The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-07

can stage. She belonged in a class
that has literally no counterpart in
this country at theN present time. Diff
fering from her in talents, but worthy
to be listed with her were Modjeska,
the beautiful Polish Countess, Mary
Anderson, much younger and typically
American, Ada Rehan, Irish born and
of diverse type from any of the 9TH
ers, Clara Morris. American and now
| devoted to literature, Mrs. Gilbert.
| long the "Nestoress' of the American
stage. in spite of her English birth,
| besides few others whose successors
are by no means to be found on the
| stage to-day. There are Mary Man.
nerings, Maud Adamses, Amelia Bing-
hams and the like. but the peerless
stars of the last centurys last three
decades are nowhere to be found
AS for Madame Janauschek. there is
likely never to be another such a one.
Alone of all the dramatic stars of mod
ern times she was anything but
handsome woman. She was never
called beautiful even in the hey-day of
her youth. At the time of her great
est popularity when standing room
only" was common wherever she play
ed, she was positively ugly. Her sue
cess was won entirely by virtue of
her wonderful personal magnetism, her
splendid dramatic power, her marvellous
command of her strong If not comely
countenance, her vigorous but not
graceful body, and her powerful. VI
brant, and at times truly musical voice.
Madame Janauscheks greatest dis
plays of power were never witnessed
by the public. They were displayed
only to the members of the company,
her stage manager and an occasional
newspaper man, admitted by courtesy
to rehearsal over which she presided
At rehearsal she showed how well nigh
universal was her talent When she
took hold of a piece she learned not
her own part merely. but literally,
every part in the piece. This would
have been an impossibility had she
possessed no greater memorizing
power than that Of the ordinary actor
or actress, and ii used to be common
gossip that she had merely to read a
play once or twice with real attention,
to be letter perfect in 1t from the first
line to it's last, and of course she knew
all the classic plays, in which she ap-
peared, backward as well as for
ward"
1t followed, of course, that by the
time rehearsals of any piece in which
she played began she had worked out
elaborate theories as to the representa-
ton of every part therein, even the
most trivial. and it was unadulterated
woe to any member of her company
who either differed with her or was In
capable ior grasping or executing her
conception of his part.
This applied to the male as well as
the female roles, and 1t was not at all
uncommon for the star to occupy the
stage fully nine-tenths of the time
taken up by a newly organized COM
pany in its initial rehearsal. In fact
she used to read the entire play as
Stunning in turn every role, with many
changes Of voice and tntona ton and
laying down the law peremptorily with
reference to every step, every gesture,
every facial expression, every accent
literally all the stage business.
Naturally then. rehearsing with jan
ausehek was much dreaded by her
companies. The writer has heard a
leading man in one of her organiza-
tons declare that she had almost
broken his arm by catching il in a
sudden grip when not entirely pleased
with his work. Black and blue spots
from a similar cause were by no means
uncommon among the women in her
support.
But as have said II was at rehear-
sails that her wonderfully versatile
genius showed itself to perfection. Had
she been fitted physically for the part
she would have been the greatest Juliet
as she was the greatest Lady Macbeth,
and the greatest Meg Merriles. With
the proper figures she could have play
ed Romeo better than any man has
played II IN the last half century.
Duane,