Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-23

MRS. b1ske appears to be such an one.
Not content with showing forth the human
aspect of the woman who rose from the
position of scrub woman in a tough New
York saloon to that Of captain in the
Salvation ~Army-which latter position is no
mean attainment-she pays equally forceful
attention to the spiritual side of the char
acter, and gives us a psychological as well
as a sociological study that may well have
our attention for some time. And 1t is
this that entities Mrs. Fiske to the undis-
puted crown in her profession.
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What other actress has undertaken this
sort Of work? Nine. Bernhard is great
In Sardou roles, and loves to make ex-
cursions into the realm of experiment,
wherein she is tolerated because of the
very earnestness of her purpose. She plays
the poor little duke in "L'Aiglon," no bet
ter nor worse, perhaps, than Maude Ad-
ans, or some others who have tackled the
part, which Is no especially meritorious test
for the true capacity of the actress, She
has also done a number of other things
that partake of the nature of novelty, but
she has never achieved the deep and last
ing effects that have come as a reward to
Mrs. Fiske. Bernhardt's lame is secure,
and her greatness admitted, but she belongs
to a different school of acting. The Amer
lean stage has in many ways followed the
French and the German, but has not de-
veloped the actors along that line, 50 that
In the main our actors In the plays OF the
school mostly affected by Bernhardt are
imitators and not creators. Otis Skinner is
perhaps the sole exception 20 this. His
Harvester and Colonel Brideaux are great
figures that deserve the name Of creations
and stamp him as an actor who thinks. The
10 H.. 49,
the most force, have been human enough
In their way. but their way is not our way.
Floria Tosca is a wonder to contemplate,
but she is foreign to American ideas; SO is
Gismonda, and down the list they all ring
foreign, because they are foreign, and In
their delineation the actress, whoever she
be, must depart from Anglo-Saxon stand
ards, for the proper portrayal of the role
demands II. These women lack the great
human note. We may weep with Camille
Gautier, but when we try to reason with
her we get out of patience-she touches our
sympathies, but she does not convince US.
So with all the Bernhardt women. The
Duse women are much the same, and the
other women, to a greater or lesser de-
gree. But the Fiske women convince. They
appeal to the reason as we'll as to the SYM
pathy, and apparently deserve the atten-
ton they have received from the woman
whose wonderful genius has visualized
them for US.
II Is a pleasure to contemplate in retro
spect the work Of Mrs. Fiske in salvation
Nell" One hesitates to say wherein she
most excelled. SO many places along the
way are lit by the light OF her wonderful
mind that 1t Is difficult to determine which
Is the brightest spot among the multitude.
Maybe the most impressive moments were
those OF the second act. That is tense
from one end to the other. Even with the
rising OF the curtain one feels instinctively
that some catastrophe impends. The very
peace of the scene-the mother with her
idolized son in her arms, reading from the
Scriptures, her mind far away from her
past, her future bright with hope for her
boy and her present secure, and yet over
It all the suggestion of uneasiness from
some cause underlined, is a situation that
eompels attention. The receptive audi
ence stiffens in apprehension, and the an
nouncement Of Jim Platt's possible pres
ence i'm the city does not come as a sur
prise. Then the terror OF the moment, and
the dread OF the meeting that must come,
and the meeting itself, with the efforts to
rouse an appreciative, unselfish feeling in
Ile HOnltn bluit VI a maj ANAN VI NiA0
simulated. II is lived. in all its poignant
reality. No finer bit of realistic acting
was ever shown on the stage than the
scene in the second act of salvation Nell
between Nell Sanders. as played by Mrs,
Fiske, and Jim Platt, as played by Mr..
Blinn II is so absolutely real that even
the duliest OF spectators forgets that he is
looking at mimicry and not at reality. 1t
is this capacity for verisimilitude that
marks the genius OF Mrs, F1ske for ex-
preston. Her peculiarities OF manner,
, speech and bearing are lost sight of in
the earnestness with which she presents
her conception of whatever role she as
sumes. The same effect is maintained
through the first and third acts, and the
ending OF the play, which might become
theatric and anti-elimactic in less able con-
troll, comes through her efforts as merely
a continuation OF the story that has never
flagged. but has gone on, gathering in in
terest, untr her simple word: Jim. wait
for me; 1 want you 20 take me home. q
\ seems the real climax OF the drama, after
all. And 1t is. But IL is made so. by Mrs
Ftske and her power for perfect dramatic
expression.
The opening week OF the stock company
at the Boyd theater gave ample proof tina
the popularity OF the Woodward organiEa.
ton has not in any wise diminished. On
sunday the reception given the established
favOrltes in the company surpassed the or
binary welcome. and partOok very largely
OF personal greetings. Miss Lang and Mr.
Morrison we're the ones VINO got the mos