Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-02-22
The SensaIionuI Bernhardf.

city, closing Saturday night in "Adri
enne" to a respectable attendance, the
French emotional actress, Sarah Bern.
hardt, accompanied by her troupe o
French artists, left us Sunday morn.
ing and appeared at Louisville last
night. To say that her visit was a dis.
appointment in an artistic sense to the
public, in a financial sense to the
management and the Spectator, and q
lack Of anticipated appreciation by
the actress herself, is putting it mild.
She was welcomed Friday night in
"Frou- Brou' by a large though not
crowded audience; at the matinee
Saturday, in Camille" by a house
two-thirds full, and as "Adri-
enne" on Saturday night by
something over half as many as went
the night before. 1t is safe to say that
the total receipts did not reach $4,000
for the three performances, and hold
ers of front row seats were eager to
find buyers for the closing perform
ance at a discount of one-third to a
half from the prices the tickets we're
purchased for. la the main the ticket
Spectator suffered to a considerable
degree, but he received no sympathy
from the generally sympathetic pub
lie. 1t is admitted on all sides that
Mile. Bernhardt is a great actress.
Her action is graceful; her gestures,
expressive; her emotional power,
wonderful; and her dressing, exquisite;
but this covers all, as far as an Amer
lean audience can see. Lack of famil-
iarity with the French tongue render
edher fine readings wholly s%uperAuous,
and the talented lady might as well
have moved her lips in whisper, mere
lyisgiving the requisite pantomimic
action to her parts, as far as nine
tenths of the audiences here were con-
cerned, and it would have answered.
Mile. Bernhardt is, however, possess
ed ofmany fascinating qualities neces-
sary for a brilliant actress to possess,
or she would never have risen to the
eminent place she occupies in the his
t%rionic profession. She was a great
sensation before she came, and a great
show while here, but now she has gone,
people marvel at themselves for acting
like the ninnies they did even to see
so distinguished an actress as Bern
hardt. One Of the oldest features
about it all is the vast amount, and
varied character of the newspaper ar
ticles concerning this great mis-
tress of the drama. She is evidently
a more difficult subject for legitimate
criticism than the able critic usually
tackles, or one would not say "She has
no more mobility of countenance or
capacity for facial expression than if
her face were enameled." While an
other says, I'm the expression of all
the tenderest and most fascinating
charms by which loving women can
WOO or win affection, the fond, loving
and earnest look from her eyes, the
sweetness of her smile, the absolute
control over every organ of her body
she is perfect." One says "her face is
readily charged with deep emotion
and gives a marvelously pathetic col
oring to her words" Another de,
~clares she is not endowed with a sym
pathetic voice." Another calls it a
musical voice, capable of picturing
every passion and rising to the grand
est climaxes by the perfection of its
shading and into1alions. The most
amusing of the lot, however, is the
long, learned and often really touch
ing disquisitlons we read upon the I'M
posing and delightful effects Of her Ian
guage, a language they know nothing
about. tits not necessary TO say more on
this point, though the subject could
be spread out into many columns Of
conflicting comparisons. 1t is enough
to state that Sarah acted Marguerite
Gautier, Saturday afternoon, IN an APP
p%arently natural manner, playing it
with a vivacious spirit in the first two
acts, manufacturing much mental and
emotional power in the scene with the
father Of her lover, and acting the
death scene in the last act with fine
realistic effect. Her performance Of
"Adrienne' at night was perfect, as far
as dramatic action could make it,
though those VINO have seen it render
ed by other actresses, draw the line of
favor against Sarah because they fail
ed to understand what she said. The
lady may visit us again at some future
time, and give us a taste of her quality
in a language we understand, as she is
now studying English in~dustriously.
In that event it is probable she will
enjoy a more cordial reception, and
like the tragic Janauschek she may
fill our theater even to the third tier
with the fashion and beauty of our
city, provided the spectators do not
pre-empt all the choice seats.
New Styles OF Wall Paper,