The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-14
Nine. Du.e I'm ..Frnnce.ca da Rimini.,

!, Nine. Duse I'm sFrnncesca da Rimfnf.o
Eleonora Duse and her company have
produced Gabrielle ID Annunzio's tragedy Of
Francesca da Rimini'' at the Victoria
Theater, New York, this week. Their en-
gagement in the metropolis will end on
Saturday night, and their tour OF the other
larger cities will begin. The text of Fran
cesca da Rimini, in English translation by
Arthur Symons, was reviewed in this COL
! umn last week. The following criticism of
the performance by William Winter ap-
peared in the New York Tribune
Mime. Duse appeared as Francesca da
Rimini. In play by Mr.. iD'Annunzio, rela-
less heroine. cursed with 1.-THE fatal gift Of
! beauty and precipitated, by irresistible
passion. into the vortex of lamentable sin
perennial charm OF romance, and, in what
ever form 1t recurs, ii never fails to elicit
the response of public interest. Its form,
in the present instance: is, substantially
that OF narrative. its perSons-as In all Mr.
DAnnunzio's plays-denoting themselves
and their feelings. and indicating the march
of events in their experience, by what they
say rather than by what they do. The
Italian author. furthermore, has encum-
bered the story with many extraneous de-
tails, which are Superfiuous and offensive
that his tragedy, instead OF inspiring
the pity that Tnelts the heart and the terror
that startles and chastens the mind. revolts
sensibility and inspires weariness horror
and disgust. The agoniZfng cries OF man
subjected TO torture are, for example made
audible throughout one scene, and the sew
cred head OF this victim is brought on in a
red silk handkerchief One gentleman
Iago and Ludovico comtined-has his left
eye gouged out at an early stage of the
game. and gees around dispensing gore as
well as syntax- Three brothers are enam-
ored or Francesca instead of two. And
that amiable fascinator Eerself kneels and
repeats the Lords Prayer. while her ia
vored paramour is shooting arrows at UNI
seen foes and delighting her by peppering
each one OF them in the gullet. The sense
obviously. been omitted from Mr.. Dan
nunzio's mental organization. and the con-
sequence Is that he writes like barbarous
MISUNDERSTANDING all the while, no
doubt that he is splendilly audacious and
magnihcently powerful. when in fact, he
is merely gross and foul. Dr. Johnson
noticed that "a man WHO wants to make
himself conspicuous will tumble in a hog
sty, IL people will only lobk at him and call
might have added that sometimes a man
will do this i'm the natural order of his men
tai expression. How else should it happen
that plays and stories are written on the
revolving details OF crimes too horrible TO
be named? How else can be explained the
existence of those Papnian books with
which. in all Opulent and luxurious coun-
tries. literature is disgraced and, to some
extent. society corrupted?
The preliminaries OF this piece may be
instructive in archaeology. but are out OF
all proportion 10 the effeht 1t is a case of
running a mile that he may leap a yard."
BY far the greater part of the fabric con-
sists OF limbs and outward fiourishes."
but. considering how Numerically prolix
and verbose this authof's method is, his
audience probably ought to be thankful
that he has not still further augmented
this interminable compound OF lechery and
murder by introducing the Annals of Taci-
tus, the History of Josephus and the en-
tire Old Testament The only really dra-
matte moment arrives toward the end OF
the fourth act, when Malatestino apurizes
Paolo: and In these Roshspina easily took
the laurel OF triumph by terrible display
OF animal fury frightfully repressed.
Nine. Duse, mature In. aspect and mas
sive in person, seems rather heavy for
such a part as Francesca. but. OF course.
she comprehends IL perfectly well. and she
is easily able 10 express Its vouptuous
Citation between duty and love. its mourn
full ecstasies. it's CONSERVATION I'm the mo-
ment OF discovery, and its anguish in the
final catastrophe. IL would be strange
with all her experiences OF the stage III
an ideal so simple were not completely
within her reach and II an embodiment so
easy we're not entirely "a the command OF
other assumptions. however. the stress is
laid upon intensity. and the method is
Photographic and dull Francesca loves
but also she suffers. and IL Is I'm suffering
that Nine. Duse exults and excels. Upon
this point the eminent italian actress has
herself provided formal testimony Her
note Is the pathetic: her ideal the life that
the shoals OF guilt. "Les me suffer" said
Matilda Heron: give me the woman that
- losti' II 10 q favorits device with the