The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-16

UCyWEET serpent OF old Nile' was
~ the worst that Cleopatra 5
imperial sweetheart could say Of her.
There was nothing sweet about the Nile
serpent presented last night by Nine.
| Nazimova at tho Salt Lake theaScr
As Mrg. Cheps.ow in bella Dcnna
| this unique actreas was serpentine, ven
omous. seductive, fascinating. terrible
all, in fact. that serpent should be
and q human being should not be,
In the character of Mrs, Chepstow the
English adventures, Nine. Nazimova
does not permit single sympathetic
feminine quality to appear and un-
doubtedIy she deals out 20 the char
acter exact dramatic Justice; for when
the vengeance of God and man over
takes Mrs. Chepstow and her last hope
OF happiness on earth is swept from
her. there is scarcely a thrill of pity
tured by the actress as so utterly vic
ious and inhuman.
One cannot fail to he impressed by
the fact that Nine Nazimova makes
no attempt to portray Mrs. Chepstow
in English colors. This is not TO say
that there are no serpentine women
of the English race; none that are
veuomous and terrible; for has not
Kipling told his view about the te-
male of the species, and do we not
know that Kiplng's civilized women
are all Englishwomcn' 1t is tC say, |
however, that Nine. Nazimova has pur-
poseIy orientalized tho part for some
subtle object of her own. 1t may be |
disrespectfnl 20 so great an actress 20
hint that she msy be incapable Of
truthtuIiy presenting woman of the |
London type, but there are some things |
that seem to confirm this view. While |
are admirable, she speaks Eng |
lish with an incurably foreign |
Moreover, there is moth |
appear, therefore, Impossible for her 10
give veraCious English tone TO the
character, and this may have been the
motive that led her to in
terpret the role In her well-known sim
uous and serpentine way.
1t may be beside the question TO say
that this is not the highest art, that
the greatest actors and actresses are
capable of realistically assuming roles
foreign to their nationality. We were
accustomed TO think, for instance that
Mansfield. as Baron Chevrial or as the
prince in odd HeidelberG." truthfuliy
portrayed the French and German types.
but perhaps our French ard German
fellow citizens might have some very
dlsparagIng things 10 say on that ques-
don.
But while the Mrs. chepstow o, Nine.
Nazimova may not be at all English.
1t is, nevertheless, most compelling
ton. She has touched ii with
the subtle ire OF poetry. with the magic
and mystery Of the Nile.
The plot may De suggested in few
sentences. An idealistc Englishman
narr!es Mrs. Chepstow in spite of all
from relatives and friends. lie
goes to Egypt TO work on a great rccIa-
nation project, His wife begins an IN
who Induces her TO poison her husband
and surrounds her with cunning oriental
servants who VIII aid her, Dr. Meyer
Isaacson. the husbands best friend
20 Egypt 10 attend him. He finds him
y the care, of young American physi-
,tdn who is being made fool OF by
Mrs, Chepstow, DR.. lsaacson illustrates
and finally tells, him the truth For his
pains he Is ordered out OF his friends
house, but In the end the wife, mad
iened by her failure 10 escape from the
husband she hates and despses. con-