Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-13
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.
The Polish Countess on and on
the Stage.
A Fine Interpretation Of "Rosallnd" to
Cultivated Audience What She
Thinks Of the Pretty

Modjeska gave US fine Interpretation OF
Rosalind last night. 1t was different from
and immessurably superior to anything
Wheeling ever saw, and was doubly ap-
preciated by the unusually 6ne audience.
The event partook somewhat Of gala
character, and every feature was in
harmony. The house was filled with q
cultured and sppreciatiye audience, such a
one as must have inspired the famous
actress. The orchestra excelled itself,
rendering special music as follows:
'.'.'-- ''''''''I "nsbYe
North LIAM ,rdm nera King Mydas Ellen berg
OVERWHELMING scotland......... Cstlin
q. 5. Engineer March. Seloeet
AS You Like 1t" ranks high among the
many dramas OF the Bard OF Avon, but 1t
is only seen at intervals on the stage from
the fact that in the part Of Rosalind, EN-
bracing that of the maynard, love sick,
winning Ganymede, Turks such a delicate
subtilty that but few actresses can give
expression 10 il. Ii has long been IA
yorite with Modjeska, and her interpreta.
ton of il bears testimony to the depth OF
study and attention she has given 1t.
Wheeling was charmed with Scott
Siddons and made her rendition its
standard, for want of another; but
Modieska has met and scared above II,
rising il to an altitude that in the present
age will never be surpassed. The hrst scene
went off little slowly, but the powers oil
the actress developed in the wrestling scene,
where her Maynard fancy is 6rst attracted
II Fafh
comedy proceeds, il calls for greater dis
play OF histrionic ability, and how we'll
. Modieska met il, was testified by the spon-
taneOus and hearty applause. Her Gany-
mede was perfect creation and above crit
icism.
Very fortunate was Modjeska in her sup
port. Each character appeared TO have
been selected with special reference to the re-
spectiVe part, and not one poor stick appear
ed. Maurice Barrymore as Orlando was
especially good, but each OF the others was
entitled 10 individual praise. The entire
play passed. of nicely and was success
throughout.
OFF TIE STAGE.
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Bozenta was the
simply registry at the Mcclure House OF
MOdjeskA and her husband, the Polish
Count. Had a REGISTER reporter called on
her, he would have have found her as
charming, as a Countess, as she is on the
stage. In the latter capacity, she uses
very little or no make up and those who
sat near the stage, last night, had
much more favorable impression
of Der beauty, which was
not adorned with rouge or pencllling She
looks not unlike Mary Anderson, though
without the sharp regularity OF the features
of the latter. Seated in q rocking chair
and dressed in long, loosely lowing wrap.
per Of soft groy.blue material, trimmed
with gray mixed fur, Modjeska would have
looked as charming as she does in the first
act of las You Like It." Her hair is OF
light brown color and she wears it in heavy
bangs" low down upon her forehead. Her
eyes are hszel-colored, light and merry, and
her features are clearly cut and sensitive.
In conversation she speaks quickly, and 1t
is only at times that her accent is marked,
and then in some rough cOrnered word
which could not be readily twisted by her
plant tongue.
Richard Grant White has written an arti-
Gle in which he claims Rosalind should be
more realistic but this is utterly secuted
by Modjeska, who is familiar with the ar.
tiCle.
"Rosalind," she exclaims in her quick.
fOrcible manner, lis purely ideal. Mr..
White says that the part was once played
by boys or men and he seems to think We
must make q man of it now because there
were no actresses in Shakespeare's time.
How absurd, Suppose for one instant We
should have q manly Desdemona or Juliet
or Cordelia how would such a thing be re.
ceived? The play is all fancy, all ideal,
and nothing could be more ridiculous than
to give il so called realism. WHY we do
not even know 10 What nationality the
characters belong. There is no means OF tell.
ing that or of knowing what was the age in
which they lived. Ii has no pretense to
being historical. When | play Marie
Stuart, woman who actually lived, and
had a fixed and we'll known period, whose
manners and dress are matters OF record,
then | endeayor to reprodu'e the posr
queen as she is known to have oeen in life.
What folly il would be ii such vas attempt
ed with Rosalind. Why all the world would
laugh. Mr.. White talks 40 rut anacronisms
in the dress of ROsalind. How, may | ask,
is il possible to have anachroniSms when
there is no period for the character" and
the actress shrugged her shoulders express
siyely and laughed, "If any one is to be
called anachrOniStic il is Shakespeare
himself who makes Rosalind say that she
found verses fastened to q palm tree.
The idea of palms in the forest of Arden
is as absurd as the placing Of a lion
in its thickets. My idea of "Rosalind" is
that she is q loving, passionate woman,
who is a true, pure woman in her demea-
nor until she puts on herself her mascu-
line dress and makes poor, love-sick Or
laudo believe she is a man. She is wear.
ing mans clothes, but she must not al
ways be a man. When she is with Celia
or Touchstone she does not pretend TO be
4 man. How womanly is she-and try
to make her supremely 50 and have real
tears in my eyes-when she says to her
good cousin, oh, coz, coz, my pretty little
coz, that thou didst know how many
fatkoms deep am in loyen 1t is only
with Orlando and the others she meets
as strangers in the forest that she is q
staggering young man. She, by her
speech as we'll as dress and manner. must
never reveal herself. As il to dissrm
0rlsndo in case he should have any sus-
picion OF her sex, she utterS broad Sayiu q
which drive out 0f his head all thought
that She is the refined girl he has fallen in
love with. As the character is an ideal |
may dress il to suit myself. Why should
/ make myself ugly in little black felt hat
and huge top boots, and put some bro wn
coloring on my face when the part does
not demand it2 N0one would do il sooner
than l would If il were necessary. The
fault Of the English ROsslinds is that they
make love TO Orlando when they are them
selves supposed to De Ganymede. This
is ridiculous and out of place. am sur
prised at the Interpretation which some
English and American actresses give to
passages in Shakespeare. Now take the
line, Your having in beard is as great
as your income Is younger BROTH
err Ny husband and some of my
company ask me why say this. ans
wCr that il is as it was written. They in
sist that should say Your having q
beard but that is not so. 1t is Your
having in beard II is a neat quib-
BILE, for Shakespeare meant that as Orlando
bad no beard nor income his having OF
of one was IS great or rather as little as bis
having Of the other. Oh, no, Rosa
lind must be a woman as loving as she
can be made, and yet so much of a man
that she blinds her lover in regard to her
identity. She is a beautiful ideal, roman