Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-04
Gossip About Plays, Players and Playhouses

4
- AHA people and a lot Of their
friends from the surrounding
cities gave Sarah Bernhardt an
IE19VyJ enthusiastic welcome at the Audi
ekke3a1 torium during the week, her one
night stand in Omaha being the real event
Of the seven days. Kyrle Bellew came to
the Boyd at the end Of the week, and was
royalty welcomed by the host Of admring
friends he has made here. At the other
houses the story was a repetition Of the
seasons experience to date-entertainment
of a desirable sort and well patronized.
The prospects of the next few weeks at
the Boyd are that the promises of the early
season will be carried out. The bookings
show that a number of the winters newest
successes are to be seen here, and num-
Der of the strong things of other seasons
that have not yet been offered here 1t is
apparent that the season at the theater
In Omaha is to have the brilliant ending
to which recent years have accustomed the
public.
Bishops ScannelTs trumpet blast against
the unclean play read from the pulplts In
the Omaha Catholic churches last Sunday
as part of his ecclesiastical letter on Lenten
observances, merely reiterated what The
Bee and other papers of standing in the
United States have dinned into the public
ear for. 10, these many years. Hardly a
point made by the bishop but has been set
forth again and again in these columns,
and yet-on Tuesday evening the largest
audience that had ever assembled under
one roof in the west to witness a drama,
was present to listen to Sarah Bernhardt
in Camille" a play that belongs in the
prescribed class II it belongs anywhere.
This is neither complimentary nor encour-
aging to the bishop or TO the press, but the
only thing that can be done is to keep at It,
Constant tapping will some day have an
effect. for as Richard earle once said, mo
matter how thick the pane of glass. you
can always break 1t with a hammer
.
Some regret still fingers that Nine. Bern
hardt chose to give us Camille" instead of
one of her later plays 1t was argued that
the piece was chosen because more people
are familiar with 1t, and would therefore
be better able to follow it's action. This is
true, for only a very few persons in the
great audience at the Auditorium on Tues
day night could understand French SUI
fciently well to enjoy the spoken word. Yet
Camille" in pantomime does not compare
to La Tosca" or many others in the Bern
hardt repertory, and 1t may we'll be doubted
II she would not have awakened much
more enthusiasm by Offering the latest of
her achievements, THE Sorceress." The
action of this drama is more vigorous and
melodramatic than the one presented and
it's atmosphere is far better The honest
love of n Spanish Jewess for a Spanish
nobleman. and his equally honest love for
her, with the tragic end at the hands of
the chief inquisitor, is a much more ele-
waiting topic than the passion of a Partisan
demlmondaine for n callow youngster whose
inexperience leads to a number of tactical
blunders as a lover. Viewed In the most
charitable light Marguerite Gautier is still
woman outside the pale. Armand's cry
of anguish that much would be forgiven
her for she had loved much, Is an assertion
without support. She would likely have
been forgiven just the same IL she hac
never met him, but not by society for the
reason that regardless of whether she had
loved much. the testimony showed she hat
loved many This was her fault, and is the
fault of women Of her class.
3
Sarah Dcrnhlrdl may feel her age, but
she surely has the art Of concealing 1t
Nothing In her appearance indicates tina
she has vassed three-score years. for he
carriage Is erect and graceful, her step Il
light and her movements full OF life anC
her personality gems imbued with tn,
fullness OF life that comes with youth. He
voice is firm and strong and round, and IT.
notes have yet the marvellous qualities To-
which she has so long been praised. on,
hesitates to accept as final the suggestion
that this is her farewell tour. As long a
she has the strength that now animates he
1t is not likely she will retire from the ac
tivities that have occupied her for so man,
years. Her present tour of the west is on
that must seem like a huge lark to her
She Is noted among theater managers a
one woman who does not require manage
ment She is tractablo and readily enter
into plans that are at all feasible, and 10
this reason she is on tour that no othe
artist of her standing would undertake Fo
the next few weeks she will hardly see in
side theater. Her American manager
are so situated that they IRE without con
nections In the central west, and so Bern
hardt will play In auditoriums, hotels pub
lie halls, tent anywhere a stage may b
erected. This will afford her material 10
wonderful chapter in her memoirs an
may help the Shubert fight against III
syndicate" But above all it will prov
what a really great woman Sarah Berr
hardt Is.
Not the least amusing feature of her tot
SO far was the orchestra engaged for he
appearance at Omaha. Just what was
the leaders mind can hardly be guesse
but ali night long he played "Yanl1,
Doodle" with variations. This must sure
have appealed TO Nine. Bernhardts ket
sense OF humor as irresistibly funny.
Richard Mansfield has placed a tin
limit on his active career on the stage
announcing today that he win retire aft
playing three more short seasons. Tn,
will represent Mr.. Mansfield's farewell a
pearances in nearly every instance. Du
ing the three coming winters he will act
New York. Boston, Chicago and Philad,
phia. Present plans call for two more e
gagements in cities known as one we
stands. IN all other instances his thr
brief tours will be so mapped out that
next appearance will be his farewell. o
N