Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-16
MODJEsKA.

MODJESKA.
Her Representation of Adrienne La |
couvreur at the Opera House Last Eve
ning-A Finished Performance.
When the curtain went down on the last !
act of "Adrienne" at the Opera house last
night, the audience actually forgot its GUS
tomary caprice. 1t lost sight of the fact
that the play had ended, land fer once it did
not rise up en- masse before the finale and
make a bold break for the door as if
the outside of the house first. The episode
is simple enough and easily stated, and
yet perhaps it was the best compliment
actress. The spell she had woven
by the witchery of her art
was not broken until after the fall of the
curtain, when the intense interest in the
death of the fond and lovely Adrienne
gave way to an ovation of applause, and
the actress was called before the curtain.
1t was altogether an excel
lent innovation on the rude custom
in the average theatre audience, and at the
same time the very finest endorsement
that could have been rendered Modjeska.
The role selected by Modjeska for her
debut before st. Paul audience is a diff
cult one to enact; it calls for the highest
order of dramatic excellence.
In Adrienne there is no middle degree of
merit or excellence; in this role the actress
must kindle her fire at the altar of Thespis
| and the muses., failing in which she will
sink to the common place of melodrama,
where mediocrity becomes intolerable.
She must, moreover, ascend to the sub
| lime heights on strong and happy wings,
which love the azure sky and mountain
tops because it is their element, and the
flight should not be merred by any evidence
of forced strength, WEAKNESS or fatigue.
This then, is the test of the artist, and
if we were to estimate the powers of
Modjeska by this standard, we shall place
| first amoug her characteristics the quality
| of repose; not the languid, dreamy thing
that suits so we'll the heroine of the novel
boudoir, but the quality which jamie, the
French critic, wrote about when he de-
fined genius, as concentration in mani
festation." In this quality Modjeska is
majestic. 1t is the process pro-
cured by nature where it would
garner the grains of strength
which after awhile are to be- let loose in
the sweeping breath of the whirlwind.
And yet there is dangerous tendency to
carry the process too far; of making the
reserved strength too quiet at the expense
of intensity.
This, however, is the indulgence of one
who has achieved success and who is sure
of her art; it Is like the pollen which some
times appears on the perfect flower, but
which the slightest zephyr Of inspiration
is capable of blowing off.
The first act of Adrienne is rather tame,
and the large audience did not warm up
until Modjeska appeared in the green
room scene dressed for the role of Rox-
lama; the scene here between hel
and Michaunet, the prompter, was
both tender and amusing. One could moi
help sympathize with the old prompter fol
his fond alteration of his charming pro
tege, while the philosophical manner il
which he Rugged his unrequited love was
comical in the extreme. This part wal
finely acted by Mr.. Owen throughout.
The meeting of Adrienne and Maurice
in this act was very touchingly portrayed
and this and similar passages were gi7e1
with a soft charm, wkils the slight defect
of accent only seemed to heighten.
| AhO rSCAo LII lES tuiTI
act, where the liasior
between Maurice and the Princess frs
dawns apon her mind was finely given, ano
the perfect faith with which she aces pts
the assurance of her lover was very touch
ing. Her discovery of the Prin
cess was given with great
emotion, and the scene where she
is tainted in the next act, where she hears
that her lover mas fought duel--all were
given il manner which showed her to be
the mistress of her art.
The recitation from Phedre in which
size accuses the Princess, was given with
great dramatic feryor, and in the last
act, so full of tenderness, love and fond
devotion, one lost sight of che actress.
The support was very good Mr.. Barry
more was finished as Maurice, and the
Able by Mr.. Dawson and the Prince by
Mr.. Clements were both aceeptably given
Miss Drew gave pleasing performance OF
the Princess, and the ladies all did fairly
we'll. The costumes were superb.
Tonight "Cymbeline" will be given.