The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-09-24

Debnt Of madame SistorI--.Firsl APP.
penFRnce i'm New York OF the Great
est Living ArtIste--.VVOnderTuI Rem
tIerIng OF the Classic Tragedy of
AIeClets.
FYOm the Nclg York Post of Friday last.
The new French Theater on Four
teenth street was we'll filled last night,
and doubtless would have been crowd
ed, had not the ticket spectators con-
trolled so many seats. All of the better
portion of the house was filled-and
with one of the most intelligent and
critical of audiences, embracing some
of the most prominent professional
men, diplomatists, scholars, authors
and fashionables, with a fine represent
alton of the beauty of the city. II is
seldom that the rising of the curtain is
watched SO intently as was that OF the
French Theater last night, and the au-
dience were eagerly attentive until the
appearance OF RistOri in Medea,"
with her two children, excited a well
come, hearty and spontaneous, If not
eXtruvagant.
From that moment all the subordi-
nate actors and all the stage accessories
almost vanished from our mind, until
Ristori appeared for the last time to re-
ceive the enthusiastic plaudits of the
audience. Before alluding to few sa-
lient points in RistOri's acting, how
ever, let us say a few words as to the
play. Medea" " is a modernization of
the great tragedy of that name written
| by Euripides-translated from the
French into the Italian for Ristori. The
story is familiar to all. Jason, COM
manding the famous Argonautic expe-
dition, goes to Colchis to obtain the
| golden fleece. Having arrived there he
inspires hedeG-the daughter of the
King of Colchis-with a passionate
l.. - IL
deeds of the blackest and most violent
character. After all this Jason deserts
her, and is on the eve of marrying
| CTeltS1, the daughter of CreOH, of Cor
inth, as 1Ieded appears with her chill
dren, weary and worn with her wan
| derings in search of Jason, and suffer-
ing the most intense agonies of sus-
pense, doubt and anxiety.
| Her first appearance gave promise of
| the great power of delineatiug the pas
sions which Ristori possesses, which
developed more fully as the play con-
| tinued.
The conflicting emotions of the afTec-
tiCnate mother, and of the wretched and
deserted wife, were revealed in the
changing expressions of her wondertul-
| ly mobile face. The tones of her voice
/ at first low and weak-peuetrated and
thrilled the audience, even before she
had reached, in the sixth scene, the pas
sionate passage in which she tells to
CFeNS0 the sad story of her love and de-
sertion. The whole of the interview
between CTeuSG and MedeG is deeply
interesting. The gentle nature of the
former, whose young heart had known
no serious trouble, and who was on
the eve of marrying the man she loved,
affords fine contrast to the grand,
tragic and queenly 1fedeG-maddened
by conflicting passions, yet full of the
most touching tenderness.
g.-k Ill I,T,k
Ristori had exhausted the various
shades of dramatic expression, but it is
not until she meets her reereant hus-
band that her full power begins to be
developed. The transition from ex-
treme joy on meeting Jason, to bitter
disappointment when he turns coldly
from her, is touch of really high art;
| but twhen-realizing whole extent of
JdSOn'S falsity to her-she rises TO
sublimity of rage and passion, before
whose torrent Jason bends as ii utterly
overwhelmed and resistless, her tones
and expressions are almost supernat-
urally impressive.
/ Left finally by Jason, whom
neither argument nor entreaty could
move. NEEDED becomes frantic with
despair, and the sensitive spectators
blood chills as he sees the heart agonies
and fearful dispositions of a nature so
grandly passionate. For snort time
even the strong maternal feeling is lost,
aud she thrills one with u new horror
as she coldly throws off her children.
This is a mere mOmentary spasmi how
n ever and as the little fellows nestle
closely up to her, and she looks down
from the visions of blood and revenge
to their anxious and dsupplicating faces,
the motherly instinct comes back grad
ually, until finally the evil spirits are
exercised, and she becomes again the
loving mother, and she covers the
cheeks other children with the i'm mprints
of her hot kisses. The transition here
, is ndescribably; andtouching.
+ Unable to win back Jason, she de-
termines to use her dagger to destroy
the life of CreuSG, and has just made
her resolve as the young affianced
bride appears. Here again the latter is
an excellent foil to the great artist.
MedeG, with dagger upraised, more
thon once, to strike Cr6ltSu, is disarmed
! by the interest she has shown in rush.
ing in to save her from an excited mob
close at hand, and in search of MedeG.
Thewould be murderess relents, soft
ems, and becomes an humble snpplinnt
Mt CrelLSG'S feet. 1t is the last humili-
ating resort of a love too intense to
leave any alternative untried--and in
+ this temporary act of restraint and .hu-
mility Ristori is as truly powerful and
grand as in the more tamultous exhibit
tiOns of the passions. Her entreaty
avails nothing, however, for poor
, CrelLsn, like herself, is svictim OF
, Venus"-ruled by apower she could
, not break loose from by an effort of the
will, aud helpless as child to change
her own destiny. 8u1 sill37sr
Nothing is now left to Bfedea but ven.
geance. The terrible old Greek notion
of mortal inspired and controlled by
the Eumenides, or Erinyes, is one which
modern minds can hardly grasp; but,
after witnessing Ristori when the aveng-
: ing deities have obtained full possession
Other, the neurological fiction becomes
: a startling reality. After she yields
fully to this fearful possession, she awes
one by the very subiimity of her re-
vengeful purpose. In the last scene
, this sublime acting reaches its climax.
3 CretLSd and crowd of people rush in
4 to kill her, but are awed on finding that
} she has murdered her two children.
, Jason is on the point of killing 1feied,
) when the frightful sight stops him, and
he exclaims:
"AIy sons? Slain2 What, both! Oh, horror
My childrenl Who has killed them?"
3 Then, rising to the full majesty of her
: power, her eyes flashing consuming
+, fire of passion, her arm outstretched
and her finger pointing at the trembling
and covering JuSon-she retorts on
him her fearful crime-and the play
? ends.
ri We are aware how imperfect is our
? analysis of this great artists acting.
She is too grandly powerful, and toe
cOnsumate an artist, to be studied and
understood in one evening. On first
/ witnessing such n wonderful display oI
5 genius the mind is too much over
= whelmed with asuccession of changing