Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-01-13


"
GAmEA, THE HEBREW MoTHER--Ihe
incident upon which this play is founded
was the famous "Mortara case" which
attracted the attention Of the entire CIV
ilized world. The play was first pro.
dueed in Paris, under another ute ana
the authors name was kept q proiouhu
secret but at length the critics and
feaiHetoRists fixed the authorship upon
M. Moquard, the private iieeretary OF
Napoleon III. It had a brilliant and
successful run OF fourteen months. Inc
play was translated and adapted 20 the
American stage, and placed Ia the hands
Of Nestvali, who, after carefully peruslhg
it and making many material ailerA-
tiOns, decided upon making her DEBUT on
the English stage in the title role, Sne
first enacted the character at NlbIo-s
Garden, New York, in SEPTEMBER 1908,
and achieved a triumphant success, so
much so that the piece enjoyed an unln-
terrupted run Of twelve WEEKS 10 over
flowing houses. The story Il enc mat
addresses itself to the tender impulses OF
our nature, and at the same Time IS
clothed with a dramatic power n force
that gives to the Development Of the
narrative an absorbing in1erest. Ihe
. NNAAL aNENfN VI LAaG OGNk1HH
one that no ordinary actress can attempt
with the prospect OF achieving even a
| medioerity of success. 1t IL one that re-
quires intelligence to appreciate u Sc
Mus TO depict the varied ph;sses or llghI
and shade, of JOY and grief Of revenge
and forgiveness, Of which il IL made up.
And in the truthful, beautiful and pow
erful Interpretation of this character
Vestvali has established her right
to stand among the foremost dra-
matte artists Of the age. IN
story is simple and MAY be briefly
told " Gamea," the Hebrew mother
Aaves her child in the care OF a nurse
VINO, during her absence, believes Ile
child to be III unto death, and IS m great
trouble lest il die before its mothers re-
turn. In her distress she il approached
by " RutchiOni," a fisherman, who, dis
guised as a priest, informs the atirighted
nurse that the child can only be saved
by giving it to the christian faith, and
under the impulse of her fears the nurse
yields, and the child is taken away
Ostensibly to become the charge OF the
church, but in reality to be adopted as
the child of the Countess Someilinl."
1" Gamea,n upon returning, naturally
seeks to see her child, and upon nndlng
it gone and hearing the circumstances
under which it was taken is for a time
overwhelmed with grief, which, how
ever, soon gives way to 8. spirit OF re-
venge. Her attempts to learn from the
nurse the secret OF its wi ereabouts are
unaVaili-g, and the nurse dies, over
powered by her fears and the excitement
attending her situation. Cameo "
leaves her home and becomes a wan
derer in search of her child, assuming
fl aNa--aN-- e a .EFrN.g raNNnHs and .
gaining the title of a witcl. At Genoa,
after a period Of seventeen years, during
which time she has succeeded to an n
heritance of klillions, she finds @cta-
viO," now 'COunt d'Orians, 1s|Che son
of the dead nurse, andtheiT' H%laintance
begeJs a feeling of dead( hostility in
each toward the other Ifere, too, she
sees i" Lady SyIyiZ' daughter OF
- Countess LOmeilini," ard in her face
recognizes traces of resemblance to
% Gideon Ben Meir,n the husband of
d" Gamea.n On several occasions ga
meau forces herself into the presence
Of Lady SYLVIA and each time be-
m more convinced that it may be
her child. Anon "cOuniess LOrnellInl
appears at the house Of " Gamea,' e
being partially recognized by tho latter,
as Il in whose keeping she had found
her child years before, and in whose
hand she had inflicted Il scar in the at
tempt TO rescue her child, desires to tell
the fortune of the countess, and upon
the latter exposing her hand, the scar is
discovered, and she for whom Cameo
has been so long seeking, identified.
Threats, entreaty, exp0stllation and de-
H%Hnciation follow, but the true mother
il brought face 90 face with her long
lost daughter and after Il season Of trial
for all, which admits Of some of the
finest acting ever witnessed upon the
modern stage, 2 reconciliation is eff
fected. "Lady Sylvia" finds solace in
becoming the wife Of "OctaviO," to
whom She had been betrOthed, and the
whole ends with a happy denouement.
The magnificent, STATELY appearance
Of Vestvali, clad in the lowing drapery
Of the Jewish race, lends an additional
charm to the representation. And IN
10 display her great lyric abilities,
are 50 seldom, If ever, found
with acknowledged histriOuic tai
ant, four songs, perfect gems of-art, have
been very appropriately introduced
They consist of the "lF0rtune-Ieller's
Song Of a wild weird nature, well cal
10 impress the ignorant peas
lntry Of that age. "The Cradle SOng,'
which for tender pathos and thrilling eff
feet we have never heard equalled-it
being 4 song by a mother who has lost
her child, sitting in the dim twilight,
in her solitary c!lbin, holding in
arms an imagir AIRY infant, II
lWakes most strongly the chords OF
sympathy in every maternal heart,
at the same time, the excellence
IF the composition and its execution by
his celebrated artistic creates IA perfect
furOre among the musical dHtGtd5i5t.
Turn we again 10 the meeting Of her long
child, whom we fine in the presence
jf two mothers-One christian, the other
whom had given her birth,
-he other christian religion, and the mu-
steal prayer of thatheart-br0ken mother.
Jeseeching her laughter to return TO the
Of h2S'ther, as breathed IN
Of brill every heart
5he daughter clings toe m0ther that
a her birth, the Joyous the
Cavatina, "Sylvia is now mhkoa4
upon the strained heartstrings ~likr7rops
Of water upon the lips Of the thirst-dYing
wanderer. As a whole, the Cameo of
Vestvali may be regarded as q creation
which one meets but once in a life
time. 1t is the most brilliant Jewel Of
her dramatic cGSUnet. In it she Is I'M
ipproachable; the character was created
Ter her. she for the character-and il is
worthy OF being ciassed with the special
ties Of those great artists who have
1assed from us, Kemble, Eean, Rachel,
5iddons, ct "a 0BsHe gef1ts. The play is
n active preparation at the New Mem
Dhis Theater, and will be produced on
Monday evening next with a powerful
last Of -sharagters, embracing the entire
stock company.