The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-20
AMUSEAf EkTa.


I''T 1tUWHtf.
And Camille" for reasons not easily OK
planned, has always been an intensely interest
ing play to the Americans Every actress Of
fair ability has found that sho could command
an audience with this drama when others, more
acceptable to tho Saxon taste, would fail TO
elicit the slightest interest
Cultivated people whose tastes are strongly
tinged with moral prcjudiccs do 20 TO geo II.
They do not hesitate TO weep at ii and ap-
plaud 1t. roscrving their dcnunciatiOns OF the
theme and the treatment until after the ENJOY
mcnt Of the performance.
We must therefore accept " Camille" No q fact,
however strongly we may object TO il az work
Of art.
Modicska's Performance Of the part II in
tercsting TO me because il If unlike any other.
For the first timo hero we have had In her i'm
pcrsonation portraiturc " Dumas's character
which was not built upon the traditions OF tho
stage.
And in this respect II II especially unlike the
best Cdn,Nc we bad before.
But the originality il not. as our public desires
| II 10 be- lightning strokes of passion introduced
here and there. grand episodes Of frenzy that
| leave the general current OF the play darker
than ever. but steady Illumination OF the whole
story. n clrnrer projection Of the lines that make
up the spirit and purpose Of the picture.
MNtlfSku : ' dINfNt ~ more NlItuOuk tldn any
that has preceded it here.
That IL its intellectual no less than its moral
advantage.
By virtue do not mean. as dramatic criticism
ordinarily means. the absence Of vice. mean
the endeavor to overcome evil.
And as virtue has the same root as vlrility
ought To call the strongest Camille we ever had.
The ethical beauty which the performance de-
rives from this advantage is not SO occult that
philosophy alone can pick II out. II lifts the
whole play little. and mparts something OF
that dignity which the ancients gave TO tragedy
when they let Destiny shape the fortunes of their
heroes.
We are very apt in this time Of free will to
laugh little scornfully at Destiny. But as
SURE you its shadowy wings brood over us as OF
old and 1t is the recognition of this that gives
" Camille" such fascination.
Tho distinction between our Nemesis and that
Of the Greeks is that theirs existed IN the ether
and ours dwells in the blood
When you understand that thoroughly you
will be astonished to see that even truth moves
in circle. and those opposite scgments Of its
orbit which We have empiricaly marked with
the words superstition and science" are lit
with the same light after the lapse of ages.
With all respect for Hercules Boucicault who
has nobly endeavored TO destroy the eorgon Of
classicalty 10y feeding it with small talk-Des-
tiny must he ncrmitted IN sav ia Tho p,ost nm.
Railing. the most tremendous elemen, that has
ever been used I'm dramatic composition.
Nothing ouiets n mans will and trans,l,os his
soul Tx. the inyincible necossitv Fvervwhero
he reaches up TO look over the heads Of his fell
lows with terror in his eyes for the inevitable
phantom that IL coming toward him. The two
momentous perceptions Of his existence are
life and death. But OF these death is alone the
predicable certainty
So absolute is this impression Of des,inv in
the universe that naturc has nrodnceJ n svm.
boil of if in her ophidians and man as far hack
AS Moses has recognized n
You will 0nd If Won think n momont TIN, tho
serpent embodies in his orpaniya,ion and az
! presses In his habits and duration ,his draad
! idaa living in tho ho,top, ~ vour soul
The slow approaeh of This monster vi,hon,
anv of tho vtsthla means ~ locomo,ior--i,,.
pelled bv a mower hcvond i,s.lf tho utIass eves
that never turn or wink ar soften tho rhv,hmic
coryolutions. slow enfoldine: the combination
of the direct strength with die lenst has,e-do
not these characteristics call up In your mind
the Sin Of the father. which. living dormant for
generations. suddenly strs and sets out to en-
fold It's victim and enforce its penalty2
Such is the mystic significance Of Camille -
and Of all plays in our day which embody the
idea OF destiny
Nine Modjeska IL the only actress have seen
in the part who at all comprehends II.
Better than that. she is the only actress who
makes the spectator comprehend IT,
Clara Morris played the role in a lower key
for that reason il was In the popular sense.
more sympathetic. But II was lower in an Rs-
thetic sense. for II interested US only in the
special facts Of Camille and poetic per-
Torrance must rise to general truths. She lost
the significance Of the inevitable. She made us
shudder at her peculiar pangs and weep over
her poignant physical suffering. But We did
not feel the dread approach OF something She
| took pains TO inform us that Camille was a
woman without will and victim. Modieska In i
structs MS that she is n woman Of strong will.
capable Of making the greatest conceivable
sacrifice. but woman who bends to the in
vincible necessity and becomes a sacrifice.
In this case the vain endeavor to do right has
noble aspect.
In the other II intensifes the weakness Of the
woman.
Clara Morris, as have observed on several
occasions. belongs TO the phenomena Of the
stage.
| MOdleska il among its achievements