New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-20

In the Metropolitan Theatre last night the eminent
French actress Sarah Bernharft made her remittance.
for the purpose OF taking leave Of the American stage.
and she greeted by numerous audience OF at
entive persons, I'm the character known TO this public
as Leah the Fo7salsen. This performance will be
repeated tonight, and II will be given Oh Thursday
afternoon for the benefit Of the Actors Fund and
Friday night sarah Bernhadt will make her last ap
pcarance presenting herself as Fedora.
The withdrawal Of this actress neither suggests re
feclon nor warrants regret. Her great opportunities
have been used not for artistic, but for CONNER
cal result and she has gradually but surely alienaed
the Interest Of thoughtful persons and such regard
the stage as something better than shop. The
oftener she has been seen the clearly has she
denoted her narrow range her monotonous style. and
her prosaic quality As theatrical executant she Is
superb and admirable. Her utterance Of the French
language IS delicious. In seductive wiles, In mo-
ments OF abrupt transition and in the expression OF
viperish fury she is both fecitous and powerful Her
vehement and impetuous delivery of vituperatve
Trades Is exceedingly effective But memory carries
away from her acting impression of nobility, or OK
poetry Of tenderness, Of really great dramnuc
authority and sway. She neither touch the heart
nor hndle the exultant glow OF the imagination she
is therefore viewed without feeling and remembered
without pleasure.
sarah Bernhardt's performance OF Leah served only
to define once more the ndexible limitations within
which her faculties move. In her love scenes she
was usual. the woman who is trying TO awa6en
desire her lover: not the woman who loves The was
the usual cnging and purrng and posur1ng ana COOLING
the customary murmur and the customary protracted
oscuaon In the OF the howeyer-for which
no doubt the piece was choscn-the actress was able
to nbcrate the slce Of her tumultuous loquacty and
allow II pour forth torrent Of furious words and
that effect Of unbrided excitement she wrought with
imposing aspect Of rage and with Characteristic
eoquence. In the long line OF actresses from Miss
Kate Baeman, thirty years ago, TO the present period.
many representatives Of Leah have excelled Sarah
Bernhardt in the ejaculation Of that mafedictory
speech. Janauschek more tremendous In it.
Rlston was morc fatefu: seebach more woman-
like. Yet the achievement oI sarah BernGrit was
worthy OF her powers and quite Characteristic. lt
greatly appaudet This play in its English dress,
the American stage owes TO Augustin Daily, who
adapted a translation Of the German original Herr
Mosenthals DebOrh") and persuaded II. L. Bate
man TO produce 1t in le02 II was first acted at tho
Boston Museum. with Kate Bateman fits heroine.
The French version Of the German piece that sarah
Bernharit presents was made by NJ Albert Darn.onI
deadly prolixity OF needless explanation for which
French drama is remarkable. and It Is saturated with
dulnees Even the lightning moved slowly on this
that it might first pulveise Father Abraham. ard
aftorwam c2rrom on Brother Nathan. and thus
dam up two at least OF the mans hydrants Of gar-
Sarah peInhartt been long In coming 10 liecuba.
The painful srtce and elaborate inshcerity OF which
haps be- more consplcuousy Illustrated than it was
IN the tricky cruchx picture with which she closed
the second act. And when, al length, the curse
climax arrived, it no more than coarse explo
sion az anger-the noisy rage Of screaming vixen
IL is no, every nature that stand the test OF
element Essential commonness of fibre shows
itself clearly Us when emotion. even though Il be
merely ply steal, casts aside all masks. Sarah Bern
hadt ordinarily dresses her characters we'll or more
than we'll This one she arrayed in the vesturc OF
almost repulsive ndigence-Such as any lover must
have loathed 10 touch The saccharinc inflntile
method OF speech. Furthermore. pushed TO
when the actress was neither murmuring nor scream
ing She had all the effect OF inioning cleric. such
a treatment might naturally be expected from
perienced Stager playing an unsympathetc part-and
his is precisely what Sarah Bernhardt is when she
assumes such a character Leah. At the part she
makes a mighty 'pOther about nothing.
rr,a cost ~ narfs is added tO the record hrr,a