National Republican., 1883-02-03
NOT much of a shower in France after all.
THE DRAMA.

THE DRAMA.
| NAT1oNAL--sALvINI IN 1.-THE OUTLAW"
While there can be no two opinions of the
quality of Salvini's work in the central figure
of " La Morto Civili," there is ample room for
! question whether that dismal drama itself
should bo performed. 1t is monody Of
wretchedness. From first to last there is no
variation of color in 1t, except deepening
of misery as the story goes along. The sweet
ness of girhood the nobility Of maternal
affection, the spendor of high intellectual
freedom in man, are simply turned to the one
end of making moro distinct, in all
its misery, the agonized close of
life Of passionate suffering. Entirely
simple, straightforward in its CHASTITY
purpose, and full of the thickening
shadows of single fate It is not without its
merit in one department. of dramatic art
but this merit Is unrcicved and of itself
not great enough to wholly justify the play.
And the art that is so single threaded will not
endure any good test. Leaving out the mar
volous power Of Salvini's acting, there would
be no excuse for putting the drama forward.
And 1t is not to be granted without hesita-
tion that even Salvini can altogether palliate
SO lugubrious work.
The story of Conrad calls for the express
sion of Salvini's most decided powers. 1t is
altogether story of emotional storm and
wreck. No mental traits arc called into
action. Tho man represented is low
in the order Of humanity. Those
glimpscs into his past which are
here and there given show youth of inn
petuous fire and a manhood of ungovernablo
passions Recklessness turbulent pride,
fierce love, aud violent hate, ending in
murder, gallcys, and civil death, bring him
down to the opening of tho acted narrative.
He is once splendid animal, in whom
even after years of degradation and repres-
sion, there still burns the binding temper of
his better days. Whatever nobility invests
him is the nobility of suffering. Whatever
sympthy attaches to him Is drawn out by
the power with which there is asserted
within him tho one tenderly human instinct
that marks him for n man-the instinct of
parental love. This is his descant. Between
it and the bass scarce half note is sounded /;
but so sweet and so sublmcly sad that descant
is, so exquisite the pain that sounds
along it, that no heart can resist
its penctrative influence, nor any one
withhold pity for his fate. The vivid yet
simple power with which Salvini portrays the
dissolution of this mans life passes all de-
scription. The effort is in his best vein be-
cause it is simply one of the emotions. Here
is found employment for that magnificent
fund of animal magnetism which constitutes
this actors greatest force. All that is really
best in him is put under contribution. The
result is performance that almost outroalizes
realism. From the moment ofhis first entrance
down to that in which ho rolls out of the
chair in horrible stimulation of death
the process of dissolution is portrayed with a
closcness so distinct as to almost justify a
feeling that it is real. The weariness
of tho newly arrived fugitive, his
momentary awakening into vigor as
with pictorially rapid pautomime) the
story of his escape is told; the sullon, hall
savage mood in which the wifo is met; the
sharp alterations of feeling in the interview
with the daughter; the anguish of an en-
forced concealment of his identity from her
and all the movements downward and prcpnr.
atory to that exquisite torture which follows
upon every word of the one creature in all the
= world about whom his affections wrap them.
. selves, are shown with fIlness that
leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination
S Itmight almost be wished that this fidelity and
S amplitude of acting were lessencd in the last
= touch of all There is an old canon that rnnt
Q against the employment of the horrible il
4 dramatic representations which hero il
, preached. Tho death portrayed il
slow ono, The subject has bocl
dying through dramatic period
, of three days. Tho immediate act of deatl
II covers some twenty minutes of time. 1t be
tt gins with tho beginning of the last act
Through tho whole of this division
y of the play 1t goes on in accelerated
v movement and the climax is felt fo
= many minutes of acute suspense before i
I actually comes. There is too much of strail
l. to the spectator in it. Great acting it un
It questionably is but advisable acting-admir
9 able acting2 That is point might be dis
IS cussod.
= There is nothing that is not praiseful to b
d said of the company. The figures surround
a." ing Conrad were represented with the best q
IF good Judgment and skill. Mr.. Morrison an
c Miss Prescott are to be especially commended
IS NEXT WEEK.
1t The VoSes family will entertain the patron
v of the National theatre next week. Thei
" repertory for the week is as follows; Nor
,s day, Tuesday, Wednesday, "Cousin Joe" an
:, "Belles of the Kitchen" Thursday and FIR
- day, Cousin Joe and "Fun in a Fog" Satul
~ day matinee, Cousin Joe" and Bellies Of tn
Kitchcn;" Saturday evening, "Naval Ell
7" gagoment" and "Fun in Fog"
III A telegram from Baltimore announces til
Il success there last evening of Minnie Mac
" dcrns new play, "The Storm Child" Mi
Il NIaddcrn is to play at Ford's opera house neH
III week. Her plays will be "Fogg's Ferry
c, "Waves," and "The Storm Child "-tw
10 nights each. She has not yet been seen
or this city, but she comes very well commende
~ Sense and sngacity.
Topeka (Rdn,) Commonwealth.
Z ko,,a Iign1oyn1 tba sort 4