The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-11
In TIE ROLE She CREATED
Bernhardt Seen in a Forc9ful In
depreciation Of Camille.
Hr. Deval Gave His Earnest Sup
port, But His Armand Was a
Rather Blase Parsonage.

Bernhardt came out of the mystic past
last night and presented the very modern
Marguerite Gautier. the Lady OF the Camil-
lias. Whatever exception may be taken
10 Sarah's Camille, and it must necessarily
be on some triflinG detail OF Interpretation,
il remains Il great work. Only two other
living women may be compared 10 her in
the role. They are Olga Nethersoie and
EleOnOra DUSc.
But to Sarah is The credit Of the pioneer.
She was the original, the creator, she led
the way, others began where she left off
and il is possible that il Sarah had not
made OF Dumas heroine an incompatible
masterpiece from the beginning others
would have worked long and hard TO
evolve the scheme OF human emotions SO
far as Sarah had done for them. 1t is easy
TO follow and 10 push on, perhaps, a little
further where one has shown the way and
made clear The path.
As is wei known Sarah is no realist.
She is an artificeT. The apex Of her art
is to make others feel what she does not
feel herself. 10 deceive her audience into
the belief that ali she does is genuine and
sincere.
Whatever may be the difference in the
premises, certainly Bemhardt does move
her audiences. She even does more, which
may be questionable art, but which proves
her power. She strikes a high key and
sustains it with success. For nearly ten
minutes after DuYal pcre has left her
with the crushing promise OF the inter
view she suffers with intensity no other
artistic would dare.
In the final scene she seems TO display
unwoniel vig0r for an invalid whose life
spark is fliCkcring out. The pr0liXity of
the death scene has been dGreeably alb
bTeviated, and uiere is less of The sug-
Eestivcncss Of the havoc OF disease that
formerly marked the ideal Camille
with great skill and intelligence. but the
personality OF his Armand is scarcely ideal.
NJ. Deval looks the man of the world. The
boulevardier 10 hair. His Armand smacks
OF The Partisan who knows life and is not
TO be taken IN 10y q woman. he is not the
man toinSpirc lofty love anI pure sentiment
IN Camilie's heart. She cannot look up TO
him, he does not seem TO be man who
eOald lift her up This destroys the Illusion.
NJ. Angelo was the CASTOR; II. Bruniere,
the Gustave; n. Pnon. the Elder Duval: NJ
Raney, The Conlie de Giray They furnish
strong support NJ. Patry is an excep-
iionaly good Prudence, Mile Seylor a
Nichete. ana Nile. Merle as Naninc, were
acceptable
Tonight Nine. Bernhardt appears in Sun
derman's widely discussed and much-ad
mircd drama, which in the oTiginalisknown
as 'Heimath," but which has been given
us so far under the name of the heroine,
MaSna- 1Hcie is NlOe divergence
of opinion as TO what Bcrnhardt viii make
of the peculiar woman, but she VIII make
d. Interesting and forceful.
A Change of bin is announced for Sat
urday night ''Phedre,'' the most famous
tragedy OF Racine, the father Of French
dramausts, viii be substituted for 'Fe-
dora" This is done at the request of
large party OF Baitimoreans, who are de-
8lrons OF seeing her in this famous role,
hut who cannot induce change of bill in
PIE Monumental City, as Sarah plays there
ht four performances.