Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-02
ADJUSTMENTS
HERNHARDI. THE sUPERWONAN
STILL THE AGELESS <ItTIsy

More than twenty-five wears ar,
Sarah Eernhardts great AZ, famed
through Camille" and La Tosca" nj
the old Richmond Theater. Then near.
or nttE IMAM forty, She was a, the
hcight OF her mature power and none
who watched her blazing eyes. h.,
mobile face. her telling gestures. and
heard the many-toncd compass of her
golden voice has forgotten Nearly
SIX years ago. she appeared here again
this time AT tho Academy Of Music.
and again in Camille" and IN lie
Process de Jeanne dare" Then she
VAS aged; she moved but littlc from
her seat or from her standing nose.
and always with some assistance from
4 companion, OF with a hand resting
on a table OF chair. Eut s;ill she
retained the expressive play or .ca-
tnrc. tho speaking movement or iacilc
hands and the wonderful voice that
went TO the making of her greatness
Since then, her body has grown fec
bier and IL has been manned, so that
she must be moved from place to place
and cannot even stand alone. But as
she appeared last night. past seventy,
almost helpless of body, and certainly
suffering with the rest OF her people.
she secmed--shc was-Greater and
more nearly sup.rwoman than ever
she could have been when she stood
She seemed 10 sympathetic cars anil
eyes, To symbolic whole people. IN
that her indomitable will rose SUI
prome over all physical obstacles and
caused her art--in them. their spirit--to
triumph. Her will any her art-it is
impossible TO distinguish them. They
complement each other. Without the
will, cvcn her art would await her lit
tic: without her transccndent art. she
'nNil RI No MI f,lI
man. Together. they lifted her TO the
hciShts. and with her she lifted those
10 whom she played.
This. most OF all in tho brief From
the Theater 10 the Field OF Honor.
though that TOO. may have bccn part
~ due to the eye of the bcholder AMI
rho ear Of the listener She appeared
hrst in a Sardou-lkc version OF the
death OF Cleopatra, by Henri Cain and
her son. Maurice. Throughout the
one act in which the story is told, SHE
icclincd on couch. SO that her in
frmity was not apparent The stage
was dark. and il was difficult 10 sec
the varying expressions that accom-
panied tho developments OF tho dia
loguc. But the voice was still an or
gan with which she played the Samut
Of emotion. from scorn aud anger to
pleading and passion and 10 rcnuncia-
ton and farewell. Her admirable COM
pany was given momentary opportun-
iiy in this tragedy, notably Mr.. Angelo.
who succeeds i.ou-TcllcGcn IS her
leading man.. Mr.. Gerrais ands Mr..
IJcneubours and .Nfr tt'avieres. both OF
Sho,h were in her. support sis Sears
ago.
1.-THE Death OF Cleopatra was fol-
lowed by talky little comedy, IL
which Mime. Rernhar dt took no part. 1t
WAS called The Husbands l.uc. and
Was remarkable chiefly because It at
fordcd Mr.. Angelo. III particular.
chance to display his liSh, comedy
deftncss In the hluff. unF French role
Of Bobby This world nave bcen on
joycd more if the programmed Spirit
Of tho i,la." hah explained. And the
performance closed with = part OF the
last act OF Camille. which Mime.
Isernnardf. OF course. made realistic
and choking, quite erasing al menu
DRY Of nc unhappy and wailing in
competcnts who have played the scene
TO our sorrow, and in whicE Mr. An
Gclo was powerful.
Rut before that camc what most OF
" viii prefer to keep rs perhaps the
last picture OF Bernhardt we shall
ever see There is a wood: in the
center is tree against which half
lies 4 wounded boy, French soldier.
AS he rcsains consciousness he IS wild
with anxiety lest he has lost tie fac