New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-20
A TALR WITH SALVINL.

THE ACTORS IMPRESSIONS OF AMERICA.
APPuFC,ArIvE AuDIENCys-CLosE STUDY OF SHAKE
sPRARRAN PARTs-THE TEAGEDIAN's MANNER
or GIvING THE DEATH SCENE ~ " orHELLo'
Al Booths Theatre gnor Salvini and the com
pany supporting INN arc engaged daily IN rehe"is-
ing tho various PLAYS Of his rperiory. tribune
reporter Wa present FRIDAY morning at The con-
clusloa Of the rehearsal OF Hamlet" aud met
Signor Salyiui 49, he was leaving The theatre Alter
Y few pleasant words the reporter asked:
WHAT were your first Impressions OF TINS COUNTY,
81 waq lmprcs cd with the idea that there was
oven more lc ana energy displayed by the people
thsn wren | was hero before. CeaseIcss energy
always has been = strong talt "l lie
Amercan people. and think it - developing 20
greater extent than ever uefOre. Ny reception mere
was much more enihIsiastlc tlHh II was DcioiI2;
30. sibly bccaJsc the gencrous puDhc has RlnoN
remembrance of the stranger wac CAM 10 t" ,hn
some years ago. II has lea ne 10 pGltVe ~; 'ho
Americans are not quick 20 forget GA IrlrmdN'
DO you bud the audiences more critical imam they
used to heW ..;, 49,.
they seem 70 appreciate NE better. Ihs, ! INNS
arises from performances being gwen III NC
two languages, English and iialan. mo American
people have large acquaintance WIN sl,lnys 'r'ic,
and. knowing exactly what the other characters ale
saying they are better abic to lOIoW me.
"Dld yen find 1t Involvement 10 learn THIS methou
OF aetingT .....o,,.,,o+ AIM.
cult at first I soon became accustomed 10 II. /
have learned to RECOGNIZES the sound. rather. the
rhrtbm of the d teicut speeches. and can follow the
other actors very closely. Indeed kno" Ju't
what they saving. | should IKE 10 oc t,ie ~
ask the public whether they are as wen aole 10
1T is sand that you made great preparations for
your ,hake,pearem parts"
." Yes believe may say truthlully that did. 1
stud red al my ~hak cspearan parts I've or SIX years
before playing any of them One fact that aGed
me i'm deyOtiag much time to them was thai theh
Shakespeare was somewhat out OF fashion III Italy.
Before Slgnor Rossl and myself devoted SO nuGh
time to the performance oi tue great hiRiSh poets
works, they were not so successful IN lay as ,noy
ought TO havo been. am glad 10 say tha my country
men have taken "A new interest IN men, ana ai"ays
attend performances OF then lndeed'they are no"
the iayOrlte plays in Italy. Before attempt,
ing TO play any OF them, h1d
the critical Writings OF all the best Engnsh ffenGn,
German and Spanish cOnlmentai0rs translated LOT
me. | studied them very carefully; anu alter
comparing tnem formed my own Judgment OF me
various characters In this work received valuable
assistance from Lord Normandy VINO was AT tnat
tIme-1S57-the English Ambassador IN Florence.
He used 10 come every day or two 60 my VIVA TO
assist me. With the English text ana the ltaHah
translation IN hand he explained TO me the exact
meanings OF the passages under consideration. lie
was very kind and once generously sara ion arc
the only man who can play "Hdmet IN England TO-
day, Maybe he meant AS compared with other
Italians who had PLAYED the part III his country" >,
"Why do you play the death scene In Othello
differently from other tragedansT
~ believe have good reason for it, In Euglasd,
when first did IT So there were many objections
raised; but after had payt the part thlrty-elght
times the London people were KIND enough To coin
eide with my views Ny reasons are two: In the
first place the English text reads thus:
took by the throat the clrcuncsed dog.
Aud smOte him-tdus.
The Italian adaptor translated the word smoto by
scannato,' when means 10 cut the throat. Au-
other reason - that the custom OF the Moors, from
the nature of their weapons, Is not TO STAB WIN the
point but to cut. In Staying their PRISONERS they
either cut their tbrOats or eisenhower them"
THE correctness of your costume has also Deen
called III question. has II not "
Yes but | think those who have done 50
have not carefully investIg gated the matter In
Venice during the time of the Republic many sol.
diers from other nations were taken INTO the pay OF
the Government. They were all permitted to wear
tn r national costumes the only tnlDg required OF
them being wearing of the lion of st. Mark upon
their breasts. OthetO very proud OF his ances-
try and wOnld naturally be unwilling 10 lay aside
the cnarac teristc dress of his cOuntrymen."
Sgnor Salvinl exhibited 10 the reporter hand
some written testimonial, signed by some of the
leading citizens of PHI adelpnla, ana presented 10
him at the close OF his engagement IN that city, In
1t they expressed their pleasure ut the success O nus
engagement and their appreciation OF the good ms
acting would do to American dramatic art. lhey
also expressed hope tnat lie would meet with sue
cess in lis tour through this country. Among those
who signed the testimonial were James CIaghorn.
J. f. HartraDft A. j. Drexcl, w. 5. Stokley, James
A. Paul, George w. Cnilds. James Il. townsend,
Charles Plat and Al0nZo N. Mite.