The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-29

New York. Nov, 2s--In large let- ters across the top of the program at the first performance In America by a company of Siciiian actors. Mimi Agugiia was characterized as the most famous trassdian in the world" She comes of the nation which has given to the stage of the present generation Duse, Salvini. Novelli. Tina di Lorenzo. vitaliani During the last year the fame of Madame Agugiia has spread through the Anglo Saxon world and increased to fever heat, Where there is smoke there Is flame; where there is hvsterical gush there is at least un- common clsverness. She and her company in London last spring arous- ed extraordinary dramatic uproar; the loud protestations of admirers were hurled against the equally verement abuse of detractors. So it was to pc expected. that a very large. interest ed. attentive. alert audience would gather for the American eSnergence Of such a celebrity. It saw a typically sicitian young woman--slender, frail, wiry. very black Of eyes and halr
 The play chosen for the debut was 'sAfalia." a tragic drama by bnisi Capuana,. a professor of the Roman University. of Catania. It Is said to be the most electrical of the com- pany's repertory; and even before hav- ing seen the others, one 10 prepared to -concede that, it doubtless- ts.
 Let me first simply recount what was .diselosed; that is, in so far as American ideas of propriety will per- init newspaper description of such proceedings. The first of the three acts shows a peasant wedding festival, at which the girl we are interested in fbecause she is personatsd by Agug- lia) is sullen over her love TOT the bridegroom. As the bride is her own tender sister. matters are complicat- AJ. Furthermore, Jana, our passionate peasant young woman is betrothed 10 a man of her own. So much for the first act. We have the fiery word. the fast, incessaEt gestures, the volu- bla excitabilfty that numerous times have been made familiar to our stage bv swarthy visitors from the sunny sn,th of italy. In the second act matters-4-and Aguglia-beeome furis ous. she pfays to the Virgin to dlvest her of the passion for her brotner- in-iaw. Her strange unhappiness has excited the concern of her parents or her unsuspecting sister, or many VI the villagers, r.aae
 Then comes the moment wnlch ltlaue ~ half London hot under It's walsteoa,s ,s with. admiration and the oeRsI .'s. nA hot under It's collars with olSs us.' Parents. sister; dosto=. priest nave vIslte,f lana to sympathize with heE uno1 her strange melancholia. Ineh inc man in the case arrives. sne eh. daaV6rs to be calm about him ahe nrsys to. inc Virgin to help her to Ee- ssrS him placidIy; but suddenly she ~rin. vsolentIy hold of him and kisses St,s 1urIously. Thereupon, Maoame Agu~lia gives a marvellous exnloit'oh oS gurglinE, gasping. writhinS' ~ goes beyond anything ever seen ssse fore on the American stase' sis sauirnns. clutches, writes maoly on .ne floor. emitting. the while. cnonns ..
 rrunts and gasps or anls snsssa', 1nd at fine end faehionably dresSe1 <a,,. <A so,na of them may understand rnoS italian, but pretty. safely could @ot solIoyv the Sicilian dialect, cheer aS vvhiIe Italians who packed the gal ,sr,es fairly shrieked their appropa- tion. ..s.,.. h.A .b~n~n ,.,.aA. of thanks and crossed herseH in exaltei gratitude, there was no ssep snrtber for her to go in the next ano ], sest' act The Italian author anu sctors had left just enough 10 the imagination to have carried the ssory U.r on to a just rage of the girls oetrctn- ed lover against her brother-lh. 'ss .la~
 As Ethel Barrymore said to tne as ron who characterized s', t,,nn, 1vhst happens between the third a.S sourtb Acts?" well in "MaIia
 Tana,s betrothed Is in a fury. He pro noses to fight the brother-in- law' They chase each other about the stage, -.,,Yd.avAd. while gesticulating peasants