The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-24

ITALIAN is A "MuGG l:
Miss Barrymore, as the Char
woman, Can't Forget She Is the
Girl With the Beautiful Voice. 4

woman, Can't Forget She Is the
Girl With the Beautiful Voice. 4
NEW YORK, March e2.--Ermeto No
we'll, ugly, and Ethel Barrymore, beau
tlful. arc the theatrical celebrities under
4 new consideration here. The italian
comes stranger. except as to hearshy
which declares him the second best
among ltaly's players now active, the
nrst being Eleanor Duse. Yet his act
ing is all different from buses, for She
Is a mistress Of graphic Guietude, while
lie master of eloquent agitation.
Wholly unlike the mnssively heavy Sal
sini is Novelli, too and the iloridly pic
turesque Rossi; and can recall no SINH
larity in the stately. formal Ristori TO
this latest of the Italian actors to come
to us. II were to give him a browning
title. 1t would be King of Muggers.'
he is an artist in wry faces. Novelli
is very gesticulatory, too. He talks with
Ills hands. Tie them behind him. and
l,e wouldn't know whether to face the
audience or to turn his back to it. de
is an embodiment Of Latin vivacity. Ut
SIS easier TO measure any object BY COM
parison with another tnan to estimate
It by itself: and perhaps / grow lazy
s with years; yet how can more quickly
or clearly give you an idea of Novelli's
acting in three roles than to size him |,
up by actors with whose performances
many Americans are familiar?
Papa Lebonnard."
Novclli introduced himself to New
York in papa Lebonnard. and his
choice Of q play was shrewd for these
reasons: Our own petted Ethel barry
q more was appearing simultaneously In |
nj nj that iS socially |
modish was bound to flock to her;
therefore. his welcome depended upon
resident Italians, who are numerous
enough to make by themselves city
as big as any save three in ITALY, and
Who from consul to organ grinder,
B flied boxes. parquet and gallery; and
so 1t was better to present on tEat
night a play from his repertory un-
known to people not con:ersant with
the Italian Language. Papa Lei on
nardp was written in French by a
French author. Jean Alcord for
French actor, Constant Coquelin, VII
declined to use 1T; SO it was translated
into Italian for Novclli and after lie
had carrien it to many countries, IN
GLIDING Cuba, Mexico and some South
American republics, twas adopted into
the repcrtoly OF the Coincide Francais,
but not till after Coquelin had quit
that institution along with Sarah Born
Tardt.
Lebonnard has newly purse-proud
st wife and q pretentious son. but low
able daughter. The daughter want. to
marry worthy lover OF illcgitimate
~ birth; the mother and the son object
to such an alliance; whereupon the
husband and father. hitherto OF SINAI
account in the family's affairs, looms
suddenly big With a declaration of the
secret that the tilt-nosed mother gave
birth to the toppy-headed son as a
consequence of her adultery. The hui
man rooster who after being hen
pecked, suddenly asserts himself as
sg cock of the domestic walk is a pet
bird with theatrical audiences lie is
not presented here in farce of fun.
but in comedy OF more pathos than
humor. Taking Cdquelin as a stand.
ard by which to measure Noyclli in
this piece, / judge that the Italian is
better than the Frenchman could have
been, because he brings out the ten
derness OF the man. where >Conuclin
81 would have shown the cccentricty
only. The American actor best quail
fled to play the part as Novelli does
is old John II. Stoddart, who broke
down last year and closed his LONG
career while touring in THE Bonnie
Brier Bush"
Louis XII"
u The second play in which / have seer
Eoyeli is Louis XI,,"t and he does no.
measure UP to the height of Henry Irv
ing's dclincation OF the craven tyran
and scniie cid hypocrite; but 1t is I
performances .wonfiously rcplctc Witl
tricks OF changefu expression, in tina
respect exceeding Irving's; but 1t lack
the Iinglishman's genuinencss Of sat
Sg lisfying characterization. a third pla,
with Novelli in II, The Merchant o
Venice" places his Shylock much unde
Booths. a little lower than Irving's
NJ well over Mansfcld's and far abov
Enfb 20 ms rat ca n I,v,
self truly great comedian, as
3 think, in the three comedies mentioned
1t is my opinion, too, that his per
torrance in King Lear" shows tn
limit Of his powers in the direction 0
really formidable personation, and
believe that In the familiar Shake
spearcan tragedies, which Italy accept
at his hands, we will find him unab1
to vie with our Mccullough, Mantcl
Skinner, Warde, or a dozen others c
NJ loud yet not resoending renown Their
IS a common belief that French, Italian
and especially German actlrs, acqu!r
a versatility enabling them 10 pla
tragedy. comedy ana farce equal
we'll; also, that dramatic genius use
to be as ductilc as that In this countr,
That is all a mistake, believe me. Eye
your grandfather with roseate memo
ries of bygone days, never saw John
Owens or John s. Clarke try "Othellt
or 1Iamlet," nor Forrest or the tri
dltionally various elder Booth undo
take Forty Winks" or "rhc Widow
Victim" 10 paraphrase lzaak Wa
toms strawberry saying, 'Doubtle
God could make n tragedau comcdIa
but doubtless God never did"
Bravery Of Beauty.
u Ethel Barrymore need not be prais
e for her bravery OF beauty. No coura
g5 is required in a woman of well assul
reputation for loyelincss to show h,
self in guisc that would make
plain individual ugly. ] was with
managing editor of newspaper
Gently when the question was broul
80. to him whethnr or not TO send n