Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-02
THE TEEATER.
Bernhardt's ala Tosca'-Corinne Wed
nesdsy Evening.

nesdsy Evening.
Fort Worth does not appreciate high art,
and even Bernhard, who has been
coached and praised by the press
until her name is a household word
could not present a sufficiently strong
presentation of the art divine to draw the
four shining dollars from the average
mans pocket While La Tosca was an
artistic success, it was not by any means a
financial one to the local management
That Sara Bernhard has wonderful
ability cannot be denied, but that she has
no right 10 style herself the greatest living
tragedienne is equally as patent. a com
parison of her work with that of Fannie
Davenport shows the latter fully equal in
every respect as La Tosca to Bern
hardt, and in some lesser, though
equally essential details, she is the
latter's superior. Bernhardt is the living,
breathing La Tosca, but she has not the
face or figure for the role that adds so
greatly to Davenport's deIineation,
Tosca a warm, passionate maiden.
In the torture scene Bernhardt is not
equal TO Davenport, though she is strong
in the murder scene and the death
of Mario, Taken all through, the
American people can more thor
oughly appreciate Davenport's La
Tosca than Bernhar6t's, though
possibly the fact that the latter presents
the play in French may have something to
do with it.
As a play La Tosca is weak in some
points, notably IN the first act which is all
most entirely composed of dialogue, unS~
folding, as it were. the foundation plan of
the play. Bernhardt gives no adequate idea
of her powers until the third act where
Baron Scarpia places La Tosca's lover,
Mario, on the rack to extract from him theS
information as to the whereabouts of the
escaped prisoner, Cesare Angelotte, which
he steadfastly refuses until La Tosca
can no longer sta nd the strainS
and divulges the secret, thus securing theN
release of Mario. During this scene La
Tosca's quivering nerves suffer fully as
much pain rs her tortured lover, and Bern
hardt draws this picture with a.
master hand. Her strongest work IS
in the next act where, to save
her lovers life, she consents to Weld
herself to Baron Scarpia for a time
in order that her lover may go free, first
STIMULATING that she shall have q passpstss
for herself and lover to leave the country.
The baron writes the safe conduct, and i.
while his back is turned she spies q glealnz
ing dagger which she secures, and as
hes hands her the precious bit of
paper with one hand and attempts to en-
brace her as fulillment Of the pledge, she
plunges it into his heart and as he is in the
death struggle curses him. This scene
brings out strongly the dramatic power of
the woman, and during the remainder Of
the scene her action in wlping the blood
from her hand. in taking the passport from
the stitching fingers, in placing the lighted
candles on either side the dead body
and in laying the crucifix upon his breast,
is stronger than words could be.
Just why she should have changed the
closing scene in the last act is rot ap-
parent. Her leap to death from the para
pets has always been strong feature of her
work, but last night the curtain fell as she 4
barred her breast TO the soldiers bullets.
The Baron Scarpia of M Darmont wss<
somewhat of disappointment He makes
the character too much a stilted one and
his face lacks the N obility that renders
Melbourne McDowell's in depreciation of ]