THE SUNDAY OREGON! AN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 23, 1908.
Theatrical World Has Find in Nazimova
Actress Holds Audiences Enthralled Olga Nethersole Stars in "The Awakening" Ethel Barrymore Closes NewYork Season
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NEW YORK. Feb. 22. (Special Cor
respondence.) When -we think of
emotional actresses, those at least
whose names have stood In history, un
consciously we call up Clara Morria, Sara
Bernhardt and Iuse. These remarkable
women brought wonderful personalities
to bear upon their art, and it is doubtful
whether anything they ever did seemed
cheap and sensational, no matter how
melodramatic the situations might have
been. The day of the emotional actress
seemed past to a larpe extent, notwith
standing Leslie Carter's achievements,
especially in Du Barry and Mrs. Fiske
in Tess, Leah Kleschna and her Ibsen
impersonations. Into these, like a sky
rocket came Nazimova, whose qualities
placed her almost immediately among the
very greatest actresses of that class. In
face and in figure, she was as peculiarly
adapted to tragedy as was Duse or Bern
hardt. She is regarded by New York as
one of its most remarkable ''finds" and
sho lias held tremendous audiences en
thralled from her very first attempt to
play in the English language. It will bo
remembered that she wandered to this
city with a band of strolling Kussian
actors, and her mastery over the lan
guage is one of tho most interesting of
her many qualities.
Olga Nethersole has long been regard
ed as one of the mosrt emotional actresses
of the day and her engagements this sea
son will give her tho opportunity to dis
play a variety of emotions. She is no
playing an Knglish translation of a play
called "The Awakenins," by Paul Mer
vieu. She will also be seen in Adrienne
Lecouveur. a double bill containing The
Knigma and I'Pagliaccl, Carmen, Sapho,
Magda. Camille and The Second Mrs.
Tanqueray. At the same time airs. Pat
rick Campbell Is presenting Biectra, pre
ceded by a Japanese curtain-raiser en
titled "The Flower of Tamato." Several
other plays which are enjoying long and
healthy runs have stepped just beyond
tle melodramatic into the realm of emo
tional playing. Amo:: these we call to
mind Margaret Illington's work In "The
Thief," which, while not as broad an? as
deep as that of the foregoing, is beyond
the ordinary In the qualities which move,
thrill and remain with you. Among the
more or less emotional plays are some
thoroughly disagreeable In problems, none
of which are any more bo than "Irene
Wycherly.'i with Viola Allen, in the title
role, or "The Comet," in which Mme.
Naaimova is closing ber engagement at
the Bijou. It to not fair to leave the
i subject of emotional actresses without
reference, if merely in passing, to the
qualities of Mme. Cavalieri, of the Met
ropolitan Opera Company and Mary Gar
den, of the Manhattan. Those who ad
mire the drama the most might wish that
Mme. Cavalieri follow the example of
Mme. Nazimova in studying English, as
the stage la her place, where she would
: t at much greater advantage than on
the operatic stage, as the limitations of
lier voice are marked. Mary Garden, on
the other hand, brings both arts to an
exceptional height. Her emotional pow
: ers lie in her subtlety, and at the mo
! mente of greatest abandon ahe is never
sensational or theatrical.
Olga Nethersole has not a very satis
; factory medium in "The Awakening."
Its form is stilted afmost to the point of
; making ridiculous the most effective mo-
ments. Most of these are due to the
! play Itself and some of it must be at
tributed to the melodramatic tendencies
of her leading man Frank Mills. The
i story deals with the familiar problem of
,lhe love of a well married woman for a
romantic young man who Is ready to
'sacrifice a throne for her love. She
fights sincerely and pathetically against
it, but finally consents to flee from her
husband and daughter, who Is old enough
to bo conducting a love affair of her own
which is threatened through the manner
, la which her mother is becoming com
promised. Through th Interception of
her mother-in-law and the father of the
young Prince, the lovers are separated in
a manner which is almost humorous in
its naivete. The young man is stolen
from her and she is lead to believe that
he has been killed, whereupon she returns
to her home after an absence of a few
hours. There Is a reunion between the
husband and wife and the little daugh
ter opens her heart to her mother, tell
ing her that her entire happiness is de
pendent upon whether or not she will
attend a dinner party that night, and
the mother awakens to her duty to
child and husband. When she appeal's
in radiant gown ready to Join the
party her lover reappears shocked be
yond expression to find her able to
Join the pleasures of the world when
she thought him dead and she, not
withstanding: the revulsion of feeling
arises to the height of womanhood and
bids him farewell with "a simple clasp
of the hand." The company Is fairly"
competent, especially Charles A. Ste
venson, in the part of the father of
Prince Jean. Miss Katherine Steward
with splendid balance.
.
Ethel Barrymore will close her Ne
York season this week. This talented
young; actress has been playing "Her
Sister" at the Hudson Theater for sev
eral weeks. The company will go an
the road and upon the close of her tou
she will sail for London to confer
with Charles Frohman in regard to her
forthcoming appearances In "As You
Like It." Speaking of melodrama,
Charles Frohman expressed himself on
the art and growth ot Ethel Barrymore
as follows:
"A test of an actress worth remember
ing Is the art of acting scenes that are
essentially melodramatic in an unmelo
dramatia manner.
"After all, what Is melodrama? Life It
self is melodrama. And life, put upon the
stance, only seems untrue when it is acted
melodramatically that Is, unnaturally.
"I would venture to submit to Ethel
Barrymore's delivery any scene supposed
ly melodramatic and, if it is not abso
lutely theatric In thought and in dia
logue, I am sure she would carry convic
tion for its every moment by the natural
ness and simplicity of style which she
has acquired. Her work in. "Her Sister'
la the best Instance I conld give you of
the growth of Ethel Barrymore."
The first word that has been received
from abroad as to Charles Frohman's
complete plans for the first London ap
pearance of Maude Adams was received
lust week. Mr. Frohman cabled his New
York office that he had sent to America
for Mies Adams' consideration and ap
proval new versions of three plays which
he intends shall be a part of the reper
toire for her London season in addition
to "The Jesters." They are: "L'Enfant
Prodlgue," a pantomime In three acts
with music, Rostand's "Les Roman
esques," condensed into one act, and Mo
liere's "Les Forberls de Scapin." Each
will have its first performance in Lon
don. The rehearsals will be held and the
casts recruited in America.
The new comedy, "Toddles," adapted
from the French by Clyde Fitch, will be
given its American premiere at Baltimore
on Monday, February 24. "Toddles" will
serve to Introduce to American playgoers
Gayer Mackay,' a popular London come
dian. Besides Mr. Mackay there will be
seen In "Toddles" the most extraordi
nary comedy cast ever assembled in
America.
.
Charles Frohman has accepted a new
four-act play from Henry Hubert Davies.
Mr. Davies is the author of "The Mol
lusc," In which Sir Charles Wyndham has
scored a great success in London. The
new play is a comedy said to bave ex
ceptional merit. Its title has not yet
been decided.
Mr. Davies Is well known on the Pacific
Coast, he having been, lor a number of.
years a contributor to the News Letter,
of San Francisco.
Mrs. Patrick Campbell, at the Garden
Theater, has a fine medium In which to
display her wonderful emotional art In
Electra, a tragedy in one act by Hugo
von Hofmannstahl, translated by Ar
thur Symons. At the outset it may be
said that this is no play for the Ameri
can public, and both Mrs. Campbell and
her managers will no doubt under
stand this. It would seem as though
it were hardly possible to make a
popular success of Electra any more
than if it were one of the old Greek
masterpieces which, exquisite in their
literary worth, cannot possibly attract
the wide public. Electra is the subject
pelected by Richard Strauss, upon
which he has written his latest opera.
From the moment Electra comes upon
the scene she never leaves the stage,
and the fact that she rivets the atten
tion of her audience, never allowing it
to wander from the central point is the
work of an artist and that is Mrs.
Campbell alone, because the somber
ness' and the darkness of the work
from first to last is not inspiring to
an audience which comes to be
amused. Electra is in every sense a
female Hamlet who pursues her queen
mother for the same crime as that com
mitted by Hamlet's maternal parent.
Mrs. Beerbohm Tree, to whom this role
is intrusted, is in herself an actress of
great emotional qualities, and the part
of the younger sister, also a sufferer
from the tyranny of the mother. Is
charmingly and feelingly Interpreted by
Miss Stella Campbell, who is making
the first tour with her mother. This
tragedy is preceded by one nearly as
tense entitled "The Flower of Yamato,"
in which Mrs. Campbell plays the role
of Murasaki, the beautiful Japanese
woman who, left alone while her hus
band is forced to attend to affairs away
from home, is found by the man who
loved her formerly, and to save his life
from the lover who would waylay and
kill him, she professes a fear that he
may meet with death at the hands of
her husband, and conspires to allow hlra
to pierce him with a sword through the
window as he sleeps, at a given hour.
Upon the return of the husband, Mura
saki insists upon lying In his place.
He sleeps in Japanese fashion on the
floor of the little house, and as the
moment comes she receives the sword
thrust.
Mrs. Campbell will be seen In reper
tory later during her engagement.
At last the official announcement of a
change of director at the Metropolitan
Opera-House has been issued. A meeting
was held In the library of J. Pierpont.
Morgan last Tuesday, when W. K. "Van
derbilt bought the shares held by Mr.
Conned. The name has been changed
to the Metropolitan Opera Company in
stead of the Conried Metropolitan Opera
1 HO
anrl
erewsio the
Pi
eoer i laeo
AT THE HEILIG
TOMORROW EVENING
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PADEREWSKI
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Company and the opera-house has been
leased by them for five years beginning
June 1, 190& It will take four men to
do what Mr. Conried did almost unaided.
These are Glulio Gatti-Caeazza who will
be the general manager and who is at
present director at La Seala in" Milan.
With him will come Toscanini, the great
Italian conductor. ' Gattl-Cusazza will be
assisted in his duties by Andreas Dippel,
the tenor, and Gustav Mahler, the Ger
man musical director. The Italian
director is coming to this country in
March to look over the situation and it
is understood that hereafter the man
agers will be placed on a salary basis and
will not share in the profits. It is said
that this is done In order to work for art
only and much interest will be manifested
in the operatic season next year.
Dalmores, who was made known in this
country through Oscar Hammerstein has
signed a three years' engagement at the
Metropolitan Opera-House, where he
will probably replace Dippel who as an
all round tenor, is one of the most re
markable of the day. But where
Dalmores gains in becoming "one of the
tenors" at the Metropolitan instead of
"the tenor" at the Manhattan is not
obvious to those who have watched the
career of this brilliant artist.
EMILIE FRANCES BAUER.
Interest in Bauer-Kreisler Recital
World-Famous Artists to Play Together at the Heilig March
17, Under Direction of Lois Steers-Wynn Coman
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MUBUUOftil
II
THE GREATEST musical event of
this season so far will be the joint
recital to be given under the direc
tion of the Steers-Coman management of
Harold Bauer, the favorite pianist, and
Fritz Krelsler, who is universally called
the world's best violinist. Portland has
had a good deal of fine music; In fact,
the'beBt that any city has ever enjoyed,
but not even New York itself can often
offer two such great artists on the same
programme, and their playing together
here on March 17 is more eagerly antici
pated than any musical event so far this
season.
"The truly great pianist," wrote an
Eastern, critic In praising, Harold Bauer,
whose appearance with Krelsler will be
the most important event of the season,
"should be a heaven-born poet, with full
mastery of expression. He should not
bluster in passion; he should not be ex
travagant in metaphor; he should not be
sentimental in sentiment. And his touch
should woo, should command. Here en
ters color. Here enters mastery of the
pedals. He should be an interpreter, not
merely a speaking-tube.
"Harold Bauer came to this country
eight years ago, and his success on his
first metropolitan appearance is well re
membered. His present tour is the fifth
in that brief period, a record for popu
larity which few pianists would be able
to duplicate."
In Fritz Krlesler i the passionate feel
ing for his violin, and devotion to It that
it makes him seemingly cherish even its
limitations. He would not drive it to do
more than It really can, because he would
have it do what it may to perfection. He
is no pursuer of the big tone. Rather he
eeeks brightness, fineness and adulation
and communicating quality difficult for
-words to express. His violin sings, but
always in a tone curved to the melodic
line sensitively but unforcedly, and that a
keenly fine sense of rhythm animated
but never roughened. The kind of tech
nical prowess that would degrade the vio
lin to a conjurer's playing lies at an
other pole to the expressiveness that he
courts. More from this devotion to his
instrument springs perhaps some of the
affection for the pieces that the great
virtuosi of the ISth century wrote or
played.
Watch for the Alaskan
Robin
Smartly frorked little visitor from
Northland tm due iibortly from the
Northlnnd and will be greeted by
bird lovers.
BY JERRY H. BROXAUGH.
As the first of March draws near Ore
gon bird lovers are again expectantly
looking forward to greeting our little
guests from the Northland, the Alaska
Robin, also called the varied thrush.
In running through' the charming book
by Mr. William L. FInley, of Portland.
Or., on "American Birds," I am surprised
to find no mention of .this little feathered!
friend who for about six weeks of each
year may be seen and studied in Port
land. In fact, as I bave spoken to Mr.
Flniey about the Alaska Robin, I have
thought that perhaps here was one bird
which this brilliant young naturalist does
not thoroughly know.
The average observer does not probably
distinguish the Alaskan from the common
Western or red breast robin. They are
seen together, but when one knows the
Alaskan he will not ponfuse him with any
other bird. He is of about the same size
and shape as the common red-breast, but
his coloring Is entirely different. A yel
low scarf about his neck and breast, an
orange polka dot wing and a modish
slate-colored back make the smartest
frocked bird on the avenue. But, to me,
an equally striking difference between the
Alaskan and the common red-breast is
this the Alaskan will gorge himself with
crumbs of bread, while, the red-breast, so
far as my experience goes, will not touch
bread worms are good enough for him.
I have a feeding hoard near my dining-j
room window, where, during the Summer,
I encourage laziness among the birds by
providing ready prepared food for them
and from about March 1 to about April 15
I furnish daily rations to some 12 or 15 of
these smartly frocked gentry, who easily
desert the simple life and take to civili
sation's ways. To see them quarreling at
the bread-board like hungry puppies
around a bowl of milk, now darting and
snapping at one another, and to hear their
peculiar whistle and to feast the critical
eye on their fancy suiting, compensates
one a hundred-fold for his trouble in fur
nishing them the crumbs.
These little fellows go North about
April 15, and only the soon coming of the
bewitching sweet-voiced Jenny Wren, who
builds her nest In the little box provided
for her, and the dashing, -darting little
bird sprite, the hummer, who raises her
tiny brood in the climbing rose bush on
the porch, prevents the bird lover from
being really sad.
MAY WAR ON CROCODILES
Scientist Declares They Cause Sleep
ing Disease in Africa.
BERLIN, Veb. 22. (Special.) By im
perial command. Professor Robert Koch
lectured the other day before tho Em
peror and Empress and a number of
other distinguished personages, who ac
companied their majesties, on the results
of his investigation of sleeping sickness
in German East Africa. He stated that
during his recent visit to London he had
discussed the question of an Anglo-German
alliance against crocodiles, that
were the regular hosts of the mosquitoes,
which spread the disease. It was his con
viction that if joint action could be taken
for the destruction of those animals, and
If all cases of sleeping sickness were iso
lated, as suggested by him. In concentra
tion camps, the disease could soon be
completely stamped out.
The Emperor, who is himself a crack
shot, laughed heartily as the wivant de
scribed his own not very successful hunt
ing of a crocodile, and- confessed rha.t if
he struck the animal tn a vital part it
was chance rattier than sill which di
rectcd the bullet. His Majesty was also
much amused when the professor admit
ted that he would have been spared his
futile efforts to catch crocodileB with a,
baited line if he had been a better Bib
lical scholar, for it was clearly shown
in Job that the leviathan was not to be
"drawn out with a hook."
FOR LARGER GERMAN NAVY
Keiehstag Willing to Appropriate
Much Money for Ships.
B KR LIN, Feb. 22. (Special.) Great
satisfaction is expressed in the Berlin
newspapers- at the passing of the sec
ond reading of the new navy bill, with
the support of all parties except the
Socialists and tho Poles. It is noted as
a gratifying fact that practically the
entire Reichstag can now be depended
on to support any proposals for an in
crease of tiie fleet which the govern
ment may bring forward. The govern
ment has no intention of taking a
backward step in the matter of build
ing iip the navy, and particularly of
adopting tho most modern improve
ments to the requirements of the naval
service. As a distinguished naval of
ficer remarked the other day, Germany
has not lost anything by waiting, and
now she can take advantage of inven
tions which make the navies of other
powers practically obsolete. This is
especially true, he said, of submarine
navigation. The government, however,
is naturally not disposed to give out
any details of its plans.
Oregon People In Chicago.
CHICAGO. Feb. 22. (Special.) Oregon ,
people registered at Chicago hotels today'
a3 follows:
From Portland J. W. Walter Gates, ati
the Annex; A. D. Hawkins, at the Great
Northern.
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