The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-25

Minneapolis babe final farewell to
Sarah Btsfnhardt last night. Two I'M
mense audiences, each taxing the ca
spacity of the Auditorium to the utmost,
were drawn yesterday by the magic of
her name and art. The engagement of
four performances was a great triumph
for this wonderful woman, who knows
no farewell to youth. Her visit was not
only an artistic, but a fnan cial& success.
She gave Minneapolis a season Of high
est pleasure, and Minneapolis has show
cred her generously with American dol
lars. Minneapolis is satisfied with its
last glimpse Of the great Partisan, and
she ought to be satisfied with the re-
ception given her. Doubtless she is.
Sardou' IS tragedy, lila Tosca,'' was
With it's explosive finale, displaying
Bernhard s power to it's utmost limit,
the curtain fell, for Minneapolis and
the northwest, on the stage career Of
this magnificent actress. When La
Tosca writhed from the soldiers hands
and plunged, in imagination, thru the
window to death and union with her
slain lover, Bernhardt made her last
exit for us.
Bernhardt sinks personality in every
character she plays, and scorns to be
merely Bernhardt. La Tosca, tho, is a
Bernhardt type transmitted. The moods
spoiled by adulation, driven by her own
to the life by the great actress. Her
personifcation of La Tosca satisfies
completely, and the performance last
night scored an artistic triumph by nc
means second to Camille. AS play, OF
course, ella Tosca'' is far inferior. Its
! plot never rises above the level oil
. melodrama, and the heroine is not {
4 character. She is succession of moods
and passions, each affording splendid
opportunity for such mistress of pas
sion, but lacking the touch Of geniu!
to mold them into character. Ii
Tosca loves; she is jealous, repentant
despairing, enraged in turn; she pitie
the dead, flies hopeful to her lover, i
overwhelmed to find him slain, am
, hurls herself in despair to death. O.
every phase Bernhardt is a mistress
AS she toyed with her artist lover il
the church, half teasing and half jea]
GUS over his painting another s likeness
the art Of her coquetry deded the year
men say have passed over her heac
In this scene she showed nothing O
i. the deep and absorbing love reveale
by poignant adversely later on. In tn
palace, when Satan in the form Q
\ Scarpia piled her with ingenious ca
. . jimmy, she betrayed jealousy with il
= tense feeling, but with artistic RI
! preston. It was only in the hear
, rending scene when Mario was put t
! the torture that one could realize whs
:, fire had smoldered in the woman.
l. The scene in Scarpia $ chamber, how
;, ever, is the masterpiece of her art. Th
- audience hung breathless on her fac
last night as she plead for the life {
= the man she loved, scorned the tyrant
i approaches, feigned to yield, and the
with the passion of tigress, laid hi
y low. It was a different being, abs
lutely, that 4pitied the dull clay, place
a. the candles beside it, and the crucif
g. on it's breast. Stern with a purpose, III
repentant, yet, she pitied the dead an
IS paid reverence to death. a. <@,.'.'s'
g The supporting company was entirel
e satisfactory, as it proved during Il
le whole engagement. M. de Max was
9, bit: too handsome and delicate in ply
le ique for the monster Scarpia, but
IS played the character with diabolic coo
ness and cruelty. M. Deneubourg max
a capital lover, whether as the soldi
Enrique in La Sorciere, the gentlema
~. 10 Armand, in Camille, or the dilletan
-, 20 artist and revolutionist, Mario, in la
- nights production. The Cesare A
=. gelotti Of M. Krauss lacked finish, b.
= was we'll conceived. La Tosca does n
y. renuire elaborate setting excent in Il