The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-18

AmeFicaa and Ensiish 6ags, Vas destined
fos the family mausoaoum Ia the cemetery
OF San Ainiato. In fact, IL was put there
Tor some time. but Saivini's friends ad-
xased him 70 take Il away. and he did %.
lney dsd mot like the idea that ho should
stand there before ais time.
IL 10 dimeu.t TO tear ones self away from
Salvini's museum OF records. There 10
enough here 10 look at for hours- Besides
every object has its history. and recalls to
eaiyIni some memory, which he gener-
ousiy narrases 10 has visitor. Tommaso
sasvini iaiks Of himsesf With great SIM
plscity and modesty. and tells the episodes
Of has life in most fascinating way. His
oesnfsiri voice has ring and rhythm in
private "a that has Ia IL nothing OF the
tragic. On the staxe SaIyini's voice IS
qGses and solemn ~ the same time. He
told me he had been in America seven
t.fnea. flve times in toe North and twice in
the South But during :he I've times he
toured through the United States ne only
acted once with Italian actors. the other
times he acted with EnSiish-speaking
actors. though he himself recifed IN ltaI-
ian. Nevertheless. he Gays, every word
ne spoke Was understood in Amer
lea, This he owes 10 bis own
ability. to his expressive gestures. the
mobile play Of his face, qualities which,
according 10 Saiyini. are the essential
gifts Of dramatic artist. He judges an
actor according to how he makes himself
understood by gesture, not by the way he
pronounces his words.
Il have acted in English," he said.
without understanding q word of Eng
lish. and have had the satisfaction of
attracting the common people TO applaud
me. This | regard as my greatest triumph
To make educated people understand -
an easier matter; besides, even If they did
not understand, they would sit me ont ii
only because 1t was the fashion to go and
sce me; but the common people have no
such patience and no such reasons"
1t Is very anaasing 10 hear Salyini tell
how he acted for the first time with
Engiish-speaksug actors. IL was when he
Was going TO America for the second time
that q certain SielAon. the proprietor OF
the Globe theater in Boston, who was. &C.
cording 20 Sslvini. an ignorant man. bat =
very practical SPECTATOR, sent . mediator
10 Salvini in Italy TO propose 10 him that
he should this tine perform the tragedies
Of his repertoire in Italian. while the other
actors should act Ia English. The impress
sario pointed out to Salvini how he could
not afford to run the risk OF half-empty
houses. filled only with an educated public,
and how Salyiri himself would be pecuni-
arily the gamer Dy drawing larger houses.
The public. the manager said. when Sal
vini was not on the stage. were bored by
the other actors. because they understood
nothing OF what they said, and Stetson
had strict eye to business. Salvini Was
Mortified when he first heard the proposal.
Ii seemed TO him % utterly inartistic. He
though il well oveV. however. and then ac-
cepted, although ali his friends wrote to
dissuade him from making such bold ex-
pertinent, fearing he would make fasco.
The tragedian. however. was decided, and
NOBODY could move him. IL can but try. -
he said, mo harm can come of il. Stetson
must know his public best, and ! have no
right to hurt his interest" When Saivini
arrived in New York there vas no theatcr
In which he could carry on his rehearsals.
The manager hired concert room. with q
raised space as stage. Salviui went to
the rehearsal perfectly sure of his part,
which he knew we'll by heart and had per-
formed many timea The play was
"OtheiIo."
when began TO speak," he said, II
confess il made great impression on me
to hear myself answered in q language
did not understand. The first scene be-
tween OtheIio and Brabantio went we'll
enough. but in the second act. before the
council, | hesitated and jumped . sentence.
q thing do not think L have done in ali
my lite. When told Of my error I asked
for i've minutes to concentrate my
thoughts. walked TO the end Of the little
stage and put my head betwssn the two
columns that supported the ceiling Of the
room, and this In what I said to myself
.Salvini, my friend. said, what did you
come here for? Why, just to do this very
thing which now IL seems you cannot do.
Courage. you must overcome this din
Guilty tor the honor Of your art. Nothing
has ever daunted you, you must not be
daunted now After this short talk with
myself returned to the actors and told
them TO continue"
The rehearsal began again. and went so
we'll that when the act Was finished the
actors, overcome and fascinated by the
power Of the great artist, applauded him
To the roof. Such enthusiasm among fell
low-actors is as are as it was honorable
to all concerned. This victory augured
the triumphs Of the future. Thuse friends
who had doubted tho possible success OF
the experiment. were obliged to change
their minds. Salvini in this manner was
able to present himself before the Ameri-
they would now better understand the
plays In which he acted. In fact. when
he went from New York to Philadelphia
on the first evening after the performance
OF ''0thelio," the very friends who tried
TO dissuade him from acting thus, after
the great scene in the first act. went onto
the stage to congratulate him, land, an
unuehtu-ot SuSuS 3uiouS AmtIicAns.
added Saivini, with smile. they actu.
ally kissed me-"
A curious feature in these performances
vas that the two prompters-one Italian
and one American---did not understand
each other. Ii needed al Saivini's pres
ence OF mind and his great knowledge OF
the stage To avoid mistakes.
I'm these performances. Salvini said.
II adopted . method quite my own. I
took advantage OF the good musical ear
am so fortunate as to possess, aad which en-
ables me To notice every smallest infection
of voice in Others and thus guides me 70
modulate mine. which is very flexible. TO
the same tone. Thus the contrast OF the
two languages, which otherwise would
have been apparent. was avoided, and |
am convinced that Is the real. secre. rea.
son why sscceeded in this curious exper-
imcnt OF paying with actors speaking
another language. while Others of my com
patriots. like Ross. and kis,ori. have
tailed"
Since that first ,irae Saivini has always
acted in this way in the United States, and
while other foreign actors who have gone
With native companies have had bus mod
crate successes. he has brought back
honors and fortune. The great trSged.an