New-York tribune., 1904-10-11
THE DRAMA.
MRS. PATRICK CAMPBELL.
''The Sorceress.'

Mr. sardou's play of The Sorceress'' was pre-
! scented last night at the New-Amsterdam Theatre,
and Mrs Patrick Campbell, making her re-entrance
here assumed the chief part in it. The play is
almost edifying Fox's Book Of Martyrs"
and the chief part is almost credible Sir
Walter Scott's "Fenella"-the only absurdity that
the great master Of fiction drew. Mrs. Patrick
Campbell. who is nothing if abnormal. offered
a variant of the old. familiar type of amorous
female crank so frequent in Mr.. Sardou's melo-
dramatic concoctions. and useful to performers
who mistake sngularity for genius and deiirium for
inspiration; and she offered it in her customary
style. which is that of Bunthornes establishment
and vapid eccentricity.
The character is a dusky and ardent female
Moor. named zoraya resident ot Toledo. in Spain.
in the beginning OF the sixteenth century and oc-
cupied in dispensing drugs prosecuting intrigue,
and practising mesmerisrn The charms of zoraya
are irresistible. She has dark. lustrous eyes. She
has bust Of what Mr.. Browning calls "supero
abundance" She has expansive satin back
She has the teescopc. giraffe figure, the one that
undulates She is divine-and the entire male pop
ulation of Toledo is agitated by her. Don Pa1acois
in particular youth betrothed to Joana. daughter
of the Governor of Toledo. finds his manly bosom
rent with passion for the enchanting mesnerls~
whom he meets by chance in the woods ana "no
at once responds with prodigal liberahty Ihe Doh'
however must be welded to Joana- and. In oroer
TO prevent the nuptiais.-of which she obtains
knowIedee after becoming Palacois's eoncuoine
Zoraya mesmerizes that obnoxious female lnlileui
atev after the wedding and elopes with the wiring
bridegroom Then the holy fathers OF the Inqui-
stion become anxious. and zoraya-contessins her-
self a witch. in order to save the imperileo NE
of Palacois-ls convicted of sorcery and condemned
10 death Later the Governor reprteves her' as d
recornpense for awakening the sleeping Josha ana
she is released. A furious Toledo MOB theh as
sails her. she is defended by Palacois. AT a ca
thedral door; and finally, further resistance oelns
imposslble. these lovers commit suicide
7,his epitorne sufficiently indicates the extrava-
giant and lurid character or MI 5aroous olain1'
aside from two scenes, II is proiX rlgrnarole
of rratentious nonsense. The passages relative 10
the strangulation of the inquisltorlal agent ana
to the trial of Zoraya contain fine dramatic con-
s+r,c+,on susnense we'll created and contrast well
maintained and they afford opportunities for act
.1g The rest is trash. Nine. Bernnardt, who has
4or some time been acting zoraya, has, probably
n,sde a fine show of feline vitality in it Mrs
patrick Campbell like Dr. Johnson's Painting
Time tolls after her in vain" In this perform
er's acting the conspicuous acting Is a1rectatlon
Tbere is much sibilant vocalzation as OF juonant
Ieroon-soueezer There is much self-conscious
posing. The rnoon-eyed stare of ecstasy. fixed on
nothing frequently becomes visible. There Is the
contortion of anguish. and there is the clinging
clutch of desperation: old stage properties. all OF
them and readily at the command OF an old stager-
There is OF course the effort invest absurdity
with a sembIance of reason. but the whole fabric
ia hollow There is no effect OF sincerity. and con-
seoueutly there is Illusion. The delivery or the
vehement denunciation Of the Inqusition was volu-
Bile enough but blurred. only partially artculate,
and from lack of innate dignity. more like scold-
ing than passionate eloQuence. Mrs Campbell has
no tragic power. Acting should impart something
to an audence-some treasure of thought some Inn
pulse Of feeling. some suggestion Of beauty-as that
of Miss Gertrude Coghlan did, and also that OF
/ Mr. Terry Mrs Campbell's acting does not impart
anything. beyond revelation Of a morbid person
alsty. The actress nevertheless, has her audience
form America there is an audience for everything:
And nothngs new and nothingts true.
And nothing algnhes