The Washington herald., 1908-03-01
Nine. Bertha Kalich.

Although Marta of the Lowlands'' is q
rather tragic play. especially TO come out
OF sunny Spain. the large audiences at
the Belasco Theater all the past week
testified to the fact that il has a strong
hold on the popular favor. probably be-
cause Of the intense human quality OF it,
Ii Is a somber. rather unpleasant story
that the play reveals, but It's interest is
intense. the more so. perhaps. that the
conditions Of life among these Catalonian
peasants are so foreign 20 anything pos
sible in this country. II the play were
by Bernard Shaw II would come under
his category of unpleasant" plays and
yet in it's outcome and In the lesson II
teaches Marta Of the Lowlands'' is a
play to awaken or rekindle respect for
human nature, even ground down and
environed az are the lives OF these super
stitious peasants.
But the play, which was seen here some
years ago with Fernando Eliscu in the
role OF Marta. had, probably, much less
drawing power than the personality and
genius OF Nine. Bertha Kalich, an actress
who. since her change from the Yiddish
20 the English-speaking theater. has
forged steadily ahead until she stands
to-day in the forefront OF her profession
and is known as one OF Americas leading
actresses. She has essayed many roles,
but has only been seen in Washington in
three. First she was seen here as Monna
Wanna: last year she sealed herself In the
affections Of Washington theatergoers by
her mastery performance Of The Kreut-
20
her well-earned laurels by the genius dis
played in the portrayal OF the character
of the poor, ignorant, betrayed peasant
girl. Marta.
There is the stamp OF true genius on
the work of Nine. Kalich. 1t is not that
she has a voice of wonderful power in
all its modulations, nor that she is good
to look upon. with sparkling eyes and
face that lights up with keen intelligence,
or-as during moments of the portrayal
Of Marta-sinks duly into an expression
Of sodden discomfort and rebellion. Nor
IS the grace OF her carriage. her make
up, or any other physical thing sufficient
10 account for it. There is a subtle
magnetism about her that reaches out
over the footlights into the auditorium
and grips the hearts OF those In the
audience and wins them for her own.
Even in repose. with noisy action going
on on other parts of the stage she is
still, in some way, the central figure of
interest. and it is she who sets the key
note of the scene. Perhaps this is be-
cause of the fact that Nine Kalich has
that rare faculty Of becoming the creature
she acts for the time being. From the
first moment. for instance. that she steps
on the stage as Marta, she is Marta, and
no other. and at no time-not even when
taking a curtaln-caIl at the end OF an
act-does she step out of the soul of the
character for a minute. The result is that
absolutely convincing quality Of acting
which has from time ininemorial marked
the difference between the fairly-com-
petent actor and the superlative player Of
genius.
Some day il is 10 be hoped that play
really big and commensurate with the
wonderful abilities OF this actress will
be found. or. failing this, it is TO be hoped
that she may be seen in some of the
classic roles which won fame for actresses
Of a bygone generation.