The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1898-10-22
THE THEATRE

Last Thursday the Oliver was opened
by Madame Helene Modjeska and her
large company in Cleopatra. The house
was filed with a brilliant audience
among which were those who had seen
Madame Modjeska play many parts. As
Cleopatra she was lissome and graceful
and her costumes were gorgeous and Of
superb color but she was not Cleopatra.
Not that it mattered, whatever Modieska
plays she makes the heart beat with the
sweet cadence Of her voice and her en-
wrapping womanliness. The company
was costumed in exquisite taste and
most richly. The scenery was very
elaborate and beautiful. The support
was exceptionally good, especially the
leading man who played Antony, and
the two little Egyptians. Iris AID Char
milan. The eubjoined tribute to Mod
jeska is taken from The Passing Show"
by Miss Gather. publish ed in this paper
last March:
In New York I went to see Modjeska
in "Mary Stuart" l had not seen her
for six years and l was almost afraid to
60 afraid that she might have changed
too greatly. She has changed. indeed,
but only as a flower from which the
rains have washed the brilliance Of its
color, or as an antique marble which
time has ravaged but never lost its high
significance. The old poetic charm, the
old regal manner are still hers. To me
there has always been something Of the
medieval in this woman, something Of
that spiritual fineness and delicate re.
serve which the age OF chivalry bred in
women; something of that dignity which
walked between the shadow of The clois-
ter and the effulgence OF the court,
something that accords with the mellow
notes OF the flute, something that be-
lOnged to the days when men thought a
woman's love worth sacrifices, and pill
grimages, and hard fought battles, like
the Holy Grail or the sepulcher Of
Christ. When l see her play I can
understand how Dante loved Beatrice
for lifetime, and how Petrarch sang
of Laura in q dungeon, how knights Of
old died to kiss their mistress hand how
the old chatelaines, believing in the vir-
gin, caught on their own brows the re-
fulgent light that shone about Mary's
head and became to men, mediators
with God rather than ministers Of plea.
sure. Idealism lived in men until it
died in women.
To step from the sorG. id, blatant. maxi
ed materialism Of such plays as The
Tree OF knowledge" and "Che Conquer
ore" into this woman's presence is to en-
ter another world, a world in which the
imagination scars rather than that in
which the senses riot. You remember
it was just the same whatever the play.
If her Camille was too refined, it was be.
cause poesy cannot be gross. and queen
cannot be common. Alb! the pity of it
that this woman must grow old! Never.
surely, did we 80 need such serenity of
soul as hers. never before did we so
need to have life set to music. Hers is
indeed the charm which age cannot
wither nor custom stale.
There is no woman on our stage today
who can read blank verse ss she can.
The technical perfection OF her reading.
despite her &C cent, always awes ma
little. The metre never hampers her;
she handles it as freely as prose. Her
sentiment is of the kind that is most
naturally expressed in verse. When she
needs breath she pauses and takes it
rather than slur a spondee or hurry
line to it's end. All, Lady, when shall
we look upon your like again? Our
world is given over to Anna Held and
Julia Opp and Maude Adams and their
kind, to daughters Of joy and brazen in
competence and china playthings, Cor
della, stay little!
Last Friday at the Funke Charles
Dickson, Henrietta Crossman and Nan
cite Comstock in Mistakes Will Hap
pen" played to a moderate business.