Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-24

stand In measure a. least certain condi-
tions that pertain 20 the woman IN whose
nature the elemental passions and emo
tions are not oblitersted by the oonven-
tionalities Of life. This knowledge was %
great value and assistance % her when she
came 70 create her really important role Of
KatushA
Another experience Of Miss WAlsh'a
earlier life was Of much service to her IN
this connection As a girl she lived IN the
noted Tombs prison In New York, where
her father was warden. Here she saw AZ
FIRST hand much Of the seamy side Of life
and learned as can he learned In no other
way Of the struggles Of the women who
have sunk 20 such depths Of moral and
physical degradation as 20 land IN common
prisons. II may sound strange 20 couple
famous empress and . drab IN this eonnee-
ton but this ls just what Blanche Walsh
did IN preparing 70 give US a MRHlova on
the stage. She gave uH at once the bitter
ness of Cleopatra, the generous pride OF a
GiSmonda and the reckless desperation OF
the abandoned wAnton. None who saw that
portrait win ever forget II. No more ter
rihly realistic picture than that OF Mas
Iowa I'm prison ever presented on the
stage. n was hideouR in its reality and
most artistic In it's conception and execu-
ton II Dore OF MiehRslangelo could teach
q lesson by pencil or brush, certainly
Blanche Walsh could teach q lesson by
drawing a similar picture and giving II all
the horror Of life, Dore's drawings of the
Inferno are no more terrible in conception
nor perfect IN detail than Blanche walsh's
picture Of the hopeless, desolate misery TO
which the happy Katusha sunk as the un-
fortunate Maslova- Satan's pride was no
more obstinate than that OF this woman Of
the streets with her spendthrift reckless
ness Of conduct and her absolute disregard
for past, present or future. And no painter
ever decked the ceiling Of a chapel with
more Of hope than did this same woman in
drawing a picture Of hope for the hopeless.
II may be that the resurrection OF Katusha
is ehiInerieal-that Is theoretical and prag-
mAtical-but II does answer the question
20 which 50 many have turned in vain for
reply. Work hard work, hopeful work, lie
the answer.
To bring home the lesson TO all was the
aim Of the actress in presenting this part
with such devotion to detail She did not
like the role and found no consolation
whatever in contemplating the situation
of the woman whose individuality she as
sumed, but she realised that TO make II
effective she must make the play tell Its
story with all the dramatic force OF its
intense possibilities. She succeeded, In
Omaha as elsewhere she brought home 10
a lot Of thinking people q phase Of the
situation with more direetness than IT had
ever been presented, She illuminated a
condition OF which the women who heard
her knew only through discussion, and
she pointed a practical way 20 the workers
10 bring about the reforms they sought.
In every considerable city in the land a
band Of women is at work doing what may
be done 20 lead hack TO lives Of usefulness
these who have dropped frem wemaH's
estate This work must be dene quietly
SO quietly that emily those who do II and
those for whom It Is done ever knew that
II has been accomplished Hew much
Blanche Walsh helped these women in their
efforts will never be known this side OF the
grave, but II is certain that II the expert
enee OF Omaha is a fair example she ae-
sempiished more fer real refsFm alana
these lines than any actress Of modern
years, 1t was only this thought that kept
her TO the effort, that she might do good
by showing just what IL and Just what
misht be done.
In her present play Miss Walsh has de-
partuFe but one that enables her 10 grew
in experience, even if it be of little merit
II is not at all likely that any artist Of
genuine ambition would think sf fame
based On Clyde Fitch production, That
Is, Fitch as far as We knew him. Fitch
may yet do something that wFiIl eBtitle him
TO immortality. and some hard working
star may win equal renown by embOdying
his conception. That, however. is a most
remote contingency, But Miss Walsh ts
not resting. She is working as hard as
ever and with her ambition still unsatls-
fed. THE Woman in the Case" does not
require such a sustained effort as did her
other plays. yet It concentrates IN the
third act sufficient OF virility 10 redeem 1t
in a measure. and enables her 70 turn
another side of her personality 20 public
view. II shows that she can be a womRnly
woman as well as the other women she
has created for our sdifeation.
Miss Walsh is TO make tour OF Aus
tralia, and may be seen In England before
returning 10 America, 50 it will likely be
several seasons before Omaha gets an
other opportunity TO attest approval Of her
efforts. Unless all signs fail. she will be
even greater actress when she returns.
C0ming Events.
The engagement Of 'The Forbidden
Land" the successful new comic opera. at
the Boyd theater for seven performances,
beginning with a matinee this afternoon,
and continuing until after Thursday, prem
ises 20 be an event of more than passing
notice 20 theateFgoeFs As 3 eamie opera
''Ths Forbidden Land" Wii be found TO
deserve much favaFahis consideration, both
as 90 scare and lfsFstto II has many
sparkling lyrics, tuIlefui ehhFuses numsr-
Gus seles a'4d part songs which nave al
READY fsuFG their way int popularity, II