The evening times., 1896-02-18
TRIUMPH OF MADAME DUSE
Italian Actress Gave a Magnificent
Portrayal of Camille.
The Problem Play, Sowing the
Wind" Drew a Great Audience
At the Other Theaters.

Nine. Eleonora Duse opened her American
| engagement at the Lafayette Square Opera
House last night. IL was also her first APP
pearance before Washington audience.
| Never before inthe history OF thehouse ha $
such a number Of distinguished personages
gathered within its walls. nor has more
| thoroughly delighted assemblage ever left
| its doors than those who passed out last
night al the close OF the performance.
The event was an epoch in thelire OF Duse;
| it was a revelation to those who were for
| tunate enough to be present. ..... ...,.
Camille is not new to Washington thea
| ter-soers.- 1t has been presented here by
stars OF more or less ma gnitude but it re-
mained for Duse to truly interpret Dumas
great character. What Booth was among
men Duse is among women.
| The fact that the mere words of the pla Y
| were spoken in language unknown to a
majority or the audience. detracted moth
| ing from the enjoyment of the occasion.
| Actions. not words, held sway last night.
Indeed, the liquid accents OF the Italian
| tongue added a further charm and beauty to
! the representation. Duse in English would
| be entert aining-Duse in Italian is sublime.
Camille contains many passages where
tue dltiSt Is SlNcu GuS Is
hamperad with no check-rein, but her own
ability. and this is where Duse rises to the
level of Bernhardt. The obnoxious charac-
teristics of the courtesan are forgotten. seld
the audience sees only loving woman, who
stands ready 10 sacrifice herself for the
happiness of the man she adores. That this
result Is rot attained is the fault Of the
author, not the actress. '--i -
Nine. Buses Camille differs in many
respects from that which we are accustomed
to see. and this change is particularly no.
ticeab!e in the death scene. The terrible
struggle with the grim destroyer. the hor-
rible contortions of the dying woman. are
absent. and in their place is a peaceful sink
ing into eternal sumber, with the name OF
her beloved upon her lips. growing fainter
with each breath and with his arms about
her-it seems rather the passing away OF
some angelic spirit than the dying struggles
of a passionate, human being.
Madame Duse has a charming stage ap-
pearance, slight but masterful Her voice.
of wide range and rather highly pitched,
is comprehensive and expressive of all
emotions Duse's costumes are like her
acting-simple. yet effective.
The celebrated star has surrounded her
self with a remarkably strong company,
every member of which Ia peculiarly
adapted to his or her part. Sig Rosaspina
as Armand made an ideal lover and was
fully equal to the occasion. Sig. MAJ
zanti the father OF the infatuated young
man. acted admirably. as did Dante CapelIi
as the count and Antonio Galliani is
CASTOR. Prudence was well portrayed by
signora Solazzi, while signora Galliani was
sympathetic maid. The minor parts were
also well filled.
The audience last night included almost
the entire Italian-speaking population of
Washington and many others well known
in SnIietv Among others nrpSant the
German ambassador, ex-Secretary and Mrs
Noble. Capt. West, Judge Bradley, Prof
and Mrs. ]. d. Gaillard, Senator Mcmillan,
Senator Brice, II. R. Reed of Boston. Hon.
John W. Van Voordis, Hon. Moses T.
Stevens, Mr.. John Simpkins, Mr.. Charles
A. Mum, Mr. R. W. Emmons, Mrs. Justice
Gray, Miss Sitgrave, Mrs. Arnold Hague,
Col. John Hay. Mr.. Alfred Clifford Barney,
Mrs. Hearst. Mrs. L. F. Riggs. Nine. Domin-
guez, wife OF the Argentine minister; Nine
Lazo Arriaga, wife of the Honduras min
lister; Nine. Patenotre. wife OF the French
ambassador: Mr.. II. B. Hodges, and Con-
gresham H. c. Minor, who is also Duse's
American manager.
Tomorrow night Duse will present Casa
Paterna" (''Magda'O.
There are but few plays which possess the
dramatic power and intensity OF Sowing
the Wind Belonging to the class which
have been termed ''problein plays" dealing
as it does with a social question which the
world has attempted to gloss over and
smooth way with sienee, yet Mr. Grundy
has presented the facts in a manner to hold
the attention and force the respect OF this
same world.
Unpleasant truths brought home to us
are difficult to deal with What in others
seems a fault. is ofttimes viewed in a
different light when we ourselves are the
offenders.
Such is the problem that is contained in
"Sowing the Wind" The disagreeable
facts that are treated in the play are pre-
sented in such a manner that they do not
give offense. The production has been
seen here before, and a detailed account
of the story would he superfluous. 1t is
enough to say that the play has lost moth
ing during its absence.
Ithas been said that the great sex against
sex scene in the third act is the most pow
erful piece of acting that has been pre-
sented on the latter-day stage. While
some may take exception to such state
ment, those who saw Mr.. Gilmore and Miss
Hampton last night will not soon forget
this powerful piece of stage realism.
Audience and players alike forgot them
selves for the moment. and when the cur
tain fell it was rung up again and again
In response to the applause.
As for the playSfs individually, some
changes have b1en made in the company
since it was latt secn here. The women,
with the excepeDn .of Miss Hampton, were
not as acceptable as those who have ap-
peared In ferm1 !csstss
OF j. II. l0ihnour as Mr.. Brabazon very
little need be said. lie Is always good and
always achieves the success that il merited
by hard stuAy and conscientious work.