The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-06-03
JANAUsCREK.
Her First Appearance III Butte :
Iii an a Strong P ay.

A large audience greeted Madame Janau-
schek at Renshaw's Opera House, last even
ing. The very best people OF Butte were
out in force, and they went away delighted.
The audience of last evening is the best adj
v%ertisement that Mr.. Sargent's star and
company could have had. The play Sc
lected for the opening night was 'Zillah, or
the Hebrew Mother" 1t is probably the
strongest play in the talented stars
repertoire, giving play to all her superior
dramatic talent. 1t consists of a prologue
and four~acts. The prologue furnishes the
motif OF the play. The child OF penurious
Jewish parents, in the care OF a sweet coun-
try girl while the parents Ire making money,
is stolen. The thieves are the supposed
dead husband Of the nurse, Marguerite, and
Fictor Samson, manager OF a company OF
strolling actors. The child is given to an
Italian nobleman, whose infant child died
while his wife was insane, and to prevent
the shock to her system, and to aid her re-
covery, the stolen child is palmed of on her
as her own. When ZiHah, the Jewish
mother, realizes that her child has been
stolen, she accuses Margueriteo OF being prlyy
to the oifense. Being under oath and
threat OF death, she ean make no explana-
ton. Moved by the intense agony oil the
bereaved mother, she is on the point OF re-
vealing the names OF the kidnapers, when
she is shot dead from without by the hus-
band. TheJewish mother dedicates herself
to the search OF her daughter, and to fur
Their her ends assumes the guise OF a sorcer-
ess and fortune teller. She finds her
daughter i'll Italy, engaged to the
young son OF Marguerite and known as the
Francesca DONATE, the daughter OF the
Countess Donati. The meeting of the two
mothers and the revealment OF the mother
to the daughter are strong scenes, Intensely
dramatic. The daughter is restored to the
mother and the latter dies happily
but dramatically in the pres
cnce OF Francesca, her foster mother
| and her betrothed, Count Claudio. Asmay
be conceived from this imperfect sketch OF
the play, it is intensely dramatic; but it
would be difficult adequately to describe
| the manner in which Madame J%aEauschek,
true to nature always, evolves from these
materials the powerful ciimaxes she
| reaches. Her first entrance on the scene
| discloses the finished and Thoroughly ac-
complislled actress; a world OF meaning is
| expressed i'll her first maternal
| woman to whom she has entrusted her
child. A most dignified and wolhanly tone
pervades the assertion OF her mothers
| rights throughout the development OF the
plot, we have feebly outlined. Her hopeless
struggle to gain her own ciild's love is told
with most heart rending effect, and while it
would be easy enough to raproach the
author OF the play it would be iinposs :ble
to withhold the fullest admiration OF
Madame .Janauschek's matchless embodi-
ment OF a study SO complete as the final
de~nouement. There, in the ~sleep-walking
scene, with features eloquently expressive
OF the bitter emotions which dominate
her, with a hopeless struggle newly
realized to be so. with her real self-uncon-
| ~sciously developed, wrapt i'll slumbershere re-
veals to her child, whose heart is obliyious
to the sacrifices made for her by her out
| cast mother. 1t is there where Madame
Janauschek reveals her fullest worth, gives
us by her f%aultless facial expression, her
| every movement a substantial reason Tor
accepting the verdict OF European and
Eastern critics, who have pronounced her
the .'Queen of Tragedy. Nothing could
be more powerfully pathetic than the re-
turn in her dream to her first nursing OF
the child whose affections estranged
from her by Il carrier stronger than
| har nntoaot Hahraia seastAlAalA withstaad-
a brand of outlawry cast upon herself, a
fearful barrier betwixt her own existence
and the happiness of her child. She dies,
her sacrifice not thought Of, her self-de-
NAL unheard OF, her entire life an Offering
to the well-being OF another.
lIN0If NNtoiI y SHt2 80 ttfsN S".' ~
expressed with marvellous power by
| Madame Janauschek, Nor is she alone in
| the Interpretation OF the works she prom
Uses us. The work OF her supporting com
pany last night was more than satisfactory;
it was superb. A harmony OF intelligence
showed plainly that the future perform
ances will be worthy OF an equally intelli-
gent support.
George y. Chaplin is an especially gifted
leading actor, whose wide experience insup-
/ port OF many OF cur most noted stars has
earned him il sure position and an universal
recognition. Ills performances last night
fully showed his power.
Nir. \. II. Stuart, Mr.. Frank Clements,
Ia s%tu;iinus actor. for whose appearance
with us we are indebted to Madame Mod
jcsil:.) and Mr.. Ogden Stevens, completed Il
| east from which we alglir great results.
Piltt H. Danes:
\ more periactly satisfactory display OF
intelligent and youthful beauty was never
given III our city.
Miss Helen Rand is Il debutante who has
made Il contract with Madame Janauschek
for the next three years, and whose per-
formance last night gave unmistakable
promise OF y greatfuture. With such a tutor,
her progress is not IL matter OF speculation.
! She looked and played Francesca perfectly.
Miss Emma Hagger and Miss Y. Nelson
both played most intelligently.
Tonight Mother and Son. will be pre-
scnted. This is not ''Felicia,' which Rose
Eytinge has played here, and which Nellie
Boyd pirated and played under the title OF
''Motler and Son. 1t is an entirely diff
ferent play, and one of the strongest in her
repertoire. Seats should be secured at an
early hour.