Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-12-29
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH
SARAH
A Charmine Description OF the BernhaIdt
from q Vienna Paper.

A lady contributor TO a Vienna newspa-
per gives All interesting account Of pleas
ant little interview which she has hsd
With sarah Bernharsit, who is now de-
lighting By her performances the CAV in
hzbitanr- of the Austrian capital. Mme
Bernhardt, we are tolo, likes, after the
freaeh fashion, TO receive aud to ehai
Nth visitors behind the scenes in the In
tsryals between the acts. sit refreshe-
tue, she .av-. In this, remarks the wri-
or, she differs from Austrian actresses.
! rhe majority of these are 20 nervous thai
when they are eng ged 10 play an impor-
ant part IN the evening they never receive
4 visit during the day nor converse with
any stranger. Nine. Bernhartit docs the
honors" with the utu ainiabilitv.
she Instantly surrepder- the only chair
which her pirate room contains. AI-
1 preaching the mirror, " hich she has sur
| rounded with hslf doz n candles in or
der to -tuc y the eiie, = OF light, she qli. T.
| lY flashes her 20 let. Ii never occurs to
ler To make u secret of any one of it,
l THOUSAND little arts, and laugaiBgly re-
| plies To the visitors anxiou. question
| a,.ether her presence di.turDs: Nv hat an
| idea, There are no secret- here. Every
| body knows Ihu We paint and powder Tor
the Stage" Meantime she chats away
about all sorts OF things, and willingly
| confe-ses that she il II ittered when any
one Rises her dresses. II love my
! dresses she says. II take such interest
/ ia then, 1t makes me glad to think of them
and to arrange hem Nine. Bernhard
relates that she Gin this how unlike most
other wo,nen) has for years remained true
to the same dressnaker, and has never
had quarrel with her.
/ III re tine business manager arrives and
Informs the arii-te Of the distinguished
persons who are to be found among the
audience in the theatre. Nine. Bernnardt
had requested this information, for on
the occasion of her debut in The Lady
of the Camellias' she was in despair be-
cause, through ignorance of their pres
ence. she had not made special bow to
the Crown Prince and Princess. who had
hOnored the performance by'their attend
ance. She inquiries carefully each even
ipg whether any actor is present from the
Imperial Theatre and always asks to be
informed where the arti t. OF that estab-
h-hment, when pre- ent, are seated, as also
a. to the sherea 1outs of the newspaper
critics, so that she may bring them be
meath her glances during the progress of
the play. And now comes the stage
manager. to announce that the stage is
dttdhN 10 Dtpiu. he interviewer mas
still time to ask the actress what she
thinks OF the toilets of the Vienna ladies'
The answer was crushing. Nine. Bern
hardt found that the Austrian ladies' style
of dress was bold and startling. But, -
she added, automatically, "lt suits them
aud, moreover, they seldom exceed the
bounds of good taste.
The actress here left for the stage, her
maid supporting her train and an attend
ant following with small glass contain
ing glycerine, which Sarah declares AN
u falling means of strengthening and
clearing the voice. ''Itis really not bad, $
she says, as in friendly fashion she offers
a few drops 10 those around to taste, AN
offer when no one seems disposed TO avail
himself Of. Here the actress catches her
stage cue and hastens forward after "A
hearty Eau revoir." She plays without the
aid of a prompter, who nevertheless is at
his post, but only for the assistance of
the others. A quarter of an hour later
the actress returns to her dressing-room
trembling, deathly pale, real tears cours-
; ing down her checks, and says family
Like the Lady of the Cameliiis, have
often wept whole nights" But her e *
ness soon disappears, and five minutes
later Mime. Bernnardt is again the pleasant
hostess in her room amid her magniti cent
dresses.