The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-06-09
MODJESKA.
A Fair "ROsalind' and Delighted
Audience.

Helena Modieska, the great act.
ress, made her debut last evening
to large, mainly intelligent, and
fashionable audience. After her
appearance had been noted,
the most striking feature of
the lady was her accent
which, while clear and distinct,
was nevertheless that of pro-
nounced foreigner; and as the text
of Shakespeare's plays, unless one
is familiar with them, is rather diff
cult to follow at any time, it was
not until the madame had talked
for brief period that she could be
generally understood. However, it
was not long before the peculiar
accent became familiar, and in
many instances seemed really to
add to the sweetness of the
expression. The first act gives no
more than faint idea Of Modes
ka's rare powers, but in the re-
mainder was to be seen thousand
evidences of careful study, clear
appreciation of the authors mean
ing and power to give expression
to conceptions such as is only
found in those on whom the his
tronic genius has fallen like a man
| tie. She is SO soft, so gentle,
so retiring, and so modest in the
6fst act as to appear the embodi-
ment of innocent simplicity; while
in the other acts (save the last,
where she dons the dublet and hose
and in app rel changes her sex, she
moves about the stage with an ease,
ia grace and an abandon
that charms and delights, yet all
the while there is not the slight
est suggestion of immodeSty. If
one has sufficient intelligence TO
comprehend what Rosalind should
be. then he can imagine what Mod
jeska makes of it. She makes
Of Rosalind, q woman whose
heart, touched with love at
first sight. displays that love in
a thousand womanly ways, and
while resorting to various eXpedi-
ents to test the fidelity of her ad
mirer, in which there is a never
ending run of ready wit, and Of
satire and Of humor, the love light
always Eliminates her eye, her
countenance ever shows constant
devotion, and her every gesture
even of seeming ACCOMPLISHMENTS
true to the emotion which has
taken possession of her whole being,
The momentary outbursts of grief
seem so real that it almost appears
mockery to hear the ripping peals
follow, as she laughs at Orlando in
those scenes in which he plays lover
to the Ganymede of Rosalind.
The good nature, the sweetness CT
disposition, the decision Of charac,
ter and the firmness of purpose Of
Rosalind become clear in the delin-
cation OF Madame Modjeska, and
leave the most delightful impress
sion on the audience. 1t is so sell
dom that an actress of the I'M
equivocal genius OF MOdjeska
appears in such characters that
failure to see her in them is to
wrong oneself. To miss such an
opportunity shows a lack of appre-
citation of that hi5trionic genius,
which, after years of study and
| thought, so illumines the lines as 20
bring form out of chaos, cloth with
their appropriate qualities the
several characters, and give palpa-
bic and tangable realization, to that
which is horn of the warm magma
tlon of an author. Is not this
OF MUS? If it is, then Modjeska pos
| Ses3es that quality in rare degree.
But returning to common places, it
was q treat in itself to see one of
the great dramatist's lighter prOduc-
tions put on the boards, particularly
where there was so much life,
and where the inherent and
immortal wit is not lost be-
cause of an insufficient outlet,
or murdered by a laundering
delivery of the text, and still more
laundering comprehension OF Its
meaning.
Modieska's support was far above
the average,and its membership EN-
braces several gentlemen and ladies
of decided talent, who have either
a tact for Shakespearian recitation
or have been schooled properly and
have proftted by that schooling
There was a beauty and a grace
about the piece which delighted al
who saw it, and which will go
long way towards removing the i'm
preston which bunglers of Shake
speare have given to the public re
garding his immortal ProductlonS
She appears in "Adrienne LIE
couyruer" this afternoon, and II
"Twelfth Night" closes her engage
ment this evening.