Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-11-18
"Il me sembls que je vais devant toi.

"n me sembls Que 10 vais devant toi.
Antoine"
Under the white drapery Of the dead
queens robe the green serpent writhes and
wriggles. The tragedy is ended. The cur
tain falls.
or course as a play Sardou's work does
not approach that of Shakespeare. But rs
play for Dernhnrdt il is very good. Bern
harlt Is the play. Everything centers
about the great actress. All the other
parts-even that VI Antony-are subordi-
mated TO hers.
Bernhardt's fine costumes which she
wears as Cleopatra consist merely OF uncut
drapery. She wraps something more than
nine yards OF this about her at once, and 10
her own art in its draping and TO the ex-
traordinAry grace OF her figure is due the
beauty of the effect. The first is Of pale
blue crepe the second rose colorei, the
third yellow. lavishly embroidered with
gold; the fourth snow white and literally
classic; the fifth, cloth of gold. With the
second costume is worn a girdle of remark
able form and workmanship. II a golden
serpent, eighty inches long. Its head is an
uncut bnt polished emerald with ruby
eyes. its scales are enaneled and SO cum
lingly is it constructed that II is as flexible
is would be living serpent.
OF the scenery much might be said, for
It is probably finer than anything ever he
lore attempted on the Partisan stage. Her
arrival before Antony in her rose sailed
barge is gorgeous, and the scene on the
roof of her palace where she receives the
messenger j. enchanting with its moon
light effect, and the sphinx, pyramids and
Nile in the background.
cleopatra" will be produced in America
also by Bernhardt before the season ends,
while those who do not speak French and
prefer 10 understand the lines rather than
see the great French artist may crafty
their desire 10y seeing Fanny Davenport.
who will enact Cleopatra" ia English.
When Bernhar,lt comes % America she
will bring with her all the scenery aud
costumes which she uses In the Paris
performance: but the latter She will prob
ably have 70 modify more or less, for
Americans are less tolerant in some re-
.pccts than the French.
Taken all in all, Cleopatra" is a lit sue
crsspr To la Toscan and all of Dernharll's
previous SUCCESSES. but ii seems pity that
the $4,000 which had been expended On its
production before the curtain had fallen
on the first night could not have been de.
voted To an equally elaborate presentation
OF ShakCspeare's version, beside the flow.
ing poetry Of which many Of Slrlau's
lines sound like mcl0lrumatic clapjrap
and vulgar hprnics For ia Bsrnhault the
world has uu actress fully worthy Of the
immortal bard Of AyuH's immortal play
more than worthy OF SlrlOg'H.
The snake which Nine Bsrnharlt uses
in the de.th scene is great pc, with her.
Size loadlcs il additionally aud call it
Iris. II i,a F0utaineliegu adder known
sometimes - an "Orvct." D. il Perfectly
harmless, bun IS Cs yeuomuus looking n
reptile rs Que csa Imagine. n, Uryen hack
aad metallic marAinc5 make /. appear a
veIltablr adder.
\ curious coincidence j. the fac, that
there j. "a remarkable resemblance between
Nine. BgrGharit's profile and that uu the
Egyptian coins preserved in the national
library which were struck dsgins Queen
C.eoga'ra'- r. Ign. and ihg I.t that Nine
BerahHrll follows iae sty.c al, lairlrasSing
represented on t1c-. coins make the .imi-
larity still uI1r, s;raSiug.
'DAyIs DEACoys.