Adah Menken, an actress "not known for her talent, but rather for her frenetic energy, her charismatic presence, and her willingness to expose herself," was born in a suburb of New Orleans (Richard
27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Quelqu'un opens the Feuilleton by asking the General why he did not go to hear Ada Isaacs Menken on Monday. Quelqu'un discusses Menken as an actress and her need to capitalize on her talents, and not her social position, to draw an audience. Quelqu'un engages in a lengthy discussion of the dangers of "defining and defending" one's position, and cites Lola Montez as a tragic example (3). He also mentions Thomas Hanlon's return to work after his accident, his enjoyment of Canterbury Hall and Nixon's during the week, and declines to comment in detail on the actors and plays at the larger theaters.
Quelqu'un declares that "all the Adas are lovely, showing that there is something, anyhow in a name" (3).
Makes a reference to "Awful's American Cousin," but refuses to say more (3).
Quelqu'un asks the General why it didn't go "hear" Menken on Monday. Declares that "all the Adas are lovely, showing that there is something, anyhow in a name." Discusses her and what she needs to do to get the General to go see her; basically by drawing upon her talent rather than any social position (3).
Quelqu'un claims that Montez's "greatest mistake...was in once attempting to define and defend her position." He claims that The Saturday Press holds evidence of the "consequence" that she "exposed herself to the lugubrious and worse than Pecksniffian whines and whimperings of the Sunday press." Discusses how she was subjected to a "sermon" by a Sunday editor as she was "lying at the point of death." Describes her as a "brilliant and fascinating woman" (3).
Quelqu'un claims that The Saturday Press holds evidence of the "consequence" of Lola Montez's attempt to "defend and define" her position; that she "exposed herself to the lugubrious and worse than Pecksniffian whines and whimperings of the Sunday press" (3).
Quelqu'un claims that anyone who "defines their position" will be "as badly off as N.P. Willis when he got religion" (3).
An electronic version of this text was previously available in CONTENTdm and has been migrated to Lehigh University's Digital Collections. Reconstruction of direct links to individual articles is in progress. In the meantime, browse issues of the Saturday Press in the Vault at Pfaff's Digital Collection. Page images of The New York Saturday Press were scanned from microfilm owned by Emory University, which was made from original copies held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Adah Menken, an actress "not known for her talent, but rather for her frenetic energy, her charismatic presence, and her willingness to expose herself," was born in a suburb of New Orleans (Richard
27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015