Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-03
Bernhardt's Cleopatra as Seen
By a Critic.
A Brilliant Study of the Great
FrenchwOman's Art.
Companies Which Will Soon be Seen
Here.
Kaianka at the Grand This Week-She-
nandoah at the Los Ange1es-News
Notes and personals.

cage cannot wither her, nor custom
stale her infinite variety"
1t may perhaps be interesting to the
Los Angeles devotees of the histrionic
art to read description of the play of
Cleopatra, that infamed the hearts of
the Parisians last season, the more espe-
,cially as Nine. Bernhardt defers its pre-
sentation in this city and yours until her
return from her Australian tour, next
fall.
To speak correctly, Cleopatra is not
weGliy playa drama OF unity in
construction and method in development
it is gorgeous pageant, a series Of
<'tableaux vivants," in which not the
least of the poor triumvirate's IS woes must
be his muscular fatigue, induced by the
cruel playwright's disposition to keep
him engaged in either running out of Gle
.opatra's arms or into them. The Bern
hardt's audiences are too loyal, too thor
oughly saturated with belief in tbe
French actresses fascination, too deeply
imbued with artistic appreciation of
<'nut brown" toes, to raise question
as to which direction Anthony gives
preference it is "Bernhardt," and it
does not seem at all unnatural that the
s1nan who was matchmaking the Egyp-
tian queen by choice references to the
Olympian gods one moment should, af
ter five minutes conversation with her,
instantly capitulate and lead her away
icon amore," because it is the Bern
hardt who is Cleopatra, and the Bern
hardt must be always bewitching. This
is as incontestable and irrevocable as the
Mckinley bill. The performance is by
no means faultless, but its demerits are
all the dramatist's. The star only saves
it from entire ruin, but the opportuni
ties are meagre, and many OF the emo
tions trivial. The quarrels between the
infatuated Roman and the fair Egyptian,
frequent and characterized by conjugal
acerbity, begin at last to get wearisome,
and one is guilty of the heresy of wish
ing that they wouldn't make it up this
time, or would at least introduce into
their alterations some incidents besides
pining for Anthony on the part
of Cleopatra, or swearing at the deep
damnation' of things by Anthony. But
then Sardou is alwaysat loss unless he
mingles the sexes under the inspiration
of love or jealousy. When he separates
them for any length his men lose digni-
ty and spirit, and his women are di-
vested of that sense OF physical mastery
and successful allurement that makes
the hectic and fascinating excitement of
his dramas. Anthony deliberates with
his colleagues, and Cleopatra solilo-
auizes for the edification of her maids,
and one is in an agony of anxiety for
Anthony to come back and make Bern
zhardt's electric sparks fly out again.
In a scenic point of view the produc-
ton is unparalleled. In the first scene
Cleopatra enters in her barge OF Isis,
which is marvel of beauty and mech
anism. When the gates are thrown
open, and space cleared for landing,
the ne'' Serpent p of Old Nile Nile ronses s
from her recumbent attitude and
confronts with languorous indif-
ference the impatient scrutiny of
Anthony, and the proud and patriotic
gaze of her own subjects. She descends
slowly, supported on both sides by pat
riarchal chamberlains, and advances to
the assembly, which, when reached, she
passes, and with knees slightly relaxed,
head thrown back, smiling with con-
scious coquetry and naughty indiffer
,ence, the Bernhardt first utters those
metrical sounds that begin her conquest
,of Anthony and astonish her audience
with the undreamt of sweetness OF the
human speaking voice, for Nine. Bern
hardt's voice is magical in the senti-
mental scenes. Every syllable is crys-
talized, but that peculiar timbre which
is impossible in our tongue endows it
with the most thrilling fatalism and
fascination. 1t is the realization of
lboth coquetry and imperiousness.
The second act is one of royal luxuri-
BUSINESS, typical of license and splen-
dor. Reclining in Anthony's arms
hung with rich tapestries regaled
with wines, delighted with dancers,
soothed with sweet sounds, Nine. Bern
hardt is probably in her most bewitch-
ing guise; but it is merely picturesque
scene, rich in oriental warmth, but af-
fording the actress no scope for dramatic
expression.
Unlike this are the third and fourth
acts. In the former Anthony's absence
is bewailed with the most pathetic sad
ness. She commands her astrologer to
inspect the stars to obtain some tidings.
however illusory, of her absent lover,
and he, obedient to her behests, turns
his eyes in the direction of the horizon,
where the desert stretches its dreary
waste to meet the skies, and the moon
light throws spectral glow over the
pyramids, that seem TO look down upon
their suffering sovereign with protecting
majesty. The astrologer's cabalistic
ssigns inform him that there are espous-
ais in Rome, but he knows not whether
tits Anthony who is unfaithful. Soon
after the queen receives a Nubian
messenger, and as his recital is
a confirmation of Anthony's sus-
pected treachery, the wrath of
the insulted beauty is boundless. In
concentration of fury she stamps upon
the affrighted eunuch and orders him
to tortuous death. But after slight
subsistence of the imperial wrath, which
reminds one of Shakspeare's de-
scription of the rare Egyptian
"We cannot call her winds and
waters sighs and tears; they are
greater storms and tempests than al
manacs can report" she recalls the
Nubian, and catechising him as to the
merits of her rivals charms, learns with
delight that she benefits by the contrast.
Instantly despair is converted to hope,
rage to rapture, and in paroxysm OF
hysterical Joy she showers her jewels
upon the overwhelmed slave.
In the fourth act she is conveyed in
secrecy, rolled in carpet, to Rome, and
razas from her cOncealment upOn her