Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-01-14
Two Stage NOtables-Feehter aad Ri,tori.

! FROM VI. D. Conwsy's Correspondence in the Bos
| ton Commonwealth
| Since have been in London, have seen
| on tue stage two notables Of whom have al.
| TaEs meant 70 write-Sone ACCOMPLISHMENTS,
| Feeater and Ristori. Fechter. whom from
| his appearance, should take to be neither
German or French, but one of those happy
| genluses (e. g. Chopin and Cherubini) who
are now and then born somewhere near the
border-llne between the two. He has strong.
ringing accent, which reminds me of that Of
Agassiz, whom, except for his light ewes and
hair, he somewhat resembles. He is evil
IDENTITY born for the stage, and moves on it
with an Inconsistencies and self-possession
which show that what he is, is organic with
him. Pen de naoye9S 6eaucoup Gefet. He is
most startling when most simple When 9TH
er actors lmpersonating similar characters are
deliberately dark, deep, and mysterious, he is
all transparency. He has no stage strut, nor
mannerism. His elasticity and CELEBRITY are
wonderful, and the changes of his counte-
nance IN scenes representing passion and emo
tlon, are awful. He Pushes red with his an
ger ana turns pale in his emergency, so that
his audience is silent and breathless. instead
OF NOISY and appiausive. His movements are
series OF tableaux. like tAe leaps of stag.
are raised, his Is usually lowered I think
any young person preparing for the stage,
could scarcely have a better training ttan to
attend Fechter's plays few months.
very different is the great Italian actress.
Rlstorls first dart upon the stage is an electric
touch. She at once reminded me of Rachel
and yet no two persons could be more dissim
llar.-except that there is a strong family
likeness between all geniuses The same
serpentine qulckness and suppleness apparent
/ All great female actors are observable in
Sth Rachel and Ristori. The former was
the most remarkable person for intensity that
nave ever seen, but there was more svmpa-
thy elected by her than by Ristori. During
ali the woes OF Medea as represented by Ris-
tori, one does not weep but writhe The ar
lists feeling also, is always "too deep for
tears" She, like Fechter, knows the superb
or power OF calmness. As she moves through
the play, one thinks of some great body of
silent force, like the flow of the Rhine She
is tall, SLENDER and at times beautiful She
acts great deal with her hands; and whilst
she speaks her fingers clutching her dress, or
her wrists bending in and out, unconsciously
are rendering striking obkgato to her speech.
Her voice is her great forte, however; it has
magical richness, united with marvellous
scope, and IN every scene it is pitched in a
new key. Indeed, she seems a new actress
at every appearance on the stage, so various
are her voices and styles She has a curious
way of throwing the light mo or out of her
eyes. Her eyes can become glazed with
death without a movement of the lids. Rach-
Ell, remember as a strange, wild creature,
but Rlstorl is evidently the flower of a long
culture queenly robes and trains become
her, and the tapestried walls are proper
frame for her; she could not be peasant
hope the rumor that she is going to Ameri-
ca, is true; it will be memorable event in
ones life to have seen he.
DUMAS
Mr. Alexander Dumas is universal genius.
He is at present engaged in writing an &C
count Of shooting tour which he once took
in Africa, with one " Sir Williams" in which
he proves himself to have startling power
of destructiveness. He has been offered by
a Paris publisher, 1900 down and 50 900 a
year If he will write cookery book. The
author of the 7iois Mousqasetaires, however,
hesitates, fearing that his work would be
above the average range of kitchen intellect
In his apology for not emulating Mrs Glass,
NJ. Dumas quotes the following dictum of
cuisinier of Marseilles: 81 consider cook
who invents dish, much greater man than
an astronomer who discovers star for, as
far as stars are concerned, there are as many
as we shall ever consume, but a new dish is a
new pleasure for every man who knows how
to dine" Dumas assures us that he is very
GOOD cook