Olympic Theatre

     “We assisted at the debut of Miss Lucia Deane on the 22d of May, at Mrs. Wood’s Olympic Theatre, in the petite comedy of ‘Perfection.’  We expected to find in her what is found in all debutantes, many faults, resulting from inexperience and lack of judgment, but we were very agreeably disappointed in our expectations, as her faults are decidedly fewer, and her merits more prominent, than is usual in such cases.  The best evidence of this is the fact that it needs but a brief intercourse between herself and her audience to set aside entirely the feeling of mistrust which always exists on the appearances of young actresses on the boards for the first time.  It is true this lady had previously appeared in the concert room and won much fame for her beautiful singing, but there is a wide difference between the concert room and the theatre, between singing and acting.  It is also true that she selected a minor piece to make her debut in, but what little she had to do was well done, and that little was sufficient to prove that she possesses dramatic talents of no mean order.  She seems to have a firm, decided reliance upon her own powers, which at once sets the spectator at ease, and ensures him against the anticipation of disagreeable scenes, which often occur through the inexperience, incapacity or embarrassment of young debutantes.  Her personnel is unusually fine, and, with the aid of the appliances indispensable to the dressing room, sets her forth as fresh, blooming and animated as could be desired by the most ardent admirers of young ladies in the budding season.  She has a fine form, well adapted to the stage, graceful carriage, a face pleasing and mobile, a musical laugh, a delightful contralto voice, and sings as we have heard few actresses sing on any stage.  In the first scene she sang ‘La Monola,’ [sic] for which she was loudly encored, when she treated her hearers with a little Italian.  In the last scene she sang ‘Kathleen Mavourneen,’ and accompanied herself on the piano.  She is a highly educated lady, and is an ornament to the profession she has adopted.  There is plenty of room in the dramatic world for many more just such ladies as Miss Deane.  She was capitally supported by Mr. John Mortimer as Chas. Paragon; he is one of the best light comedians on the stage, and if he does not keep that position it is his own fault.  The theatre was comfortably filled, and the debutante at the close of the piece was called out and pelted with bouquets and large baskets of flowers to an alarming extent.  Miss Deane continued to appear in ‘Perfection’ throughout the week, gaining favor nightly with her audience.”