The Denver Jewish news., 1921-10-05
BERTHA KALICH, HER NERVES
WRECKED. RECEIVERS ONLY
BY RETURNING TO NIDDlSii
STAGE.

eral weeks ago that Nine beith'
Kalich. the eminent actress. who for
many years had quecned it on the Eng
lsh-speaking stage, was quietly APP
pearing at the remoCe Irving Place
Theatre in performances In liddish OF
some of her old-timc successes eaus-
ed amazement and tremendous spec
ulation on the part of her army OF
friends and admirers.
The true story. now revealed FOR
the first time, is that of the happy
elimination of one of the most re
markablc psychological experiments
ever recorded in the history of medi-
cine-an experiment that restores TO
the English stage Il great actress and
is triumph for the brilliant scien-
list under whose advice it was di-
rccted.
Mime. Kalish, after Il continuous en-
caRement in New York and ON tour OF
more than two years in The Riddle:
Woman" suffered II complete nervous
breakdown one year ago. Many spc-
cialists were called into consultation
and for two months she was Il patient
at che Post t-Graduate Hospital. 50 that
her case could be studied with great
est care.
1t was finally decided that she was
suffering only from the tremendous
strain imposed upon her by her de-
votion to her art for IT is known 10
her intimates thaC unlike many other
prominent artists, Kalich believed in
| Giving the part she WAS to act and
few roles have called for greater emo
tional strain than that of Lila Dirk
| in "Thc Riddle: Woman"
Complete mental and physical rest,
\ the experts declared. would quickly
restore Madame to her fullest powers.
! but the actress active brain yielded
stubbornly 10 his regime. Finally,
however, Knlch gave herself mp to the
task of rccuperation and soon the
physicians declared that she was COM
to her beloved work.
Then, to their amazement and dis
may Madame insisted that they were
wrong She could not believe that
die cure had been effected. Sho had
lost confidence in herself, and in
sisted that it would lie impossible to-
again face an audience especially in
a new role. with all its attendant study
pnd rehearsal. no.
The doctors then found themselves
f.,, In. t,sit un nufirpIy
problem The brilliant woman who
had euthSullcd millions of theatre
goers during her years on the stage
who had held audiences spcllbound,
or. moved them to laughter or tears
by the exercise of her own will. hm
lost faith in herself. In vain they
tried 10 reason with her. But they
could not overcome II condition tia
threatened To balIle all their science.
1t was at this point that Dr. Sam
mel w. Bandler. specialist aud author
of many authoritative works ON ncrv
Gus diseases, suggested the remark
able experiment. Since Madame felt
herself unable to prepare herself for
Il new role, he suggested that She Dry
an old one. In stead undergoing the
strain of eight performances week,
she was TO try two or three.
Madame listened with interest, but |
gave him little encouragement. Thcn |
lirtlc by little she was gently led in
to discussion of the plays in which
she had made her first success in this
country. She dwclt lovingly upon the
roles in 'Thc TRUTH "Sappho' and |
The Orphan" recalling with glowing
pleasure those early triumph' when
as a mere girl, she had swaycd her
first American audiences.
"Thcn why not try one of those
roles again." asked the doctor
but they were i'll Yiddish, which |
lad 10 learn when l came to this
country from Roumania, even before
| began to learn English she am
swcrcd.
'But YOU could play them now with
ont rehearsal couldn't you:'
Madame admitted smilingly that
these roles were indclibly stamped up
on her memory.
Then it was that the great idea
was born. \ Niddish stock company
was playing 1T the Irving place The
atrc and the management joyfuliy wei
coined the suggestion that kahch
should appear i'll her famous char
acters for such performances as she
wished 1t was not so easy to get
Ealich's con cut, but finally she enter