The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-23
SARAH BER>HABDT.
The World Contains Not Her Equal as
an Actress

Earper's Weekly.
Again Is Madame Bernhardt with US
Is II her fourfh-is ii her fifth VISIT
Whatever the number is or might be. her
welcome is nothing II not satisfactory TO
her. Whatever the limitations in an act
resS' artistic theary or practice, this great
French one stiil is the most detached. the
most conspicuous dramatic figure OF the
day. However she has relinquished the
most classic and lofty ideal in her profess
Sion. yet Is she an imperial member OF IL.
SIN is she in the public eye the most DOM
fnant Individuality on the stage OF her
own country. OF Europe. of any other con-
finent Few players have come 10 be
ranked as her rivals. and OF them none
has managed TO eclipse her.
Time has been singulariy amisble to-
ward this masterfui, restless. exceptional
woman. For was IL not as far back as 1874
that Rosine Bernhard. now known by the
flrmer English praenomen OF Sarah,
came into the busy world? No nearer date
than 1852 was IL that saw her (as We see
her in one portrait Of the little revue on
this page graduating from the Conserya-
toire. a slender. commissioning young
Jewess. green-eyed. oval of face. lavish In
her auburn chevelure. The season before
the Terrible Year flashed out her real per-
sonality before Paris, albeit at Madame
Agars side. when she played Zannetto in
talk In 1859. In 1872 the Theater Francois
sets its new star in that noblest OF environ
ment. Some three years later she is So
cietaire! And then comes that impetuous
rupture with the House Of Moliere; the
flight so passionate yet shrewd: that scut-
Ting away from a supreme national thea
ter TO be the cynosure OF the world: the
artist before the largest public that any
player has ever known. Yes, there needed
% Azs.n &c. - , D
and Timei For. diminish the period as
you may, during how many years since
the Coincide break has she acted. man
aged, studied. traversed and retrayersed
half the world been appiauded from St
Petersburg to San Francisco: placed be-
fore the non-French as well as the French
races notable things in Frances drama,
whether classic or romantic or melodra-
mattc' been observed. discussed. criticised,
caricatured. initiated. abused, panegyr-
lied, adored! No. decidedly, this is not an
affair of a season or sol
1t is secret-but Time and Sarah Bern
hardt once met She laughed at him. took
away his scythe then detained the love
scene from Hermann TO him. Time was
conquered. Solemniy he gave her flask.
IL was filled from the Fountain of Youth
1t Is theoniy such bottle ia existence. For
a while she used it, Now she has mislaid
II. IL is no longer necessary.
In such connection, withai. it Is interest
ing 10 notice changes In her outer gelf-the
more so since they are as kindly as her
star. The excessive fragility, those gagut
angularities that were the bait OF the satir-
list. they are no more 10 he seen, or drawn
and painted. The hemorrhages and nerv-
Gus exhaustions and long Paintings that
Inevitably accompanied her rehearsals and
performances have passed away. The too
thin woman that was like an ivory Carv-
ing, that was all profile and fragiiIty, has
gained robpster physique. Yet IL stlll
is one ever distingue. ever Of singular re-
finement and almost fluid grace. One might
believe that her steel will. her indomitabls
resolve 10 live. to triumph, had made her
body recognize It's subsection 10 her mind.
and change an ominous frailty of habit 10
reasonable vigor.
Her golden voice. which ranges from A
treble Of crystal quality 10 almost a bari
tone organ, her purity OF diction, be il IN
Racine's verse or colOdulal drama OF the
day-they are as exceptional and vibrant
and skillfully maintained as ever One IT,
rade from Corneille or Racine or De Bor-
nier or Coppee is a lesson when from her
lips. Her mastery OF stage art is as en-
tire. Her intellectual quickness and grasp
of the theatrical contents of a scene are as
supreme. Her fem!ninity is as bizarre and
vivid. In a word. in the present complete
maturity OF her life, her art is at its COM