Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-29
And her New Play OF " Thera Her
Experiences in Poland and Her
Great Desire to Play in
Russia.
The Censorship OF the Stage Against
Her Even in EDgland-Her Recent
Engagements in Great
Britain.

was as much my country as folanO.
Show strange it all has beeni When we
first came, 1 never even dreamed that l
should go on the stsge againj least of all
that should ever play in the English Ian
gusge. We went out 10 California TO settle
down, and live purely pastoral lives. Bat
after we had been there for while, and |
had learned little Euglish, my old passion
for the stage came back to me, and when /
was offered an opportunity 10 appear in San
Francisco l was very easily tempted from my
retirement, and so became as much an Ameri-
can as a Polish actress"
That was in"
"Sevenly / succeeded very much
better than 1 anticipated that season, and
played in various cities until 1879,
WHEN WE WENT BACK TO EUROPE.
"Iu the winter of 1880 played in Po-
land, all Of my old friends welcoming me
back most kindly. In May, 1880, went to
London, where 1 played uatil July, 1881,
with only one intermission OF TOUR or Eve
weeks. That was one of the longest engage
ments th at has ever been played in London.
/ played that time at tine Court Theater, ap-
pearing in Hea,tsease, Mary Stuart The Old
L0ue and the NSw, AZ -;>-.-s -LeoorzvTeSu, 10
,neo and juliet, and some other plays. l left
London in July, and Travelled in the prov
incee, visiting BirmiDgha m, Manchester, Liv-
erpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dub
lin. Mary Stuart took particularly well in
England and Ireland, but 1T was not at all
popular in Scotland. The French pieces
went best in Scotland. In Dublin / had a
pleasant reception, with cheers for Poland.
In January, February and March OF this
year 1 played in Poland-in Cracow
and Warsaw. 1 met Sarah Bern
hardt in Warsaw, and played just
after her. Two delightful recep-
lions were given me in Warsaw. 1t was my
intention to go to ST. Petersburg and play
for short season there, but Gen. Ignatieff
refused me permission 10 play in Russia in
the Polish langus ge, SO 1 did not 60. The
censorship which extends ever the stage IN
The larger portion of Europe is a very vexa-
tious institution sometimes. In Warsaw my
parts were cut horribly, and even in London
the Lord Chamberlain interfered with Ca
mile. From Portland l went to London
again, and have been playing there this sum-
mer-three months in the Haymarket in
Odeae which was great success, filling
the theater every night"
OPENS HERE AT THE GLoRE IN BOSTON.
"What will you play here, Mime. Mod
jeska?"
81 shall open at the Boston Globe Theater,
on October Sd, in Adrienne Lecoureur. We
are at present rehearsiDg Adrienne. Frou
Frou and Camille, which are the only plays
We shall rehesrse before going to Boston.
After we get to Boston, however, we shall
immediately begin the rehearsal of Mary
Stuart, IA Ycu Like Ii and Ihoro. The latter
is my favorite play. Then we may possibly
produces The Hunchback, Romeo and juliet and
OdeLe."
"You spoke of the play 1hora; that is new
is it pot?"
Yes, Thora was produced for the first
time by myself in Warsaw last winter. Ii
has never been played by any body else. 1
consider 1Hora wonderful play; it is very
delicately written, is philosophic and exceed
ingly poetic. Ii is bright in dialogue, and
very exciting. But you must see it. The
play was written by Henry 1psen, very tai
ented Norwegian PLAYWRIGHT. 1t was ex-
ceedingly popular in Poland"
"What, Thoraf asked Mme Modjeska's
husband, the Count Bozenta, who had jus,
entered the room. "Well, 1 should say il
was. Mime. Modjeska was called out twenty
one times at the close of the second act one
night in Warsaw"
Eyes, that is true" said Nine. Modiesks.
"The piece seemed to take Warsaw COM
pletely by Storm"
"What is the story of the play~
at would be hard to tell you in few
words, and it would make too long story
should / attempt to give you any details.
However will try a-d si-. Jos iae- 81
il The play nnniains three long acts.
THE PLOT OF "rHoRAn
"Thora" is a woman who has never had
the advantage of any moral or religious
training. She has been brought up by her
father as a mere play thing, to sing songs, re-
peat witty stories and make people laugh,
trained almost as a dog might be. When
she grows up and marries, her only thought
il to please her husband banker, but she
does not know anything of the serious side
n~o f1h ar hrroh Il
the necessity of raising some money, and
the girl thoughtlessly writes note, FORCES
her fathers name to it, and obtains the
money. She does this because her father is
ill and she does not wish to disturb him by
asking him for money. Before the note falls |
due her father dies, and it gets into the |
hands of an INSCRIPTIONS man who once |
uttered a forgery himself and suffered i'm
prisonment for il. In the meantime" Thora's"
husband had become president of the bank. !
The man who was once a forger has
obtained position in the same bank, but
one day the president learns of the old for
gerry and imprisonment, and resolves to turn
1im out. The villain then goes to see
'Thora," and asks her to intercede for him,
that il che does not do 80 he will
expose her own forgery. Tie simple girl is
to learn thai she has committed
rhine, and is so Mortified that she scarcely
lares to speak to her husbands That very
light the banker tells her of his discovery
b at the man in the bank has been forger.
lie speaks of the disgracefulness of the
rime, and "Thora" fears that if he ever dis
overs what she has done he will either take
he crime upon himself to shield her, or else
Fill send her away from him. She is greatly
roubled, but she seeks 10 forget her uneasi-
ess in the preparation Of a Christmas tree for
er children. This closes the first set. The viii
Al -
an obtain nothing from "Thora." He then
rites letter to the husband and drops it
4 the letter-box, to which only the banker
aries the key. "Thera," in despair, at first
esolves 10 kill herself. When her husband
omes in she tries by all her arts to keep his
ttenion away from the box-io post pone
lie discovery to The last moment, if it must
ome. They are to go to the ball the next
ay, and she is to dance the "Tarantelle." The
usb andasks her to dance it now-to rehearse
She does SO under this feeling of terrible ;
ar, SO that the dance is really most tragic
its wildness.
an the last act the husband opens the box !
nd finds the letter. He overwhelms 'Thora'
it'll reproaches, without ever asking WHY {
e money was obtained or the circumstances '
ader which she committed the forgery. The '
lain, in the meanwhile, having become !
morseful, goes to the banker, explains the 8
he banker cougratulates himself that he Is /
we'd; that the ruin is averted; but in his g
lhshness never thinks of his vile. 'Thors,' c
the sight OF this selfishness, loses all love b
r her husband, almost in a moment, and I
solves 10 leave him. She tells him she is {
ing away from him, TO learn to become c
oman instead Of mere playtbing as she t
ways has been. He begs her to stay, but n
e goes away and leaves him. II
"Of course, 1 have not told you anything Il
re the complete story. There is doctor c
10 has a prominent part, and a young h
man with whom the villain has been in v
7e, and there are many bright little por- II
ns / have omitted. The end is sad; too p
J, some think, but then it is novel in its a
v, and think the play is stronger than ii Il
uld be if il closed in the regulation style. e.
lave great hopes for TAora in New York" 81
HER OPINION OF MRS. LAEGTRY.
You will play at the Fifth Avenue The =
II while you are here, will you not" II
Yes, we will open there in December. l =
e the Fifth Avenue Theater very much, r
i. Nearly all the American theaters are =
ght and pleasant-much better, as rule, :,
IN The foreign theaters. / like the Hsy ~
rket and one or two others In London, but W
ny of the theaters there are very disagree
e.D Oh
While you were in London did you know y
g. LaDgtry" -
Oh, yesl and Mrs. Langtry is a most ~ ~
rming woman. 1t is wonderful, too, bow 40
/ she has succeeded on ihestage, consider 3.
the short time she has been actingi She ~ ~
lily deserves very great credit for what che sr
accomplished" ~;
/ first saw Mrs. Lapgtry two years ago, - ~
1re sire went on the stage. 1t was at ~
per-pa-ty given nj Hamilton palace IN o.
Ior Of the Prince of Wales. / played y,
lie one-act piece during the evening, and 10
levieve Ward played a short piece also. a,
supper / admired Mrs. Langtry very Il,
CD; she vas so beautiful; and after sup -.
/ WAS introduced to her. She was ant IL Il.
at the time at the left hand side OF ~
Prince of Wales; was at his right. L =
d her very mush from the first. Mrs. ~
'gtry is exceedingly popular in England, 81 81
/ think she will be 30 here" '"
Why lie Mrs. Lydia E. Pinkhzm's Vege-
e Compound like the Mississippi river
spring freshet7 Because the immense !,
lme Of this healing river moves with
! momentum that il sweeps away all OBJ 1
les and IA literally flooding the country. see