The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-22
ADJUSTMENTS
SALTAIR-Saron Bernhordt. in Camille.
a play In nNo acts. by Mexnnder Dumas. MI!

SALTAIR-Saran Bernhordt. in Camille"
play in five acts, by Alexander Dumas. hls.
You knew all tho time TINT of the countless
women who have pcrsonsted Marguerite Gau-
tier from Paris TO Knnsb. you were seeing
the greatest In this belief you could rely
upon the judgment OF the capital OF Franco,
where the people know something about act
ing. and understand French rather better than
do you. You did not feel II in any sense your
privilege 10 pass critically upon tho methods
OF tho pro-omncnt Sarah. Al least, we think
you didn't II you had not known that II wns
Benhurdt who speaking there, In French,
you might possibly have seen this or that in
her portrayal to excite your questioning But
you knew OF her greatness In advance. You
fncw that every tone and movement and glance
had been adJudged the perfect one for its par-
tioular moment in tho play. Any other tono,
any other movement any other glance would
have given to the performance an imperfection.
Here was the model for every Camille In tho
world. This embodiment OF the most familiar
OF tho wayward creatures OF the stage had
been accepted everywhere the supreme.
SO had nothing 10 do with reference to It
excep, TO View II one might n work OF some
othor art that had been declared the greatest
OF Its class. and try 10 get from IL the utmost
enjoyment
Is It not relief to a dolincatlon that ls
guaranteed above criticism? EQUALLY theater-
Gocrs feel II TO be their duty TO look Tor faults.
and this Is one or the duties faithfully per-
formed We may not. we do not, always find
the Eamc fnultB our taste in faultn varieo
SO. But the aggregate OF those discovered Ia
even good performance IL often sufficient to
| sustain the reputation OF our theatcr-goers OF
being n critical people Yet the habit lessens
tho enjoyment, and that 1t Is 4
pleasant thing 10 approach the presentation
OF a great character with the knowledge that
II viii bo fiawloSs
And yot in spite OF this assurance s2He mny
have transgrcsscd in the very presehco OF a
great genius last night by thinking that Sarah
has passed the age limit Tor the presentation
OF an Ideal Camille. Too inqulsltive eyes may
haNo detected that this Marguerite was not
50 young as her sentiments would Imply But
II there were signs OF age in the appearance OF
this girl. there WINS undiminlshed force and
G. nov thl oil
Ism In the acting
Tint scream OF JOY is one not to be forgot
ten. That death sceno Will remain to the
memory as among those OF real dissolution
That agony Of humiliation when Armand
hercely proclaimed his belief in her shame cast
upon the house a lingering sadness For thcsc
things spoke In every tongue. But the woes
OF this sreat Camille did not excite the sor-
row that many humber ono has caused For
IL is hard for language not understood TO reach
the heart. Tones alone do not 80 easily mi
the throat or bcdew the eye do sad words
And so the sweet pluintlvoness Of Bcrnhardt
20 often heard throughout the evening. did
not draw forth az many hnndkerchiefs MS have
been wept Into when lesser but English
speaking Camille has called them out.
Madame Bernhardta associates hIIea yvou
at times for an Armand with features more
capable OF expressing woe. But the support
made little difference. Ii not to hear
minor players talk in French that about
TWO thousand people had paid their money
minor furnished by the local support
that handled the curtains. And the support was
not altogether responsible Tor the curtains
SO eccentric that Papa Duval once had TO as.
sist I'm their control. There nve acts OF
course. but only one act Of scenery. Whether
the scene was laid IN Paris establishment
or In country home, tho walls were the
same. Changes were made by rcarrange-
ment Of the furniture and some slight nltera-
tons In the nornl decorations \ bush hod n
mysterious habit OF shaking II by some
magic force. which probably exerted by a
stage hand outside. The falling OF u vaso
from the piano gave novelty 10 the per-
formnnce.
ho lrst act of bnp do
In the for vacant forward seats caused q
commoton and momentary alarm among the
most cNCltable.
Naturally, the applause was limited owing
TO tho lack of understanding OF tho lines that
usually excite applause But after the strong
scenes. the audience felt eafo I'm manifcsting
approval and did so With vigors for which tho
leading players showed as much appreciation
the unruly curtains would permit
Two trains wore run to the lake for the
Bernhardt patrons the frat one, going and re-
turning. being crowded.