The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-16

New York. Oct. t.
A n Englishwoman in new play by
n a Frencbman ~ a theatrical ex-
hibit here. With no belittIenpent is
Mrs. Patrick Campbell III ViTtorien
Sardou's THE Sorceress" regarded as
stage bow. The actress is a beauti-
ful poser, with the ability to emotional
lie her attitudes. the author is a graph
&c craftsman. with the genius 60 drama
tie his pictures, and she is a creature
Of amorous splendor in the character
which he created for Sarah Berns 3rdt.
The drama is an exposition of -thefaWfGl
fortunes of MOhammedans by fieudish
Christians in Spain four centuries ago
oh. yes, and a very vivid treatment
of that religious theme: but more in-
tentionally and interestingly it is a ro-
nance Of passionate love. This ZOraya
of SardOu's is another Fedora Theo-
dora, Tosca, Cleopatra, OF any other Of
sorceresses of desire whom Bernhard
has embodied At his age Of three
score years and ten he has raked to-
gether the embers of his ardent fancy
and famed them again into fame: and
at her same advanced age lacking but
a decade she has kindled herself anew
into fierce fire. SO much for the
French material of the latest SaTdou-
Bernhard dramatic Conhagration.
With no more Of admiring criticism
than is enough for descriptive purposes,
let me tell you that Mrs CampbeIls
acting in The Sorceress' is as little in
her own manner, and as much i'm that
OF Bernhardt, as she can contrive to
make 1t. She has taken on the French
Woman's sibilOus softness Of speech in
moments OF tenderness and gutteral
hardness in those of rage: she has lin
bered the rightly and melted the fri
gidity Ct her modern society guises, and
acquired the supple. sinuous. even siren
graces which an exceptional Saracen
enchantress may be supposed to have
practiced in the bewitching of noble
Spanish soldier Mrs. Campbell has
never been secretive of her beauty.
No one else as conspicuously on stage
view, except Mrs. Langhry, has gowned
modern her0ines with less of bodice
But in her present disclosure of the
dress modes Of Moorish bellies I'm the
sixteenth century she asks us to be-
heve-and / guess few OF us are dis
posed to dispute it on her presentation
OF the evidence-that their torsGs were
utterly hare down 10 a line four or
five inches below the armpits.
1t is so in a Forest at night when
Zoraya meets and lures young Don
Enriquez, in her palace when she re-
ceiVes her lovers surreptitious visits
before the Holy fnquisition when she
IS arraigned and condemned, as a witch
and even at the stake when she ESCAPES
the fire by swallowing poison. Her
face changes with ne nobility from
smiling pleasure 10 diStortive anguish
her arms cling affectionately and fling
defiantly. her breast stirs with calm
breath and heaves with tumultuous
feeling. but her superb back. which she
often turns toward us kindly never
Fuckers or wrinkles it's brunette euti-
Gle under any stress OF action. not even
when at three climaxes she filings her
self face downward on the ground.
Sardou's work shows no deterioration
from what he has done before-in forid
drama. 'The Sorceress" is a little less
varied IN Characterization an I episode
than some Of the earlier Bernhard
plays. but as remarkable as any of
them in focusing and intensifying all
interests i'm the nam woman. She is at
first medically educated philanthropy
list who devotes her knowledge of drugs
TO the cure of ills among the poor peo-
pie around her: but, as it is a time OF
Spanish persecution of the MOors, her
btHlHcenl placLces are mistaken FOR
Witchcraft; and there is a plausible
case against her, for she is adept at
and hypnotizing in ways
bound to convince the supsrstitious
that she is diabolic. The
grand inquisitor is a sinister archbish-
declares he is faithfully
permedtes his piety with
political craft. and he so brings things
about that Zoraya. in order 10 save her
lover from the Christian penalty Of
death for liason with a Mobammedau.
falsely declares that she has bedeyilled
him with Witchcraft. The scene Of her