable than a young one. It is not difficult to
account for this. We think the observation may
be hazarded that females, generally speaking, prefer
dimples to wrinkles; and so the young ladies very
naturally refuse to anticipate the time when nature
will compel them to appear as old ones, and the old
ladies, whose ideas and reminiscences are juvenile,
as pertinaciously object to personate any thing but
young ones, thinking, doubtless, it would be folly

to surrender into the hands of youth and inexperience,
those parts which time and practice has so
well enabled them to perform. Bent on charming
to the last, we have seen, with fear and trembling,
a very fat old woman of fifty as Juliet, lolling over
the frail and creaking balcony, while a short, pursy,
and somewhat asthmatic Romeo came waddling to
his love, puffing out—

The truth is, that the personation of old women
is a very thankless branch of theatrical business,
and the same quantity of ability which, employed
in it, meets with comparative neglect, would, in a
more enticing line of character, draw down thunders
of applause. This may in some degree acccount
for the meagre and scanty mention which is
made of Mrs. Wheatley by the press of this city.
She is seldom noticed, and when she is, it is generally
in one of those unmeaning commendations
which are at intervals dealt out to every worthless
appendage of a green-room, such as she “was quite
at home,” or “went through her part with spirit,” or
any other ready-coined phrase. For our own part,
we have the highest opinion of Mrs Wheatley, and
think there is little ventured in saying, that she is
not only the best actress in her line on this continent,

but the best beyond all comparison; and in
all the theatres in which, in various parts, we have
occasionally been present, out of London we have
never seen her equal. Where is there another
Mrs. Malaprop in this country? Or indeed, in all
the range of ridiculous old ladies, who, like her,
can give the height of absurdity without the taint
of vulgarity? There is all the difference in the
world between making such a character as Mrs.
Malaprop a coarse, ignorant old woman, and a
foolish old lady. And herein lies the excellence of
Mrs. Wheatley; however her “nice derangement
of epithets” may betray her ignorance, her appearance
and manners show she is not one of the canaille,
but familiar at least with the forms and
manners of a drawing-room. In the composition
of her dress too, from “top to toe” there is not a
vulgar curl or color. But it is not in this line alone
that Mrs. W. can lay claims to distinction. Her
talents are as versatile as they are excellent, and
her chambermaids, if not marked by the same evident
superiority, have a pertness and spirit about
them that are always amusing. There is one
character that she plays, (a very disagreeable one)
which in her hands is one of the most perfect efforts
we have witnessed on the boards of a theatre, viz.
Mrs. Subtle in Paul Pry. Every expression of
her countenance, and every modulation of her
voice, are imbued with the spirit of art and demure
hypocrisy.

There is another thing worthy of remark. Mrs.
Wheatley, though the representative of age, is herself
in the prime of life and full vigor of intellect.
This is an advantage as great as it is rare; for the
line of character in which she appears, is generally
used as a dernier resort by actresses, who are themselves
too old to appear in any thing else, and who
bring to their task confirmed habits, and jaded and
worn out powers of mind and body. According
to the common course of nature, it will be long
before the public will have to regret this as
being the case with Mrs. Wheatley; and even
when time shall have laid his unsparing hand
upon her, her excellence in the execution of those
parts, will have become so much a matter of habit,
that only the physical force and energy will be
wanting.

The faults of this lady are so few, that it is
scarcely worth while pointing them out. The
greatest is, that she is not always proof against the
applause of the more noisy part of the audience;
so that when she does any thing particularly well,
and a clapping of hands ensues, she wishes to do
more, and is in the habit of spreading out the folds

of her ample and antique garments, and flouncing
about the stage more than is exactly necessary. As
long, however, as Mr. Simpson retains the services
of Mrs. Wheatley in the Park company, that theatre
will be possessed of an attraction which no other
establishment can, at present, or is likely to equal.