The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-12

piudame soebach as Margaret"


Madame Seebach reserved her greatest effort
for the last, and remarkable as were the quail
ties that distinguished her "Mary Stuart, her
"Jane Eyre" her "Adrienue Lecouvreur," and
her "Louisa Miller" they were surpassed in the
eonsummate art that was shown in her persona
tion of Margaret" In Goethe's Faust last
evening In endeavoring to speak in fitting
terms of such a performance, we cannot but
feel that the force of what we wish to say must
be weakened by tho use of superatives,
and yet it is difficult, with the
impressions of great work OF art,
yet all powerful to chose the proper words to
express our sense of that greatness. To each
one of the large audience that was in attend
ance at the Academy of Music last evening
Madame Seebach's Margaret was what
Ristori's ''Marie Antoinette" was, new dra-
matte experience and q new revelation of the
capabilities of dramatic art. 1t will furnish
standard of comparison for the judgment of
other artists, and 1t ought to have such an
effect in elevating public taste to an apprecia-
ton of the highest excellence in tragedy that
our play-goers will be less patient with medi-
ocrity, and our own actresses stimulated to
make the effort at least to reach like excel
lence.
IN the early scenes of the play, when "Mar-
garet" appears as the simple, innocent, and
tions of the strange gentleman who accosts her
in. the street, and from her very guilelessness
falling an easy victim to the Vaccinations of
the fend, to whose guidance "Faust" has submit
ed himself 1t is enough to say that Madame See
bach filed the ideal of the character. Her
singing of the song of "The King of Thule"
who WAS true unto the grave" thinking the
while OF the handsome gallant who had crossed
her path and put her heart in a
autter; her innocent delight in the jewels
which che finds in her cabinet, and her
yielding to their seductive influences, when
at the persuasions of the old woman "Martha"
and the beguiling devil "Mephistopheles' she
consents to q clandestine meeting with the
donor of the baubles, indicated the finished
artist who was able to throw herself completely
into the character she was representing. The
higher elements of the actress art, however
began to be shown in the garden scene, where
Margaret" learns from "Fausts" own lips that
she is beloved and is brought to the confession
that she loves. The innocent coquetry of the
girl, her trembling hesitation to accept bliss
that she fears, and her impassioned eagerness
when she finally throws herself into the
arms of her lover, were expressed with a
refinement and grace that any merely
ordinary terms Of praise would not do
justice to. Passing over the beautiful
scene where Margaret questions "Faust"
respecting his religious belief and ends
with accepting the narcotic which is to put her
mother to sleep, we come to the scene where
the ruined girl kneels before the shrine of the
Virgin and asks for forgiveness and mercy.
Here there was yet higher phase of express
sion and the profound pathos of the situation
was rendered in a manner that would be impos-
sible to any but an artist of genus. The most
IL t..
ever, was when the girl, endeavoring to pray in
the church, is compelled to listen to the whis-
perings of the spirit until wrought to frenzy
of despair and remorse, the light of the soul is
extinguished, and she falls to the floor maniac.
In this scene the actress produced her effects
almost wholly by the expression of her face,
and nothing more touching has ever been seen
upon the stage in this city than the manner in
which she vainly endeavored to fix her mind
npon her prayer book, repeating the words
mechanically with her lips, while her thoughts
were far from them. She cannot pray, and the
words of the evil spirit sound in her ear above
the meanings of the organ which plays the
judgment hymn, ''Dies Ire;" and at last she
totsers across the cathedral to throw herself at
the foot of the altar, but reason gives way, and
her face, horribly beautiful as that of Medusa
is conyulsed with an expression that none who
oeheio IL can ever Iorget as with great
cry OF agony she falls senseless to the floor. In
he last scene of all, when Margaret" a chained
maniac under sentence of death, is sought out
by Faust" who wishes to rescue her, Madame
Seebach's acting was as powerful as 1t was beau
ul, and the audience testified their appreciation
OF one of the greatest performances ever seen
in this city by twice calling her before the cur
tain with the utmost enthusiasm. We sincerely
hope that Madame Seebach will play another en-
gagement here, Notwithstanding the fact that
her audiences during the week, except on
Thursday and Friday, were not such as her
merits deserved, and that she will, if possible,
appear in one of the regular theatres. The en-
joyment of such performance as that of last
night ought not to be limited to the compare
lively few persons who were then in attendance
and if Madame Seebach does play here again
those who can appreciate great dramatic art
will not do themselves justice if they do not go
and see her.