Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-03
THE Los ANGELES HERALD SUNDAY MORNING, MAY g. 1891

eust, fear, anger, jealousy and vindictive-
ness contend for mastery; finally, when
Anthony utters his most bitter maledic
tiou. she withdraws the curtain, dis
closes her presence and assures him
with sneer that he "will not have TO
seek her far" Anthony, stunned, scarce
ly credits his sense of sight, and APP
proaches her with automatic step and
a questioning, vague uncertainty that
gradually gives way to impassioned and
acrimonious accusation. Cleopatra,
with her head thrown back upon the
yellow curtains, the corners of her
mouth slightly dropped, the eyelids
slanting, her body undulating in sin
uous folds, her eyes fixed and narrowed
with the concentration and intentness
with which snake regards its sure
victim; we'll does she deserve at this
moment her soubrieuet of Serpent of
Old Nile"
The fifth act is too short to require
especial mention, and the principals are
accorded no prominence; it is merely
preparatory to the tragic denouement of
the sixth act, when Anthony, desperate
ly wounded, expires in Cleopatra's arms,
while she, swayed by the impulse OF a
ullGlb1 anu ICtOlO tCSOlNC, III
no weak tears over the body of her dead
love, but proceeds to that dread means
OF reioining him in death, and with a
mind stimulated by despair, fortified
with stoicism, and unweakened by fear,
she applies the sacrificial asp, and falls
PROSTATE upon her dead hero.
The accessories OF the play are in
every respect superb, Nine. Bernhardt's
costumes absolute creations, embodying
grace and lightness, in every fold. The
face, hands, arms, shoulders and feet
are stained light brown without the
yelowish lustre seen in the Mongolian
races. toes and fingers ornamented with
rings in profusion, and eyes heavily
darkened. 1t is mode of dressing not
extremely becoming in its effects, but it
is eminently artistic.
The success OF Nine. Bernhardt i'll this
role is achieved over every disadvantage !;
physically she is not OF the voluptuous
type of the Egyptian queen as she is
commonly represented; and, far from
having a face of lustful beauty, hers
is an inspired countenance, the face Of
an idealist, her whole being breathes Of
spiritual and emotional supremacy, a
face uplifted by noble enthusiasm, and
suffused with the flush of the poetic life,
and her presentation of such a character,
wanton in its eroticism, brutal in some
OF its developments, and lascivious in
some of its scenes, is marvel of deli
cate skill. Most actresses with COM
paratively faithful Interpretation would
debauch it to degraded performance,
but Nine. Bernhardt's gracious and
modest personnel relieves it of all often
sive suggestion. There are occasions
when too torrid embrace, or harsh
inhexion, might be repulsive, but the
Bernhardt, never losing an oppurtunity
for the expression of genuine emotion,
interprets it with an apparent
ingenuousness that is almost child
like. With her hand clasped
between Anthony's warrior palms,
her auburn head reclining on his
breast, her eyes glistening with ecstatic
fervor, assuring him of her love the
while in ripping and mellihuous diapa-
son, she is the embodiment of the pure
love, and bears no warning resemblance
in her aspect to the sorceress whose en-
chantments lead to destruction.
Nine. Bernhardt was ably assisted by
a select company of Partisan players.
The Mark Anthony of M. Duquesne
was forcible and effective, and the en-
tire support was above the average. The
performance was marked by an atten-
ton to detail that generally character
ICES foreign productions the portrai-
lures of the Ptolemies were displayed in
all their varied colored and bow-legged
angularity, and the calumnious asser-
tions that the death dealing and histor
ical asp is an artificial production, can
be triumphantly refuted by those of the
audience that were close enough to wit
ness the activity of its venomous little
tail as it began its fatal perception over
the divine Sara's breast.
And then the hated red plush curtain
fell and shut from the view of the nine
teenth century the glories OF ancient
Egypt, and the beauty of its ill-fated
queen.
GRACE G. STEWART LYNCH.
st. Louis, Mo-, April 22d.
KAJANKA.
Kajanka on Tuesday evening at the
opera house. Kajanka has plot, but a
plot is only an excuse, and thin one
for a burlesque spectacle. The main
feature will be the skirt dancing. Since
the Water Queen was here we are all,
that is all of US who are theater goers,
hungry for more OF that dancing. 1t
was about the only good feature of the
Water Queen, and it was very fetching
The Kajanka people promise plenty Of
it, besides novelty called the Mari
posa dance. Broderick, whom we all
feel friendly to, will be in the affair, and
regular London sumner, girl of Brit
ish perfectness of figure and the neces-
sary scantiness of costume to display
her qualities, will play the devil, or
Beelzebub, as the part is euphemisti-
cally called. The fairies are all said to
be pretty, and the scenery gorgeous, and
the transformation scene beautiful, all
of which it is to be hoped is true, but if
that skirt dancing is what it is cracked
up to be, the public will be willing to
forgive other shortcomings.
SHENANDOAH.
Shenandoah will be seen at the Los
Angeles theater, beginning on Tuesday,
May 18th. OF the play it is not neces-
sary to speak. Its success has been
marvellous, and of its meeting with
great patronage here there can be no
doubt. We did not get half enough of
it last year. The cast as it has recently
been played in San Francisco, and
which will probably be the same here,
is as follows:
General Haverill, Frank Burbeck.
Colonel Kerchival West, Francis Car
lyle.
Captain Heartsease, A. E. Lohman.
mt ov1ly hoY nc