Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-10-22
SALVINI.
At the opera House Next Wednes-
day.


Salvini presents Dumas Three
Guardsmen," at the Opera House We'd
nesday evening. Last Monday he appeared
in Rochester, N. Y, and the Democrat
and Chronicle, says the following of him
and his work:
The actor carried his audience with
him almost from the moment he ap-
peared on the stage, certainly from the
moment that long sword of his flashed
out A mighty Outburst of applause
greeted the close of each act, and again
and again the curtain had to be raised.
The enthusiasm was greatest, perhaps,
over the fight between the guardsmen
and the cardinals men that closed the
second act No better or more exciting
fighting was ever seen on the stage.
Salvini is supported by a good CON-
pany. None of the parts was poorly
presented and some of them were ex-
ceedingly well presented. Particularly
worthy of cOmmendation were Adelaide
FitZ Allen, an excellent actress with
two very bad mannerisms, as Ann of
Austria, Lula Klein as Constance, A.
bert Fox as BOnacieux, Frank Wise as
Pouchet, J. NJ. Francoeur as Athos, and
Augusta de Forrest as Lady de Winter.
The play was well treated in the mat
ter of costumes and the scenery, of
which there is great deal, eight elabo-
rate sets beside two drops Eeing used,
was very handsome. ..
The public entertainer who is heralde.l
as "the greatest" this, that or the other,
is generally to he regarded with suspi-
cion, but after seeing Alexander Salvini
play D'Artagnan in that good, old, hel-
ter.skelter leach for all and all for each
melodrama, "The ~Yhree Guardsmen,''
one has strong reason for thinking thai
in his case the superlative is deserved
and that here is, in sober truth, the
greatest romantic actor on the American
stage to-day. What vivid, eXhilarating
picture he gave of the proud, tonchy gay,
brave young Gascon, who, with no friend
but his sword, comes to Paris to make
his fortune, and within a fortnight has
won his place in the brotherhood of the
bravest soldiers of the kings guard,
beaten the wiliest statesman of the age
at his own game and saved the honor of
the queen of France. He set ones blood
dancing as, sword in hand, he dashed
through the play, and for some minutes
after leaving the theatre one caught him
self gripping the handle of his peaceful
walking stick or reputable and domestic
umbrella as if it were a rapier hilt.
The coolest critic cannot analyze the
charm of Salvini's acting in this part.
Indeed, there is no acting, so far as one
can see, to analyze. If the highest art is
to conceal art, SalVinl's art is of the
highest The result of all the careful
study and thought that the actor has
doubtless given to the part is that he
produces an-irresistible feeling that, be-
ing magnificent swordsman and
splendidly built young fellow, blessed
with great strength, super-abundant vi
tality, and au inexhaustibe fund of high
spirits. Salvini has merely to put on
D'Artagnan's dress and repeat D'Artag-
mans lines to be D'Artagnan himself.
come to life out of Dumas's book Thus
the effect of Salvini's D'Artagnan on you
is like what the effect of Edwin
Booths Hamlet used to be. You can't
help fancying that Salvini, off the stage,
is D'Artagnan disguised in modern
clothes. Although your reason tells yOu
that all this splendid dash and gallantTy,
this mercurial quickness of feeling and
action, this irresistible fencing, is all
merely mighty good acting, and that to-
morrow night, in another play, you will
see another man in place of D'Artagnan,
you don't believe your reason until some
time after you have left the theater. 1t
was a splendid piece of work, magnetic
and convincing. 1t left no room foTcrit-
icism. Salvini's D'Antagnan is the ideal
D'Artagnan.