The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-17
saIvina. Nelson. KembIe.

For many Of the most finely discTiminat-
ing connoisseurs Of acting in this region.
Salvina became the first and foremost Of
the histrionic artists of our day, and with
nearly all 'the judicious'' he took, held,
and holds a highly exalted position His
personality was the most splendid-the
adjective is fit, and, indeed required
that has illustrated the tkeater of his
time. When he was first seen here. the
beauty and strength Of his classic face,
the grand proportions Of his figure and the
vibrant, sympathetic sweetness of his
voice-a voice as glorious as ever pro-
ceeded from a man-combined To overpow-
er the observer and listener. As was
said OF Edmund Kean, he dominated
stage and audience completely His
training in the Continental school had
been thorough, and in temperamental
force, I doubt if he was ever surpassed
by any player at any period of the world.
His acting was OF the Latin order. not of
the 1eutonic or Angio-Teutonic; it was,
however. though always vital and strong,
never extravagant; in gesture though ex-
uberant, it was not excessive; IN its gen
eral method it belonged TO what, in choice
from poverty of terms. must be called
the exhaustive rather than the sugges-
tive school of art; there was in 1t not
so high solution of pure intellectually
as in Edwin Booths. but in its mastery.
in the largest way and to the smallest
detail of the symbols of histrionic express
sion, It ranked, I think above that OF
every other player whom the stage of
America has known within the past fifty
possessed an ineffable charm. which has
never been analysed or explained.
signal Illustration of this charm was af-
forded by her Viola in Twelfth Night"
OF all Shakespere's women Viola is the
most elusive. Deeply reserved, void of
initiative, confirmed in patience. exquis-
itely fine in all the texture of her nature,
as pure as new fallen snow. she is. how
ever. not, like Miranda, fearless with the
interrupted chastity of the cloister. but is
familiar with life and its lures, as wei
as susceptible of love and it's enthral-
ment. In that slender maid, as she
looked through Adelaide Nelson's eyes
and spoke through her voice, the fairest
dream OF romance seemed in oarnate; in
her the very riches of the sea" strange
~ delivered from its 'enraged and foamy
mouth" had come on shore.
Reference to Mrs. Kemble suggests a
contrast. sharply noted in my mind few
year ago. As a very young man. I hal
the keen delight of hearing Mrs. Fanny
Kemble at one of the last series Of read
ings which she gave N the Meionaon. 1
wildly recall the occasion when listened
10 her delivery of THE Merry Wives Of
Windsor" and was one of an audience
which laughed itself almost faint over her
Interpretation OF Falstaf A middIe-ased
Englishwoman, in usual afternoon cos
tune. read from an ungarnished platform
out Of the big book which had come down
to her from her aunt. Mrs. Siddonsi Some
thirty years later was present n Mr..
Beerbohm Trees opening night in Boston.
and saw the leading actor made up
with extreme skill, assisted hy an accom-
plished company using all the appliances
of an excellent stage-sUcceed in carry
ink the part OF Sir Jim Falstaf in the