Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-12-14
BERNHARHs CLEOPATRA
George X. Sims hlks on ''Sarahpatra"
and Reveals So Ignorance of Amer
"Dagonet~ mhe London Referee.


.Dagonet" inhe London Referee.
Being in Parislnaturally went to see
the divine Sarah her new creation"
The play of Cleopatra, by Messieurs
Sardou. Shake4are, and Moreau, is
not a play, and lis not Cleopatra, "
though in one scie, and that the only
good one in the ie acts, it is Shakes
peare. 'Cleopda" is simply being
'.tried on the do so far as Paris is
concerned. 1t ito be Sarah's great
card during her brthcoming American
campaign. Alrehy in New York for
the first night eS seat is gone. The
latest offer maaebr a stall was, 1t Is
officially stated, TOO,
have great king for Americans,
and a good deal 4 admiration Tor the
national thorougheSS and clearheaded-
ness of their chaicter. They are, per-
haps, Just ii little;oo fond of taking Il
Mckinley view nflthe foreign drama
so far as the old clIntry is concerned,
but they are genarlly ready to welcome
ANYTHING dramatcfrom France or Ger
many. Now, ha;iIg carefully studied
for many years past the tone of Amer
lean criticism on til imported drama,
cannot help thinking that the people
who have given SDO for a seat to see
cleopatra will cone to the conclusion,
long before the performance does, that
they have paid two naughts too many.
Not only is "Cleopatn" play devoid OF
interest, but it is &void of construc-
-.
little sense in it. IDS series OF duos
in which Sarahpatrdis alternately low
ing and Jealous. NIIrk Antony is trot-
ted on and off simpl' to supply Sarah
patra with an eXcue for saying some
thing. 1t is true nthe last act we get
the real live snake bout which so much
has been written beforehand, but, in
the words of one If the smarteSt OF
French critics, "Wd have to wait ter
rbly long time foi the snake" The
snake used is, believe, an asp. Look
ing at the amount o reclame which has
been got ont of tho unhappy reptile,
fancy puff adder WOULD have been more
appropriate.
Perhaps the mos absurd moment in
the play is when tie divine Sarah is
carried in, wrappedup in a carpet, by
two men, and depoiited in Mark An
tony's bed. Here, with the curtains
drawn well around Ter, she sits all OF a
heap, and listens TO love scene be-
tween Mark Antonyand Octavia. The
audience giggles at ihis nightly, while
it roars openly at tie indecent ddnst
du renrc which Sarahpatra has per-
formed for the bendit of Mark in an
earlier act. 1t is ony fair to the lady
to say that she goesto sleep upon hel
lovers breast during the performance
and so spares the respectable Roman
gentlemen's blushe.. The attitude OF
the Roman soldiers turing this wonder
full dance is one of plofound amazement
Madame Bernharlt does not look
pretty as cleopatra" She has stained
herself the color of ;jRec Indian squaw
and thus gives her skin dirty and un
pleasant appearance Her arms look a.
though they had bean boiled and taker
out before they wero quite done. Will
this skin she wears IA violent red wig
Still, cleopatra" is a great success ii
Paris. if success is 10 be gagged by the
nightly receipts. | don't think for !
moment it will be a success in London
and if il catches on in America the fac
will be due to two things-a desire Il
see the most celebrated tragic actress o
the day in new role, and curiosity Il
see her pop pretty i've snake into he
bosom-or, rather, between the folds o
her dress. 1t is quite impossible to tel
how near to her skin this tame snake i
allowed to travel.