Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-29

luCuN lNA lNA
or lacing, clad always in white but with
never a Jewel; shaking a tongue strange
to many hearers. and with a fairly dis
posed but not hasty audience before
her-thus II was that this italian actress
appeared first
BEFORE AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE
in camille" at the Fish Avenue thea
tire.
If dramatic art be conscious simultion
then must Duse have drawn largely
upon her artistic training for her ad-
mirable portrayal OF her part In this
work. The won ans, refinement n
sensibllity are suchHthat the character
of Camille is without the lines OF her
natural bent. There have been seen
here actresses who portrayed Camille
with a gusto and relish, and hence with
a naturalness that made them notable
in the role. And yet the Italian entered
so deeply into the life Of Camille that
she wept with her and joyed with her.
And did she-Scorn and condemn with
Camille?
Aye; just there comes a question.
Faclally, at"titudinally, she did; bat
with all the wonderful power-o OF express
sion In the woman's face and form she
did not tower and swoop with storms OF
anger. When the elder Duvaf GENES to
plead for his son and begins with ont
rageous denunciation, Dnse, in the light
OF an open doorway stands motlonless
oil figure, relying upon her black eyes,
her loosed black hair and upon her def
ant mein to rebuke and condemn her
detractor. Here she falls short OF the
philippe that Bernhardt employs to
elbow out of water" the elder Duval.
Later, in the scene wherein young Du-
val %denounces Camille for what seems
to him her wanton return to her former
companions, Signora Dnse let's go an
opportunity for the play OF anger at the
injustice of his cursing, struggling with
the counter current OF her love for the
man. Bernhardt cursed the man for
his act, while she loved him with all
the animality of her being.
The death scene is made slckening by
Buses Inaccurate hospital study and
prCtraction Of the supreme struggle
which is repulsive at briefest. Some
one has remarked that
THE DEATH RATTLE COMES AND STAYS.
InDuse's portrayal it comes and goes, the
audience being tortured the meantime
beyond all reason or artistic require
ments.
After going away from Duse's "Ca-
mile" the spectator in canvassing her
work grows TO feet that the woman
wants the element OF dramatic inten-
sity. Does she fear to rant? Possibly
she does. Her most vehement action is
the drumming Of her finger tips upon
her white teeth. Could she have aban-
doned herself to q storm OF feeling,
could she have surrendered herself 10
the unbidden sway Of passions, natural
to the character of Camille, the nearer
would have been relieved by such vicar
ious expressions of his own impulses as
he followed the woman's fortunes
through light and shadow
Possibly in Fedora" and "Theo-
dora" Duse will add to her consummate
play the development Of physical power.
OF Duse's support littlo mention need
be made, save of Amanda Duval, the
lover. lie did his best work in the most
difficult parts; in Others he was the
most clumsy boor ever seen on any
stage. He holds the hand Of Camille
with both his own as though 1t were a
woody kitten. lie rubs her back as
though polishing it in one lmpassioned
scene; he tears her lace, walks on her
skirts and does other abominable things.
And yet, In the gambling scene, there
has seldom been witnessed better work
than that Of Signor Ando.
IvL--- g.-.N nrao hnH 6nnn hnr
first appearance here on Monday night
her attendants were at work upon her
for an hour bringing back by her rub
bings and applications the strength
wrung out by
HER TENSE NERVOUS ACTION
in her work and by her anxiety over the
success Of failure Of her first effort in
America. II Is because of the exhaust
ion following her work that Duse will
not appear nightly.
Senior e. Abbey very nearly brought
her to this country. He saw her act
several times, and entered into negotia-
lions with her. The bone Of conten-
7 ton, however, was her refusal TO act
more than four times q week. After
diligent persuasion, Mr.. Abbey won her
over to five performances. Then he
suggested that on tho nights she did not
appear ne ehould Gil In with a stock
company. Duse would not allow this
under any consideration, and the nego-
tiations fell through.
The tension attending her first ap-
p~earance was so great that the relaxa-
ton resulted in illness. Her second APP
p~earance was last night in Fedora"
and the occasion became a second Ameri-
can triumph. Sardou's Fedora" In
its rapid succession OF incident and vio-
lent range of emotions afforded Signora
Dnse more uninterrupted opportunities
for the display OF her dramatic power
than did her first nights character. yet
she met the additional demand In q
n which earned for her even more
enthusiasm than did her acting In Ca
mile"
II is stated that when Eleonora Duse
began her stage career she appeared
with her husband In the same way that
Marie Wainwright and Louis James
used to play in this country. Then
came the regular good old story, just as
in the Wainright.James case. Duse
made a hit and wanted the individual
attention OF her audiences. She started
a company Of her own, and her husband
did the same. He is still touring Italy.
The couple have two children.
A NEW HOUSE AND A NEW PLAY.
The new Empire Theatre at Broad
way and Fortieth street, was opened
Wednesday by Mr.. Charles Frohmap's
stock company with The Girl Left
Behind Me-" a drama by Messrs. David
Belasco and Franklin Fyies. Both the
atre and play w~ere~voted successes.