The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-08
4 CHAT With M0DJHSKA.
The Great Actress Favors
Familiar Shakespear-
can Plays.
ROsALINDs, PAST AND PRESENT.
They Used to Be too Frolicksome,
But Are Perhaps too Tame
Nowadays.
RosALINDs, PAST AND PRESENT.

Those whose acquaintance will
Nine. Helena Modjeska has beer
made merely across the footlight'
know only half the attractions of thu
gifted actress, whose influence has al
ways been exerted for the good of the
stage and the drama. In private she
is a charming hostess. and shows il
her entertaining conversation thai
with her the study of dramatic art has
meant familiarity with all that is
most worthy in history, poetry and
art. She is staying at the Mount
Vernon Hotel with her husband
Count Bozenta, and, sitting in her re-
ception room, yesterday afternoon
she put aside her book to chat a little
about the stage. The book, by the
way. was Amelie Rives's Barbara
Dering," which Modieska pronounced
''a psychological study of married
life, from which one would conclude
that marriage is a failure"
Il have been greatly interested, ="
she said, ''in working for a revival OF
the Shakesperean plays, which are
only known in the reading OF the
present generation of theatre goers,
and which, SO far as | can learn, had
not been seen on the stage for genera
lions before this. In the past few
years | have produced several ofthese,
though not in Baltimore until my
present performance of Henry Ill.,
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is n
of the rarely produced dramas which
I think has most striking elements Of
dramatic strength and interest. This
play, Measure for Measure, and
'Cymbeline' | gave in several cities,
and found in them thoroughly on
genial work. But, after all, it is the
familiar plays that meet with the
greatest success and SCENT to give the
greatest pleasure. Theatre goers evil
IDENTIFY prefer that which they know
best, and they find keener pleasure in
following the well known lines of
chant o. Venice, and AS You Like III
than in being introduced into the less
familiar paths opened up to them in
THE Two Gentlemen and Measure
for Measure
ODcdhlIS IA ZAS LOU AlhO ~ 4C-
minds me that, as well known as the
play is now to all Sh-akesperean
audiences, it was when ] first ap-
peared In it hardly better known than
the plays | have alluded to. | think
/ may claim, therefore, to have in
some cas- made the comedy a ia
vorite with the people in this country.
The conception of the heroine's part
Ioe obonaaA uroafJy Tho norfior
Rosalinds, as | remember them, were
more boisterous, boyish and unre-
fined til an the Rosalind which now
meets with approval. There was
more of animal spirit and less of
poetry in the Interpretation. My first
performance of the role brought quite
a shower of disapproval from the
critics, who declared that | was o
quiet, too lacking in fire in my con-
ception of the part. When this point
of view was urged persistently upon
me l could only respond that to me
the play was a poem-a fairy story
that its treatment was fanciful and
romantic, and that poetical phase of
AS You Like It was the one to which
[ was the most DESTROYS of doing JUS
tice.
Il have closely studied the tendency
of dramatic art in this country for the
last fifteen years, and have noted
many changes. AS / suggested, in
speaking OF the difference between the
present and past conception of Rosa
lind there was formerly more of the
emotional style, but this gradually
was superseded by a quieter, more
thoughtful and intellectual work. AT
the present time I should say that
matters had rushed to the other ey-
IRENE, and that a certain tameness
had come to be regarded by many as
high art in legitimate dramatic per-
-Ihe Baltimore Sun.