Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-06-24
MNdleaEA.

Major II. Z. Wyatt informs the HER.
AID that he has secured the services Of
the great actress Madame Modjeska.
who will appear at tho Grand Opera
House in this city on Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Satur.
day matinee and Saturday evening,
August I'd, Sd. 4th, 9th. 9th and 9TH.
She will be supported by Maurice
Barrymore and Florence Gerard.
The famous artistic will appear in the
following repertoire; As You Like 1t,
Adrienne. Dona Diana, Mary Stuart,
Camille. and Twelfth Night.
The Dramatic Nsios thus speaks Of
the distinguished actress;
Nine. Modjeska's position as an act
ress cannot be determined from her work
in one or two roles alone. She has made
life-study Of her art, and has ia conse-
quenoe acquired style peculiarly her
own. She has learned the most difficult
lesson Of the actor, that OF identifying
herself completely with all her roles. II
is not an occasional outbu. st of passion
as Adrienne or Marguerite, nor an ex-
Iceptionally emotional scene as Diana
that tempts her to forget self in the feel
ings OF her stage character. On the con.
trary she obtains clear conception OF her
role and then lives il. This fact &C
counts for the innumerable delicate
touches which crop out constantly in
the course of her work. They cease to
Il IL kAu nf Ma.ls Al
characteristic OF her part. Add to this
a voice round. sweet, smooth and pill
able, and face capable of depicting
each emotion, almost every thought
and you have the secret Of her success.
She never declaims to the audience; she
always plays to her fellow-actors. Her
soliloquies, even her "asides," are
spoken not to the spectators, but above
and beyond them, to her visionary sec
ond self. Her by.play is incessant;
but it is not the over.ecting
OF q novice; like all her ges.
lures and movements, its spring natur-
ally from the living character she seeks
to represent. As result, she never
loses, even for q moment, her grasp
upon the interest Of the audience. Her
acting Is even. Powerful bursts OF pas.
sion, the expressions Of deep emotion,
are not with her sudden and palpably
artificial acts called forth by cue or
the prompter'a word. bat always the
climax or resultant of thoughts whose
working her delicate art enables the au.
diencs to see as well as feel. Age, dis
position and habit of mind are depicted
10 her delineations OF character. 1t ia
by these means that she has attained an
almost unequaled reputation in roles
which demand the display Of the high
est arts OF the reflective and emotional
actress. Always careful, always con.
scientious, her greatest triumphs have
been scored in those plays which enable
her to enact an entire life, revealing
every sentiment, every shade of thought
for which the character Of her role can
give occasion. As Adrienne abe pre-.
sents the actress absorbed in the study
OF her part, yet ever conscious Of the
strong undercurrent of love which has
awakened in her bosom. With what
abandon, with what wealth of trustful-
ness does she endow her attach.
ment for Maurice de SAKE
| With equal clearnsss she portrays
the wild, unreasoning alousy reused by
the merest suspicion OF his faithlessness.
The uncomfortable outburst after her
famous defamation from "Phedre" In
the fourth act, the total collapse of body
and mind, the despair of a broken
heart, following the receipt OF the
poisoned fowers-all these are present.
ed with force that strikes home to the
hearts OF her hearers. Then comes the
Joyful reaction caused by the unexpeot.
ed visit OF Maurice; while finally the
insidious working Of the poison Is por-
trsyed with painfulness that her real.
| iatic death almost relieves.