The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-18
RIsTORI AS "DEBORAH.v

Last evening Mime Ristori made her sixth
appearance before a Philadelphia audience.
The house was very poor being scarcely half
full. We write this with much regret, for talent
of such high order as she possesses should
crowd the Academy nightly.
The drama of Deborah, although finely writ
ten, and rising in some parts to the highest
excellence OF dramatic composition, is not one
calculated to impress an audience into that
hushed attention so necessary for the effective
representation of play of this nature. The
trivial lighter scenes occur too frequently, and
are too lengthy. The emotions reused by the
situation of Deborah, the Jewess," have time
TO subside, and the interest gathered around the
character is marred by the senseless babble of
the noisy villagers.
Ristors mpersonation Of the hapless Jewess
was natural, forcible, and impassioned. Her
love scenes with "Albert" were exquisitely
touching and tender; at the same time they were
entirely free from that mawkish sentimentality
which too often, on the stage, usurps the place
of profound and real feel ng, giving us only
counterfeit, and often almost disgusting, SEM
bance of this sublimest passion of our nature.
In Ristori's acting there is ever delicate, inde
scribable womanly modesty. 1t surrounds her
always, like q divine halo. 1t is the breath
of chaste soul. In the utter abandon of the
in ensest passion it is there. Unlike too many
of her profession, she never appeals to the
grosser nature of her audience-never by look
or gesticulations oversteps the sweet barrier
her innate feminine purity draws around her.
The Cbastest Of her sex need fear no outrage, by
look, or tone, or expression, to that perfect
purity and refinement which is the "angel
guardn of true womanhood.
In the third act of the drama. in the sollioquy
amongst the tOmbs in the village church yard,
it is impossible to conceive anything beyond the
broken-hearted pathos and wild despair Rstori
threw into the line
"Ma che tho fatto o Dio, che mi creastip
And again, all the bitterness of crushed aud
outraged heart found voice in the agonized re-
proach-
"Denaro ri piedl mi getto
denafo per questo enor!'
We can imagine nothing more insignificant
and contemplate than the character of "Albert."
And, as the play proceeds we involuntarily
congratulate the peerless Jewess, that through
no matter what fiery ordeal she escapes union
with such bundle of negatives
In the last scene-when, as the weak and
faithless ALBERT leaves the church where he
has just pligbted perjured and wavering heart
to avillage maid of his fathers choice, Deborah"
appears before him as an accusing angel and
the pent-up torrent Of her bitter wrongs bursts
forth like an avalanche, bearing all before it
into this scene Ristori threw strength of scorn,
an intensity of despalring sarcasm, and terror
of maledclion we have never seen equalled.
The abiect lover seemed to shrink
and wither beneath the blast of pas
sion which swept, sirocco-like, through the
soul of this woman whom he had so little
known, SO deeply injured The imposing gran
deur of her attitudes as she hurled upon his
bowed head the triple curse of Israel unto
Ebab, was awe-insp iring in the intensity of its
fearful anathema. In beautiful contrast With
the above, is her meeting with "Albert's" child
five years later-the gush of softening tears
with which she hears from the little one that it
bears her own name" Deborah" The ice
fetters unlock themselves from her heart, and,
with "the blessing of the One God, who Is the
God of all,n leaves them His peace forever"
Ristori is always true TO nature. Never in any
instance does she, for "stage effect" sacrifice
the true principles OF her art. With an undi
vded worship she bows before ''Great Natures
Affair." and gives US, fresh from the heart, the
heart-pctures of living, breathing life and
beauty.