Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-17

What. then. are the conditions which
surround an actress to-day? After hap
hazard, but, perhaps, valuable course OF
training or. rather, Of practice IN the
one and two-night stands. she SPENDS
two or three years In playing TWO or
three empty and conventional characters
in the larger cities. Then great OPP
portunity offers, and she SEXES 1t. In
character eminently suited to her
physique and her means she makes
brilliant success. What is the result she
reDeats this same character for a whole
wear, perhaps longer, with no variation
with scarcely a respite. Is this the way
to develop her powers in reasonable free
dom and balance? Is II not ike working
one set of muscles persistently ana eN-
cusively. til all the others are atrophied!
Then she attempts another character. ana
the very consciousness CT all that is eN-
pected Of her and Of all that depends on
her success paralyzes her energies.
Having been one character for 800 nights
or more, she finds IL impossible all Of
sudden, 10 make herself n totally differ
ent woman. She appears to repeat her
self. and disappOints her admirers. There
would be no great harm done If she had
presently a chance 10 retrieve her TEN
pOrary cheek; but she has TO wait months
for such an opportunity, mean time re-
Z
which she feels TO be next door 10 a
faiiure-and there Is no more dishearten-
ing drudgery in the world. Under such
+ circumstances what talent could possibly
ripen, expand and develop all the
strength and feXibilty that may be latent
in it? The long-run system has never
yet given a great actress to the world
Bernhard Duse. Rejane. even Miss
Rehan, all acquired their mastery and
made their reputation in playing large
and varied range of characters. They too,
had their defects-Sara Bernhard has
had many in her day-but they came up
smiling" 10 try again. ana 10 conquer.
/ They were not subject to the failures
which darken the whole horizon with a
J cloud which seems as though IL would
/ never lift They were able 10 solace dis
appointment with new activity and hope.
/ Their success did not bring mannerism
| In their train, nor their failures inaction
! or despair.
| In this connection the short story OF
the life of the great Italian actress will
| serve to point moral and adorn
| tale" by affording an excellent object
I lesson. Born at NigeVana, a small town
/ between Piedmont and Lombardy. Ma
! dame Duse was scarcely u years old
| when she was working almost day and
/ night upon the stage in obscure theatres,
! her earnings in which represented the
most important item in the family wage
/ roll Those were days of toll and suffer-
| ing, when, weak from lack OF sufli-
! cient food, she had 10 undergo the ex-
| hausting fatigues OF the stage getting her
| chief rewards In the applause or an
! audience richer in emotions than in
| gold and silver.
! often while suffering the pangs Of
| hunger" says Antonio Bracco, the Italian
writer. 1.-THE young girl, strengthened by
! her ambition and love Of family. hid her
personal pains in the character OF the
! sweetheart Of Paolo to be killed by Lance
lot while declaimng the sweet, guilty love
| OF Francesca da Rimini. Nor was she
compensated by being feted as an infant
wonder. Indeed. she was almost cOmpell-
ed to conceal her youth from both man
ager and public. lest il might produce a
doubt in their minds that the repertory
of dramas and tragedies was entirely
unsuited 10 her tender years"
The privations at this time undergone.
the bitter wounds OF poverty, have left
their trace. as they did In the case OF
| Edmund Kean, whose checquered life is
brought to mind by the story OF Madame
Duse. 1t Is therefore not surprising 10
learn that the actress who has fought so
long fight with fortune and won so
magnificent a victory IL to be numbered
among the fashionable host OF pessimists.
Life II not worth the pain II brings" Is
one saying credited to her, and another IL.
1T is good that life Is so short" But II
life be short. the actress dads compen,