Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-02-26
SALYINPS GLADIATOR.
synopsis of the Argument of the
play in which the Great Actor
Appears Tonight. .ar

. e. u r. l.
Salvini's version Of tfThe Gladiator"
is widely different from that oil the late
McCullough's, and in several important
respects would scarcely be recognized as
the same play. To appreciate the per-
formance thoroughly, under the circum-
stances .of Salvini speaking his entire
lines in Italian, one should be familiar
with the plot, or else much that is OF es-
sential interest is lost, Notwithstanding
that the great actor succeeds as perfectly
as it is possible in portraying every
feature and fact in his magnificent acting.
Some fifteen years prior TO the scene
upon which the curtain rises in the first
act, the Empress Faustina, the wife OF
the Roman Emperor, finding herself
childless, and desiring to become a
mother, applies to the Oracle for advice.
She is told that her only hope is to OBJ
tain one by the Cesarian method. With
this in view she selects the wife OF Nero,
tile Gladiator, WIN is about to give BIRTH
to IL child, and herself performs the oper-
alton, in doing which she inficts acci-
dentallynwound on the infants shoulder.
The Gladiator, who had intruded Son the
scene, had been chained to pillar, and
alton which he was helpless to oppose.
He afterwards sets fire to the royal palace
and escapes with his infant to Egypt,
where again the child becomes separated
from her father and remains lost to him
for long years afterwards
The play opens where the child, now IL
young lady, is Brought back to Rome and
sold into slavery, mt the beginning OF the
Christian era. She is purchased by
Flavian, young Roman nobleman, who
subsequently becomes so enamored OF
her that he gives her her liberty, with
the purpose OF wedding her. Faustina,
who has since become widow,
is desperately infatuated with Flavna,
and importunes him for marriage Seeing
that flavina is more interested in Neo-
damia, the ,Gladiator's daughter, than in
herself, she watches for an opportunity to
meet the girl in the garden, when she
urges her to leave Rome and shows her a
former love letter from Flayina, which,
although written long before, is made to
appear as having been Just written. Neo-
damia, ait ough fired with jealousy, re-
fuses TO leave, and Nero, who was
Il silent witness TO the garden
scene il appointed by the Empress to
kill the girl, instead Of doing which, i'm
pressed by the maiden's beauty and her
helplessness, he assists her to escape.
She afterwards becomes Christian and
is condemned to death, and Nero is again
appointed her eXecutioner When he
discovers that it is Naodamia,
he endeavors to persuade her
to renounce her religion, which she re-
| fuses to do. He then appeals TO the
Spectators, who give him the choice OF
killing her or throwing her to the
lions. lie decides to kill her, and
when in the act of uncovering
her neck discovers the mark
which he had seen Faustina make on
the infant, and he realizes it is his own
child. lie again appeals for her life to
be spared, and offers himself instead,
When he finds no hopes, he deiies
the crowd to take her, but Immediately
after hits upon the idea of the girl-life
being linked with that OF the Empress
child by decree oil the Oracle,
and makes known the fact.
The Empress, stunned by the
intelligence, consents to spare her one
more day, and she is taken to her call. In
/ the night the Gladiator, who was aware OF
Faustina's trcacherous effort to have
Neodanna murdered that night, breaks
! through the walls and enters Just us the
I girl is being killed. At the same moment
| that Neodamia falls the Empress son,
/ IN keeping with the Oracle's decree, per
lshes at the gates OF the temple by the
/ sword OF Flayian.