The Washington herald., 1906-12-09


peared in the theatrical armament a,,5 !.
mas dazzled all who have bebeld 81 NJ.
-Aiia Naziinova is the star. new to us. be-
.Use she comes from Russia, a country
u winch we know little when it's stage
Is 10 De discussed. Nine. Nazimova has
scored a complete triumph in 'eE5a5aa
Haoier' which difficult role she nIs,-s A.
English with the most piouant ana in
teIeSung accent. She is thoroughIv %
ease as Hedda, for her interpretatio, i
iAIiiiIlar 10 her countrymen. Russia ~,
anu recognized her talents, hut we A.
lio1 Always choose to accept the favorites
OF foreign countries. When Nine No.,
nova appeared for the first time IN Ar,ar
lea at little theater on the Fast ct5o ;.
was In the powerful Russian NAV ..-I,,e
chosen People" which caused so ,,,,,.,-
t'-i'loai discussion In her own land that
'iie company decided to take il to other
countries, thinking that its appeal migbt
oeheht that class in Russia which has
oeen so greatly oppressed. .-Tba C,oso-,
Feople played by Russians was hin Of
ahuTing charm to those New Yorlare IN
Sedrch OF novelty. Managers ever alert
Ior possible find in theatrical talent
tooA 'ie trouble TO look over the Russians
lEey IeIt the cheap little theater filed
with admiration for the unusual ability
which had entertained them Tho entire
company seemed gifted. and the two chief
Players Nazimova and Paul Arlenen.
possessed positive genius. The pity Of it
all was that no one spoke word of
English Nine. Nazimova. herself. tells
the rest OF the story. which should inspire
those with difficulties before them.
II was IN the dressing-room of the beau
Iliul RUSSIAN at the Princess Theater that
1 had my first opportunity Of viewing
Hef AT close range. 1 had been in this
very room few days before. and its at
mosphere was strictly American: now il
appeared quite strange. for unfamiliar
photographs were on the walls and dozens
OF kilograms and cablegrams in Russian
greeted the curious eye Bits Of color
here and there lent pieturesqueness of
tone to the ensemble, while there before
the dressing table In the foreground of
the picture sat the one figure, La Belle
Russo herself Somehow she always
makes me think Of an orchid with its
exquisite shading from pale lavender to
deepest purple Just fancy an orchid
from Russia. where all is snow and ice
and bitter cold, That is the strange in
conSrulty IN the impression given bv Mime
NaZlmova. Sre-is Russian. and vet of the
tropics Her acting Possesses all the keen
ness or the Northerner. with the grace
ana languor Of one who has idled away
iLe somewhere in the immediate vicinity
Of the equator.
Nine Nazimova sat there before her
mirror as beautiful without her make-up
as with it, 10 is perfectly true that her
eyelashes are. as Blanche Bates described
them to me, long and double with a de
cided curl up at the ends have never
seen such lashes, and were Nine. Nazf-
mova.s press agent enterprising he would
advertise them carefully Her eyes are
gray and not black as one would imagine.
They appear Of the latter color on account
OF the jet black lashes which SO heavily
shade them Her hair is black as are her
eyebrows, and her lips are red red She
was touching them with still more RED
as she chatted; then she painted her
finger nails quickly. An odd. soft-shaded
green garment was around her 1.-the BODY. /
and strange, seductive perfume filled
the air.
II wear this long ring to make my fin
gers look longer said Nine Nazimova.
"A short hand with blunted fingers is |
never pretty nor artistic. There See the /
difference, This ring has hundred dia- /
monds in il, and it reaches over two /
thirds of my finger. That is just small /
thing don't you think, but an actress
must think Of ever detail in appearance. /
as well as in her work Madame held |
her aTistocratic fingers to the light You /
wish some paper to take notes. I have
nothing but a sheet from this book. All. |
see what 7 have done. It is a leaf from
Maxim Gorky's novel Comrades. There, !
maybe that may inspire you. Gorky is |
great writer. He reaches the truth in |
life"
How well you speak English, mad
anne"
You think so? Just think. I knew
not one word before the sd of last June |
In three months 1 appeared. speaking /
English, Is that very quick timer The /
Americans seem to say so. Some persons |
believe that I have simply learned my /
role in Hedda Gabler' and that in real /
ity I do not know what I am talking /
about. That is mistake, I have studied /
hard, and 1 have learned a great deal /
which ] do not mean to forget What 4
made me determine to learn English? |
viii tell you I came over here with the I
Russian players. little dreaming that 4
would wish to remain. We had hard 4
times. and / kept thinking what 1 should 1
DO later on. Some managers spoke to me /
through my Interpreter. saying that If |
could only speak English they would en- !
gage me. All, but / do not. I answered, |
and that was the end of that I com |
menced 70 think about e, and I said to /
myself. Others have learned: whv not 4
T. An engd cement is waiting for me if /
I can only speak AIr. Shubert made me /
an offer which caused me TO study your
language in earnest, with the result. as /
you have observed. that 7 can saw more /
than How do you do
Il remember everything I hear No: I /
never forget. one thing puzzles me. Why
are Americans so fond Of that one word /
damn2 II is curious what an effect il 1
has on an audience. If an actor wishes /
to make people laugh, he says damn. If /
he is angry he says damn. and even
when he talks about the weather he saws /
damn What would you do without this
word? It seems to be the most powerful \
in your language. for with it you can
do anything. There is so much of this /
damn on the American stage that some /
day it would not surprise me if somebody /
wrote a play and called it Damn. -
All of this was said with the utmost 1
good nature. and when I told madame /
that We already had a play entitled /
"The Whole Damn Family" she laughed /
merrily. Did I not say SOP Was I not |
right2 ! have only been in your country |
one year and a half. but I observed much |
in conditions and people I am always |
looking. listening. I like this country. Il /